NEW YORK YANKEES

STRENGTHS: The rotation has carried the Yankees through the postseason, as it should; New York has $34.5 million invested in its starting pitchers. But Mussina, Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens and Orlando Hernandez have proven the money well-spent, combining for a 5-3 record and 2.81 ERA in the first two rounds of the playoffs. The bullpen is not as deep as it has been in recent years, but the Yankees have a reliable left-hander in Mike Stanton, who must neutralize Arizona lefties such as Luis Gonzalez and Mark Grace in later innings, and there is simply no better closer in baseball than cut-fastball specialist Mariano Rivera, who has an amazing 0.74 ERA and 23 saves in 48 postseason appearances. Jeter has had a relatively quiet postseason on offense, batting .286 with three RBIs, but he has made several superb defensive plays, and he has been a clutch World Series performer, batting .342 with five RBIs and 19 runs in 19 games. Knoblauch struggled during much of the regular season but has looked like the Knoblauch of old in the playoffs, batting .300 with two doubles and four RBIs, and though the converted second baseman will never win a Gold Glove in left field, he seems more comfortable in the outfield every week.

WEAKNESSES: One of the great mysteries in baseball is why Williams has struggled so much in the World Series. The switch-hitting center fielder is batting .314 with 13 home runs and 44 RBIs in 57 division series and AL championship series games but has hit .141 (10 for 71) with three homers and eight RBIs in 19 World Series games. The Yankees, winners of four of the last five World Series, reached the Fall Classic again despite minimal offensive contributions from Martinez (.184, five RBIs) and Brosius (.121, three RBIs). They’ll need more production from the corner infielders as well as Williams. The Yankees should be in good shape if their starting pitchers go seven innings or more; if not, they could be in trouble because the bullpen thins considerably after Rivera, Stanton and valuable middle man Ramiro Mendoza. Mark Wohlers and Jay Witasick were hit hard in their only ALCS appearances. Hernandez has been one of the Yankees most impressive playoff performers, but the right-hander, who missed almost three months of the season because of a toe injury, has not been in peak October form, struggling with his command and throwing far too many pitches in his two playoff starts.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

STRENGTHS: The 1-2 punch of Schilling and Randy Johnson. Schilling has been the major league’s best playoff starter, going 3-0 with an 0.67 ERA and 30 strikeouts in three complete games. The right-hander is the first pitcher to have three consecutive complete games in the postseason since Orel Hershiser accomplished the feat while leading the Dodgers to the 1988 World Series title. Schilling overwhelmed the St. Louis Cardinals in two victories in the National League division series, giving up only one run and striking out 18. He helped the Diamondbacks win the best-of-seven championship series, 4-1, against the Atlanta Braves with a dominant outing in Game 3. Schilling’s left-handed counterpart has been almost as good. Johnson is 2-1 with a 1.88 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 24 innings in three starts, including two stirring victories in the NLCS. The Big Unit delivered a gutsy, seven-inning performance in the Game 5 clincher at Turner Field. Schilling and Johnson might pitch on short rest after their first starts. In the Yankees’ four previous Series appearances under Torre, they have not faced two starters on the same staff who throw as hard as Schilling and Johnson. Arizona has a strong and versatile bench. Durazo had five of the Diamondbacks’ record 14 pinch-hit home runs in the regular season. Durazo hit a two-run, pinch-hit homer in a 3-2 victory in Game 5 of the NLCS. Counsell, the most valuable player of the NLCS, does everything well. Finley has been a steadying force, batting .364 and playing well in center.

WEAKNESSES: The bullpen, and rotation behind Schilling and Johnson. Arizona relievers rebounded after giving up six hits and five runs in the eighth inning of an 8-1 loss to Atlanta in Game 2 of the NLCS, but they still don’t inspire much confidence. Because of injuries, Manager Bob Brenly turns to an old, soft-tossing bunch when starters falter. The problem was apparent during the regular season, but the Diamondbacks kept their fingers crossed instead of addressing the situation at the trading deadlines. Submarine-throwing Byung-Hyun Kim, who had two, two-inning saves in the NLCS, is a better setup man than closer. Miguel Batista pitched well in his first two playoff starts, but Albie Lopez was awful with a 9.00 ERA. Brenly removed Lopez from the rotation, adding left-hander Brian Anderson to start Game 3 at Yankee Stadium. The Diamondbacks have struggled offensively, batting .235 and averaging 3.2 runs in 10 postseason games. Womack is hitting only .243 with a .300 on-base percentage. Williams is batting .176 with two runs batted in.

KEYS TO THE SERIES: Starting pitching is the biggest key to any playoff series, but quantity will be just as important as quality. Arizona will need eight-and nine-inning performances from Schilling and Johnson, because if the Yankees can get to the Diamondback bullpen early, they will have a decided advantage. The Yankees have a tendency to wear down starters by taking pitches early, fouling off tough pitches and working deep counts, so opposing starters will surpass the 100-pitch mark by the sixth inning and force the opposing manager to go to his bullpen. Schilling believes he can combat that: “If I’m on, there will be a lot of 0-1 and 0-2 counts early in the game, and that should work to my advantage,” he said. “I don’t imagine they’ll want to be 0-1 and 0-2 just for the sake of taking a pitch.” The Yankees must win at least one of the four games Schilling and Johnson are scheduled to start to win the series, and that could be a tall order. But New York’s starting pitchers are just as capable of shutting down the Diamondbacks as Schilling and Johnson are of stifling the Yankees. And remember this: from the 1996 playoffs through this year’s ALCS, the Yankees have outscored postseason opponents, 113-57, after the sixth inning.

RECORDS: Yankees 95-65, Diamondbacks, 92-70

Head to head: Did not face each other in the regular season.