Ben Margot / AP

The Yankees are the most complete team in baseball and the favorites to win their second consecutive World Series, NBCSports.com contributor Tony DeMarco writes.

The AL picture is a little clearer and less-crowded, and when it gets down to it, there is only one favorite, no matter small their division lead might be at this point: the New York Yankees.

Nobody's perfect, but there is no more complete team — they lead the majors in run differential at +117 (with only the Tampa Bay Rays within shouting distance at +105), and expect to see a couple of stretch-run additions. Maybe another right-handed/3B/corner outfielder/DH bat; and some setup help in case Joba Chamberlain's recent struggles extend.

Flip a coin in the AL Central; a three-team race is likely, a two-team race is almost assured, as the streaking White Sox, compelling Tigers and the favored-but-staggering Twins are within 3 1/2 games of each other.

The schedule favors the Twins — 31 games remaining with plus-.500 teams, as opposed to 41 for the Tigers and 42 for the White Sox. As hot as the White Sox have been — 25-5 since June 8 -- they only have a 1/2-game lead.

Perhaps Roy Oswalt is the tipping point here. The Twins went hard after Cliff Lee; they need to make that push for the Astros' ace, or at least Ted Lilly. The pick: Still Minnesota — but only if Justin Morneau and the double-play combination of Orlando Hudson and J.J. Hardy get healthy quickly.

Strange as it sounds given the recent history, the West is the Rangers' to lose. Their lead is 4 1/2 games, and they built it with only one start from one of the league's elite pitchers in Cliff Lee.

They have another near-100-mph thrower in Tanner Scheppers to promote and put in their bullpen if they choose, and their offense doesn't really need any help.

And as dominant as the Angels have been in the past decade, this isn't one of Mike Scioscia's better teams. They really do miss Vlad Guerrero, Chone Figgins, John Lackey and Darren Oliver, and when you're promoting Cory Aldridge and Paul McAnulty from Triple-A, the top of your farm system is all but barren.

But even with Lee, the Texas rotation falls short in a first-round playoff matchup against any of the three AL East beasts.

In fact, bottom line, at this point it's hard to pick against the Yankees in any postseason series. Even without home-field advantage, they're the choice to make it two titles in a row come early November.

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Tony Gutierrez / AP

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Josh Hamilton fights off illness to hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 13th inning, lifting the Texas Rangers to an 8-7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

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SEATTLE (AP) - Albert Pujols hit a home run in his third straight game and pinch hitter Alberto Callaspo came through with a grand slam in the sixth inning to give the Los Angeles Angels a 5-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday.

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