Most baseball fans predict an American League team will prevail at the World Series this year, and over a third think that team will be the reigning champion Boston Red Sox.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of fans found that 36% think the Sox will be victorious for the second straight year, while 24% think playoff newcomers the Tampa Bay Rays will come out on top. The east coast teams will square off tomorrow night in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.

As for the two remaining National League teams, 17% think the Los Angeles Dodgers will win the World Series, while 12% think that of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Dodgers haven’t been to the championship since 1988, a series they won. The Phillies’ last appearance in the Fall Classic was in 1993, which they lost to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Dodgers and Phillies face off tonight in Game 1 of their series.

As for who fans want to win, the Red Sox still come out on top with 31% of fans, followed by the Rays with 25% and the Dodgers with 21%. The Phillies once again come in last with 14% of fans who want them to win.

Red Sox fans are the most confident in their team, with 70% who think their team will come out on top. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of Rays fans and 57% of Dodgers fans think their teams will win, while just 50% of Phillies fans predict the same for their team.

A survey conducted two months ago found that fans predicted the two most recently eliminated teams, the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago Cubs, would face off in the World Series. Both teams received championship predictions from 16% of fans.

Back in February, just before the start of spring training, 18% of fans picked the Red Sox to win another World Series in 2008.

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