The key for the Tigers is their starting pitching getting deep into games.
Justin Verlander is very likely to do this. Doug Fister has been, but he hasn't faced a lineup remotely like the Yankees since coming to Detroit. After Phil Coke, Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde, the Tigers' bullpen is questionable. Alberto Alburquerque could be the wild card in the equation.
Brad Penny was put on the postseason roster because he has pitched relatively well out of the bullpen in long relief in the past in playoffs. Four of his eight postseason appearances have been in relief. I don't know if it was the right decision, though. David Pauley has had some reasonable success pitching against the Yankees in his career (2-3 record, 4.43 ERA).
Obviously Alburquerque is capable, but his injury issues are a question mark. So is the Tigers' range defensively at multiple positions.
David Robinson has had a great year for the Yankees in the bullpen. One interesting development was Luis Ayala getting hit so hard in the season-finale at Tampa Bay. Will that carryover to the postseason. He had been pitching very well for NY before that.

- Stat: Of the Tigers final 51 games, 47 were played against teams that finished the season below .500. The exception was the Tampa Bay series in early September when the Tigers won 3-of-4. In those 51 games, the Tigers compiled a 36-15 record. They rarely faced a team the caliber of the Yankees during their surge to the postseason.

- Prediction department: I have the Tigers beating the Yankees in five games; the Rangers beating the Rays in four. In the NL, I have the Phillies sweeping the Cardinals in three and the Brewers beating the Diamondbacks in four.

I have the Phillies over the Rangers in the World Series.