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The 2022 World Series is finally set. By little surprise to anyone, the Houston Astros will be the team representing the American League for the second year in a row after sweeping the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS and then also wiping the floor with the New York Yankees in the ALCS. Over in the National League, the No. 6 seed Philadelphia Phillies have hit their stride and beat the defending champion Atlanta Braves in the Divisional Series before knocking off the San Diego Padres in the Championship Series in five games. With no shortage of star power on both sides, this should definitely be an entertaining series. However, the Astros are a clear favorite and so they should be.
Here are 3 reasons the Astros will win their second Fall Classic in the last five years.
3. The best team in baseball all-around
Sure, the Dodgers might've had the best record in the big leagues during the regular season, but Houston is truly the strongest team in essentially every area and that's been evident in these playoffs. The Astros pitching staff owns a 1.88 ERA in the postseason, which is absolutely phenomenal. Whether it's Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, or Lance McCullers taking the mound, they're all capable. The bullpen is just as solid too, with the likes of Ryan Pressly, Bryan Abreu, and Hector Neris all holding it down late in games. In fact, in over 33 relief innings in the playoffs, they've allowed just three earned runs after the starter exits. Phenomenal. It truly doesn't matter who Dusty Baker calls upon, they're stepping up and getting it done on the hill. He has confidence in every single arm.
Then offensively, the lineup is just flourishing. While their team average of just .227 doesn't jump off the page, numerous guys are raking at the moment. Alex Bregman has come up with several clutch hits and just oozes confidence. Jeremy Pena is proving to be a star on the biggest stage, Yordan Alvarez is easily one of the best hitters in the sport, and Jose Altuve appears to be possibly breaking out of his slump. Even with the Phillies throwing Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler at the Astros to start the World Series, they're going to have their work cut out for them. Plus, Philadelphia's rotation depth isn't great and that could hurt them in this series.
2. Experience on the big stage
Experience on the grand stage does matter and Houston has no shortage of it. The Astros are almost a regular in the Fall Classic in recent years and know exactly what it takes to succeed here. Altuve, Bregman, Pressly, Verlander, Yuli Gurriel, and others have all been around for several years now for these dynasty years and despite making the ALCS in four of the previous six seasons, there's only one World Series trophy at Minute Maid. This team is hungry as ever to win another ring.
It's also important to note that Philly isn't the most experienced when it comes to World Series baseball. Don't get me wrong, these boys are thriving right now and feeding off the epic energy in the city of Philadelphia, but they're not a match for the Astros. This is a playoff team year after year who will continue to roll and their experience is going to shine through.
1. No one is stopping this offense
Nola is lights out. But, he got shelled in his last start by the Padres. Wheeler also got hit around a bit by San Diego on Sunday. To be honest, though, it doesn't matter who the Phillies throw at Houston, they will do damage. We saw that in the last two series. It might just be one or two hits, but the Astros almost always make their opponents pay. From Bregman to Pena to Alvarez to Altuve, this is a very confident group that can truly get to ANY pitcher. It just takes a couple of mistakes and Houston capitalizes.
The Yankees made a crucial error on Sunday night and look what the Astros did. They instantly made them pay for it. Both of these teams are extremely hot right now and Houston hasn't even lost a game in the playoffs. The Phils should be able to make this a series but in the end, Houston will shine on both sides of the ball and end Philly's historic run. Most notably, the offense should keep getting it done, and don't be surprised if Pena, the rookie sensation who just won the ALCS MVP, continues to cement his place as a postseason legend.
