The Philadelphia Phillies entered the 2022 MLB Playoffs as the number six seed in the National League. And somehow, they have managed to emerge as the final team standing among the National League field. The Phillies overcame the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, and San Diego Padres to advance to the World Series, which is a shocking development that not many folks saw coming.
The Phillies were a fairly inconsistent team throughout the 2022 season. They had all the talent in place needed to win, but they weren't able to consistently put everything together. As a result, the Phillies barely snuck into the playoffs as the final wild card team in the NL, with many folks assuming they wouldn't make it very far.
Yet here they are, going up against a very strong Houston Astros team with a chance to win it all. It's been an incredible postseason run for the Phillies so far, and if they can win four games before the Astros do, they will go down in history as champions. So let's take a look at three reasons why Philadelphia will end up beating Houston to win the 2022 World Series.
3. The Phillies have a dominant starting duo in Zach Wheeler and Aaron Nola
The Phillies have received some very strong pitching performances across the board so far in the playoffs. Their bullpen has some holes, but Rob Thompson has done a great job at managing his bullpen, and he hasn't really made any mistakes in that department so far. It also helps when you have a dominant starting duo like he does, with Zach Wheeler and Aaron Nola leading the way.
Wheeler has been absolutely lights out for the Phillies so far, turning all four of his starts into quality starts. He's given up just five earned runs in his 25.1 innings of work, which is more than you can ask for from any starting pitcher in the playoffs. Aaron Nola was just as good in his first two starts, although he got lit up by the Padres in the NLCS, so that's worth keeping an eye on.
Having these two in top form, particularly Wheeler, is a huge boost for the Phillies. If this series goes deep, it's tough to not feel good turning things over to these two with the World Series on the line. They have both been exceptional all throughout the playoffs, and if they can keep that up against the Astros, the Phillies will likely win it all.
2. The Phillies lineup is getting timely hits whenever they want
The Phillies lineup was always going to have to carry their pitching staff in the playoffs, and to this point, they have. The lineup as a whole hasn't gotten hits consistently, but it hasn't mattered because they are getting hits when it matters, and so far, it's proven to be quite the recipe for success.
Philly has been led by Bryce Harper, who has been phenomenal throughout the playoffs so far (.419 BA, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 1.351 OPS). There isn't a hitter on the planet who is hotter than Harper than right now, and he has played a huge role in getting the Phillies to where they are now. If he can keep hitting this, Philadelphia's lineup will be in good shape.
Rhys Hoskins (.182 BA) and Kyle Schwarber (.200 BA) are two guys who aren't getting a ton of hits, but are making their hits count. It would be nice for them to have more traffic on the basepaths, yes, but they are winning games right now, and that's what matters. Timely hitting is crucial to postseason success, and if Philadelphia can keep this recent trend up, they figure to be in good shape.
1. The Phillies postseason run has the magic needed to pull off a World Series win
You always need things to go your way when you go on a deep playoff run, regardless of the sport. But luck may be a bit more prevalent in the MLB than any other sport. This isn't to say that the Phillies aren't good and are simply lucky, but even the most diehard Phillies fans will tell you there has been some luck associated with their playoff run.
That doesn't matter, though, because that only adds to the allure of a playoff run. Philly could tell early on that there was something special about their team, and that has guided them to the World Series. We have seen teams pull off something similar in recent years as well, with the 2019 Washington Nationals being a prime example of that playoff magic.
It's tough to say that that same playoff magic doesn't exist for the Phillies right now. They have blasted their way through a tough National League bracket, setting themselves up for an unexpected date with the Astros in the World Series. It may seem silly, but their playoff run has given their team the belief they can win, and sometimes in baseball, that's all you need.
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