The Houston Astros ran the American League all season long. Their AL dominance had the majority of people choosing them to reach the World Series, and that is exactly what occurred. In fact, the Astros steamrolled their way through the MLB playoffs en route to the MLB World Series. However, they may finally face some adversity against the red hot Philadelphia Phillies.
But can the Astros take care of business and win their first championship since 2017? Here are 3 bold predictions for the Astros in the 2022 World Series against the Phillies.
Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)
3. Kyle Tucker finds his stroke for Astros
The Phillies feature no shortage of impressive right-handed pitching. This doesn't bode well for Astros' stars such as Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve. Philadelphia is going to gameplan around pitching to left-handed slugger Yordan Alvarez. However, they may take left-handed hitting Kyle Tucker for granted.
Tucker quietly blasted 30 home runs and posted 107 RBIs in 2022. He often gets lost in the shuffle of Houston's deep lineup. So far in the postseason, Tucker has hit just over .200 with 1 home run. But he may end up being the Astros' World Series hero.
In the ALCS, it was Jeremy Pena who clutched up and won ALCS MVP honors. With Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola slated to lead the Phillies pitching staff, look for Kyle Tucker to find his stroke and become a force once again in the Astros' lineup.
2. Framber Valdez is Astros best SP in World Series
Justin Verlander is a future Hall of Famer. He's probably going to win the AL Cy Young in 2022. However, the Phillies lineup is destined to come out swinging in Game 1. They are going to be high on motivation and energy and could cause some havoc against Verlander in Game 1.
The Astros will need a shutdown start in Game 2, and that is exactly what Framber Valdez is capable of providing. In the Phillies bold prediction piece, we added that this is a series destined to go 7 games. As a result, Valdez may need to turn in a pair of strong outings for Houston. Given his playoff track record, he's more than capable of getting the job done in big moments.
Justin Verlander may not pitch terribly by any means, but Framber Valdez is going to lead the Astros' pitching rotation in the MLB World Series.
1. Jose Altuve slumps all series, rebounds with clutch Game 7 HR for Astros
Jose Altuve hit .300 during the regular season. However, he's hitting under .100 in the postseason up to this point. The Astros' star second baseman may find more trouble at the plate given Philadelphia's right-handed pitching prowess.
It wouldn't be surprising to see Altuve labor throughout the World Series. But he's someone who isn't afraid of the moment. Game 7 will be in Houston and Astros fans always have his back. It may not be a walk-off homer, but Jose Altuve is going to club a clutch late-game home run for Houston in Game 7.
It will automatically become one of the most memorable moments in World Series history and help the ball club fully move on from their 2017 cheating scandal.
Final thoughts on Phillies vs Astros
The Phillies are going to give the Astros all that they can handle. In the end, Houston should be able to take care of business.
Follow Us
Subscribe