Many baseball fans are penciling in the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the 2022 World Series. The attention and praise are well served, as Los Angeles has the best record in MLB and All-Stars up and down the roster. However, they may not be in a class of their own among title contenders. The Houston Astros are also continuing to dominate.
The Astros are just a handful of games behind the Dodgers in the overall standings. They have emerged as the best team in the American League, standing strong while other division leaders falter. The player development they used to win the 2017 title is still in place and should make them contenders for years to come.
If the World Series is a rematch of 2017, it could be the same result. The Astros have what it takes to win the 2022 World Series. Here are three reasons why.
3. Experience and an edge
The reigning AL champions and core of players that have been to three of the last five World Series of course has experience on its side. Not many other teams have the experience that the Astros do. Even the ones that do in their league — namely the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays — look very vulnerable.
Even though the core of players that have been with Houston since 2017 is shrinking, their replacements have been terrific. Patching the hole that George Springer left in the outfield has been tough, especially because of Michael Brantley's season-ending injury, but losing Carlos Correa and numerous key pitchers have not slowed them down in the slightest.
Houston's experience also comes with a strong desire to take home another title. Especially because of the asterisk that most baseball fans assign to the 2017 title, the Astros are hungry to win another championship in this window of opportunity. Motivation can only go so far as talent can take it though. Fortunately for Houston, that is no problem.
2. Plenty of great hitters
The Astros complement dominance on the mound with dominance at the plate. Houston has a bevy of talent that will strike fear in the hearts of opposing pitchers, headlined by Yordan Alvarez.
Alvarez could be the best hitter in the game right now. Only the home-run god Aaron Judge has a higher wRC+ than the Astros' designated hitter. His power, discipline and ability to avoid striking out at a high rate make him a nightmare to pitch to.
Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman are still around and hitting swell. Rookie shortstop Jeremy Pena offers some pop, as does midseason acquisition Trey Mancini. Yuli Gurriel and Christian Vazquez have had rough seasons but could still be used for solid depth behind the stars of the team. The team's majors-leading walk-to-strikeout ratio and collective 112 wRC+ highlight how tough it is to deal with this lineup.
Top to bottom, the Dodgers may actually have more firepower than the Astros on offense. But Houston is not too far behind. Few lineups can go off like the Astros' can. And that isn't even their biggest strength.
1. Strong pitching in the rotation AND the bullpen
The Astros' pitching rotation could be the very best in the majors. They have tons of strong options to use in playoff series.
Justin Verlander is in the midst of a Cy Young Award-caliber season, posting a 1.78 ERA, the best in MLB. Lance McCullers Jr. has worked back from a forearm injury and is shredding the competition. Cristian Javier and Framber Valdez have emerged as legit studs on the bump. Having Jose Urquidy as another option is a blessing.
The Astros' bullpen is also in very good shape. Ryne Stanek, Ryan Pressly, Rafael Montero, Bryan Abreau and Hector Nerris headline the unit that combines for the best bullpen ERA by a strong margin. Other contenders, like the Dodgers and New York Mets, have a great rotation backed up by an often-times shaky bullpen. The Astros don't have such an issue.
Having an innings-eater like Valdez greatly helps but with Verlander and McCullers having injury concerns, it's extremely helpful to have reliable relievers. The Astros will always have the potential to hold star-studded lineups to bad nights, which will be extremely valuable in the playoffs.
Overall, Houston is elite at generating strikeouts, has a strong defense behind its great collection of pitchers and boasts a core of hitters that are battle-tested and very talented. There are plenty of other teams with lots of star power but none of them have the well-rounded depth and ability that the Astros do. The 2022 World Series isn't exactly Houston's to lose but they should certainly be seen as a favorite.
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