The Philadelphia Phillies are set to once again square off with an ace this postseason, as they will meet Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander in Game 1 of the 2022 World Series.

The Phillies’ formidable lineup has led the way as of late. The Phillies are averaging 5.2 runs per game in the postseason, and multiple players have risen to the occasion for the NL champions, including Bryce Harper, who has recorded five home runs in 11 postseason contests played this year.

For Verlander, he is much looking forward to taking the mound against the Phillies on Friday. Overall, the 2022 AL Cy Young Award favorite sees that he will have to be strategic against an offense that forces opposing pitchers not to have just “one game plan” for all nine hitters in its starting lineup.

“They're a great lineup,” Verlander said during a press conference on Thursday. “Obviously they wouldn't be here if they weren't. But I think they have a lot of power. They cover a lot of different pitch types.

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“They make you — you can't just have one game plan and work it through the entire lineup. They have a bunch of professional hitters. So I think they're one of the best lineups in baseball this season.”

Verlander last faced the Phillies on Oct. 4 when he logged 10 strikeouts in 5.0 scoreless innings. However, multiple regular starters for the Phillies did not feature in the game, including Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos.

In the big picture, the Astros are looking to rebound from last year's World Series defeat to the Atlanta Braves and win their second title in franchise history.