MLB Postseason Preview - World Series
The 2022 Fall Classic is set. It will be a battle of two teams with very different story lines. The National League will be represented by the Philadelphia Phillies, the lowest seed. The American League will be represented by the Houston Astros, the highest seed. The Phillies ended an 11-year postseason drought and find themselves in their first World Series since 2009. The Astros are in their fourth World Series in the past 6 years. The “Fightin’ Phils” won 87 games during the regular season while “Space City” won 106 games. It is the largest difference in wins for a World Series matchup in the modern era. Ironically enough, these two teams played each other during the last regular season series of the year. Little did anyone know it would be a World Series preview. It’s a great storyline and one that is set up to be a very entertaining series that begins October 28th in Houston.
Philadelphia Phillies
What an incredible ride it’s been so far for the Phillies. Entering the postseason, not many people gave them a chance to make it past the first round, much less be the National League Champions. They made it easy with a 4-1 series win against San Diego. They have yet to lose a game at home this postseason but unfortunately, they will not have home field advantage in this series. That hasn’t been a problem for them though as they have been the underdog every round and will be again. The pitching behind Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola has been tremendous and they will need that to continue along with the great play they have gotten from the bullpen. On paper, they don’t match up well against the Astros but you can never bet on that when it comes to the postseason. The Phillies have gotten huge hits at the right time all postseason long from multiple players. But there is no doubt who the heart and soul of this team is and it’s Bryce Harper. In a moment straight out of a movie, he hit the go-ahead 2-run blast in the bottom of the 8th inning to clinch Philly’s NL title and earn NLCS MVP. He must continue that same level of production with the help he’s gotten from the whole lineup. The bats can certainly compete in this series but if they go quiet, the Phillies might be in big trouble.
Houston Astros
Here they are again. The Houston Astros have proven themselves as October juggernauts with their 6th consecutive trip to the ALCS and fourth World Series appearance in the last 6 years. The last time they won a title was in 2017*. Of all the great runs they have had, this 2022 stretch might be the most dominant. They have yet to lose a game, having swept the Mariners and Yankees en route to their AL title. They look unbeatable right now. Everything is going their way and they are the hands down favorite to win the World Series. Jeremy Pena won ALCS MVP, the rookie shortstop who, after a great start to the season, struggled a bit entering October. In typical Astro fashion, he figured it out at the right time and he is a big reason this team is so lethal. I wish I had something negative to say about Houston but the honest truth is, I don’t. They’re an amazing team. I said this last year and the same rings true in 2022 - Dusty Baker, the Astro’s manager, is the only reason I want to see the Astros win another World Series title. He deserves it and I think he’s gonna finally get one.
Prediction
If you have been reading my predictions this postseason, you know that I have been wrong more times than not. But that’s what I love (and hate) about October baseball. You can never count a team out because of what they did in the regular season, or any recent history, or any matchups, or any money ball stats you throw out there. At the end of the day, the players go to battle and the best team of the series will win. Seems obvious, I know, but a lot of people forget to expect the unexpected, especially when you have a matchup like this World Series. Two teams separated by 19 wins over the 162-game season is, by no means, a mismatch. The Phillies have proven that upsets are a natural part of this game. With that being said, I am going to doubt them again. There is nothing I want more than for the Astros to lose another World Series but in my objective opinion, Houston should win. I do think the Astros will finally lose a game or two but not the series. Space City takes home the 2022 World Series Championship in 6 games.