We would love to hope that the 2022 World Series between the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies will be entertaining. However, it is clear who the favored team is.
Embed from Getty ImagesThis isn’t the first time the Astros have been in this position. In fact, they’ve been in the World Series for 3 of the last 4 years. The Astros clearly have the experience and are seeking revenge after losing the last two that they were in. With that being said, I got the Astros in 5.
To back up my prediction, the Astros are coming into the World Series extremely hot after going 7-0 in the previous series. They swept the Al East division-winning Yankees and also swept the Mariners. The Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the Wild Card series 2-0, beat the Braves in a 4-game series, 3-1, and beat the Padres in a 5-game series 4-1. The Phillies haven’t stopped playing since the start of the playoffs, and that can be a good thing. They are coming in fresh and ready to play. The Phillies won it all in 2008 and look to add their 4th franchise World Series title.
Embed from Getty ImagesOther than the Astros having the advantage because they’ve been here before, they have been on fire. In general, the Astros are a big rally team, and when they’re hot, they stay hot. The Astros have many hot postseason batters coming into the series, with Yuli Gurriel leading the team in batting average with .367. Astros’ possible Rookie of the Year and ALCS MVP Jeremy Pena has been on fire lately, batting .303, and he has also been outstanding in the field. Nearly the whole Astros lineup is hitting well, while the Phillies are a little less consistent.
The Phillies have been really fun to watch this postseason with a lot of big and clutch plays. They’ve hit 16 home runs total, with Rhys Hoskins and Bryce Harper having a combined 10 home runs. Although that is impressive, you can’t rely on clutch and well-timed home runs to win a World Series. Bryce Harper had been extremely impressive this postseason, batting .419 and winning the NLCS MVP. Harper is really the only hot/consistent bat in the lineup right now. Hoskins has been hitting a lot of home runs but is only 8-44. Kyle Schwarber has hit a few towering shots but is only batting .200.
Embed from Getty ImagesOverall the Astros are just a more experienced, consistent hitting team. I would be surprised if the Phillies pulled this one out, especially with their limited pitching. Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola have really only been their dominant pitching this postseason, so if they want to win, other guys will have to step up big-time.
