The match of the World Series 2022 has been set.
Starting Friday, Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies will clash for the Commissioner’s Cup in a meeting between the favorite team of one league and the weakest team of another.
Under the MLB’s new playoff format, the Phillies entered as the sixth and final seed in the National League but went straight to the Fall Classic, while the American League’s No. 1 seed, the Astros, rolled with the section. remaining of the Junior Circuit.
What has October taught us about each of these teams? What do they need to do to rise to the top? And which players could be the difference-makers for both sides? ESPN MLB experts Jeff Passan, Joon Lee, Jesse Rogers and David Schoenfield analyzed it.
What is the most impressive thing about the Astros after this season?
Passan: Everything is a thing, isn’t it? Strong. If one thing only defines the Astros, it’s their pitching depth. They have Justin Verlander and Frame Valdez, both of them start the front line, at the beginning of their rotation. They follow up with Cristian Javier and Lance McCullers Jr., each of them will be the starting striker for most teams. As good as their initial offering is, the sheer amount of relief talent in their stables – from closer Ryan Pressly arrive Rafael Montero arrive Ryne Stanek arrive Bryan Abreu arrive Hector Neris arrive Hunter Brown – make any lead feel comfortable. The Astros are excellent at everything, but their pitch is why they remain unbeaten after this season.
Lee: Depth in Houston’s list. If you were told the Yankees were heading into the American League Championship Series through three games, Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve there will only be one hit per person, New York will be ecstatic. Instead, the rest of the Astros led the way, from Yuli Gurriel arrive Alex Bregman arrive Chas McCormick arrive Jeremy Pena arrive Martin Maldonado. This Houston team can beat you in a variety of ways, from their super deep pitchers to their formation, which can knock you out with the longball or knock you to the ground with singles and doubles. Above all, it’s consistency. Depth and stability often play well into October, and Houston proved it against the Mariners, in the AL Division Series and the Yankees.
Why does it (or won’t) work against the Phillies in the World Series?
Passan: To be sure, the Phillies’ roster, the way it’s hitting right now, poses a bigger challenge than the Mariners or Yankees did for Houston. But as long as Dusty Baker manages with the proper degree of urgency and uses his crawling pen as much as he can – mix and match and don’t allow Kyle Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins, JT Realmuto and Bryce Harper third looks unless the starter is actually flying – Houston has the goods to neutralize Philadelphia’s offense similar to how it did with Seattle and New York.
Lee: The Astros are the better team on paper, but being underrated hasn’t stopped the Phillies so far in the post-season, after coming in as the third-place team from NL East and beating the Cardinals, Braves and Padres on the way to the World Order. There’s also something to be said for the magic of that October, and coming hot at the right time. We’ve seen this run out for teams in the past, but Philadelphia took its cue from the Braves last year and got scorching hot when it counted at the most. Harper’s push forward in the clincher tournament in the National League Championship Series is a sporting moment too enticing for the movies, but it feels like the stars of baseball were written by the gods.
Who are the players who have to help the Astros become champions from here?
Passan: Considering the Astros made it to the World Series with him practically non-existent, perhaps Jose Altuve was a dumb answer. But to derail a hot and confident team of Phillies, Houston needed to manufacture from scratch on its orders, and the Astros lineup with Altuve was operating on a need for an engine that spewed many horses. and supercharge it.
Lee: Pena has been Houston’s X-factor so far in October. When Altuve and Alvarez struggled, the previously unannounced rookie overcame and became a star for the Astros. If Altuve and Alvarez continue to struggle, the likes of Pena, McCormick, Trey Mancini and Gurriel will need to help get Houston to the World Series title.
What is the most impressive thing about the Phillies after this season?
Rogers: They instantly became the team everyone in the organization thought they could be, a team with great starting pitching ability and massive strength – enough to get through any defensive flaws. or unevenness of the barn. Harper, Schwarber and Hoskins make no mistake and are playing with the most confidence they’ve had all year.
Schoenfield: The stars are hot – not just those who hide, but also Zack Wheeler, who has an ERA of 1.78 in his four starts. He can start Game 1 when fully rested, but that might make sense when the Phillies come along Aaron Nola and then Wheeler in game 2 claimed that Wheeler started to tire at 80 degrees in both starts against Padres. An extra day off can help. But let’s mention something else: The Phillies’ Bullpen figured things out a bit, and manager Rob Thomson did a fantastic job of adjusting quickly and moving on with hot hands. . Seranthony Dominguez only allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings post-season with 15 strikes and no walking – and that one run was partly a result of Sunday’s wet conditions. Jose Alvarado is giving off heat from the left side and David Robertson have a lot of experience after the season. Thomson is even ready to use the starter Ranger Suarez to finish Game 5 of the NLCS.
Why does it (or won’t) work against the Astros in the World Series?
Rogers: The Phillies’ sect will keep the Astros out of a winning streak in a brief series, but all of those pitches will eventually bring them victory. In the long run the better for Houston, because Philadelphia can’t match the Astros. One of the top seven is usually won not on the plate but on the mound. That’s where Houston prevails.
Schoenfield: Bullpen depth is still a minor issue – though Connor Brogdon there was a seven-time attempt against the Padres in Game 4 and Andrew Belletti has thrown the ball well enough in his five outings and could be a good match against Houston’s heavyweights (he allows 0.608 OPS on the right, but .866 on the fore). But if Brad’s hand facing Alvarez / Bregman /Kyle Tucker part of the order? And Thomson has been careful in his use of Dominguez, who is in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. He’s made just 11 appearances on regular-season return days and has taken days off between all six post-season appearances – at least two days out of five of them. At some point, he will have to spend days back and possibly a longer period on the pitch.
Who are the players who have to help the Phillies become champions from here?
Rogers: It might be a cliché to pick Harper, but he’s a guy. Phillies’ heartbeat raced past him. They will be deservedly underrated, and they will need an extra special series to beat Houston. Who better to energize them again than Bryce Harper? He’s had a great post-season. As he moves on, Phillies’ offense could shock the world in receiving a scepter of domination by the Astros. It started with Harper.
Schoenfield: I’m watching another big Harper series, but my key person is Nola. Wheeler is likely to dominate his outings. Astros will have a starting pitching advantage in Suarez games or Bailey Falter (or Noah Syndergaard) begin. Nola made two great starts to the season – six goalless two-thirds games against the Cardinals and then a winless game against the Braves. Against the Padres, however, he took a 4-0 lead but allowed a run back home in the second and then four in the fifth. Nola is also important because if he can go deep it means more new arms for the starting games of Suarez and No. 4. Oh, a reason to start Nola in Game 2. instead of Game 1: He had a 3.84 ERA in the regular season in four days off (14 starts), but 2.79 in five days (13 starts). If he starts Game 1, he will continue in Game 5 for a four-day break, but if he joins Game 2 and 6, he will get a five-day break. The Phillies have an interesting decision on how to adjust their spin.
