The Houston Astros face the Philadelphia Phillies for the 2022 World Series. Photo courtesy of Fox.
MATTHEW CRANE | SPORTS CO-EDITOR | mcrane@butler.edu
The Phillies and Astros square off in a matchup of an unexpected World Series. The Phillies finished third in the NL East behind two teams that won 100 plus games in the regular season. They dispatched the Braves in four games in the NLDS and took out the Padres in five games in the NLCS. They are playing their best baseball and have Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola headlining their rotation with Bryce Harper knocking the cover off the ball. It will not be enough against the Astros.
Houston has yet to lose a game in the postseason. They quickly swept the Mariners and the Yankees and have shown why they have been the best team in the AL all season long. Yordan Alvarez is starting to show signs of life at the plate and rookie shortstop Jeremy Pena is proving why the team gave him the keys to the shortstop position. In the rotation of Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier, the trio will be the best starting pitching the Phillies have seen yet. The Astros pitching staff has a 1.88 ERA this postseason with help from an elite bullpen. They are a juggernaut and will win the series in five games.
JAKE KAUFMAN | SPORTS REPORTER | jfkaufman@butler.edu
I am not going to try and deny it, my pick is partially with my heart instead of my head, but I also do really believe in the run that this Phillies team is on. While all signs and numbers point to the Astros being on an entirely different level than the Phillies — and maybe they are — what recent years have taught us is that the team that wins it all is not always the better team, it is the team that is on a roll. Unlike the Astros, whose best hitter Jose Altuve has struggled mightily all postseason, the Phillies best hitter and leader Bryce Harper is on absolute fire batting .419 with five homers in the 11 games. Since 2017, the Astros have not shown that they can consistently finish the job at the highest level, having lost both the 2019 and 2021 World Series. I think that the Phillies are going to be this year’s Cinderella Team and win the series in six games.
JIA SKRUDLAND | SPORTS REPORTER | jskrudland@butler.edu
To say I expected an Astros-Phillies World Series would be an understatement. The Astros are heavily favored to win — and rightfully so — but who doesn’t love a good Cinderella story? The underdogs, Bryce Harper’s postseason surge and Phillie Phanatic. Phillies in six.
I am also a White Sox fan, so I simply can not root for the Astros without the feeling of betrayal.
SARAH HOHMAN | SPORTS CO-EDITOR | shohman@butler.edu
After a heartbreaking finish to the Guardians season, I have been ignoring the MLB playoff world. The only thing that will pull me back is an Astros loss to the underdog Phillies. Do I think that Bryce Harper can continue his hot streak and lead the Phillies to a victory? I am not sure, but one can hope.
CALEB DENORME | SPORTS REPORTER | cdenorme@butler.edu
I know pretty much nothing about baseball except the fact that Bryce Harper hits absolute nukes. Phillies in four.
TEDDY WYNARD | SPORTS REPORTER | twynard@butler.edu
We all know the Astros legacy since 2017. Cheaters. Their sign stealing scandal rampaged the country as one of the top stories. They have inherited this untrustworthy team trait and it has trailed them wherever they go. They have been called cheaters at every road game they play, been blasted on Twitter and have had fans bang trash cans.
Now they only have a handful of players from their 2017 team on the 2022 team, but that still does not say they were not cheaters. They are the favorites to win by far, but the Phillies are firing on all cylinders right now and just have that momentum that leads underdogs to the win. Since 2017, the Astros have not won the Fall Classic when they have made it and both losses have been to NL East teams. What division are the Phillies in? NL East. All signs point to the Phillies taking this one and that’s the sign I’m following too.
