The 2022 MLB regular season has come to an end. History has been made and milestones have been reached. Whether it was Aaron Judge breaking the American League homerun record or Albert Pujols hitting his 700th career homerun, this season was one for the ages. But now, all that matters is the postseason. Four teams remained before the Championship Series: The San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies in the National League, and the New York Yankees and Houston Astros in the American League. The winners of the National League were the Phillies and winners of the American League were the Astros; now the Phillies and Astros will play in the World Series. Between these teams, there is one team that we think will stand alone come November. Let’s take a closer look at each team.
First, the Phillies. They are this year’s underdog, after making the playoffs for the first time since 2011. Despite only winning 87 games, they managed to sneak into the playoffs by the skin of their teeth, narrowly clinching the final wild card spot. However, the Phillies boast one of the better rotations of the teams still left, headlined by Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola. Their lineup is filled with feared sluggers, including last year’s MVP Bryce Harper and National League homerun leader Kyle Schwarber. The Phillies advanced to the World Series after defeating the Padres in the National League Championship Series (NLCS).
Despite being doubted when the playoffs began, the Padres looked like a true contender to make the World Series. They beat the New York Mets and the 111-win Los Angeles Dodgers, two of the top teams in the National League, in the Wild Card and Division Series respectively. Their potent lineup included big-time trade deadline acquisition Juan Soto and MVP candidate Manny Machado. In addition, their pitching was topped by starters Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish and closer Josh Hader. The Padres advanced to the National League Championship Series for the first time since 1998. Unfortunately, their season was cut short after being defeated 4-1 in the NLCS best of seven game series by the Phillies.
Now for the Yankees. They started out at a blistering pace, going 56-21 through the end of June and held a 15-game lead in the division at their peak. August was a different story. They went 10-18 and saw their lead cut to just 3.5 games above the second place Tampa Bay Rays. By September, they regained their stride and finished in first place with a record of 99-63. The Yankees lineup was one of the best in recent memory featuring All-Star sluggers Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres, and superstar home run king Aaron Judge. Their pitching, led by Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes, had the potential to shut down even the best lineup. Unfortunately, they fell short losing 4 consecutive games to the Astros in the American League Championship Series (ALCS) despite this stellar line-up.
Lastly, the Astros. They are the best team in the American League, winning 106 games. This shameful team cheated their way to a 2017 World Series victory and gave themselves a reputation as the most hated team in baseball. Because of this, merciless fans of opposing teams have ensured that booing rings from any stadium the Astros travel to, but this iron-clad crew has been able to brush it off to earn themselves an amazing season so far. Their elite pitching staff could be their key to a World Series ring. Justin Verlander, who likely will win the Cy Young this year, has had one of the best seasons of his career at the ripe age of 39. Young pitchers such as Luis Garcia and Framber Valdez have dominated in both the regular season and the playoffs as well. Their hitting is unmatched. From top to bottom, their lineup is stacked, from Jose Altuve to Alex Bregman to Yordan Alvarez. The Astros have again made the World Series after sweeping the Yankees 4-0 in the ALCS. Will this be the year they win it all?
Taking all of this into account, our final pick to win the 2022 World Series is … the Astros. With the combination of their elite hitting and pitching, we feel that they are the team that will come away with a ring this year. Despite many fans, including us, despising them, it is clear that the Astros are the best team and will most likely continue their dominance in the playoffs. Their red-hot bats can put immense pressure on their opponent at any point in the game and their lockdown pitching will suppress any comeback their opponents hope to make.
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