The 2022 MLB postseason has now reached its climax as the two most esteemed franchises that have featured throughout the lengthy regular season and playoffs will now square off in a potential seven-game series to decide who will walk away with the prestigious honor of claiming the Commissioner’s Trophy as MLB World Champions.
The journey towards the 2022 rendition of the fabled World Series has remained one of the sporting world’s most incredible events due to the unpredictability that it has provided baseball fans, as well as the action-packed encounters that have left analysts speechless.
Following on from the NL and AL Wild Card round, an array of the league’s most established franchises had booked their place into the Division Series from both leagues, before the final four teams representing both conferences would eventually face off in the Championship Series.
The winners from both games will then play each other in the renowned World Series that is scheduled to commence in the latter days of October and could likely range to the opening week of November, depending on how many games are set to be played.
Representing the American League is the first seeded Houston Astros who finished the regular season with an above .500 winning record of 106 wins to 56 losses.
The Astros swept the Seattle Mariners in the Division Series and as such were able to book their place in the ALCS against the New York Yankees, where they would also sweep their second seeded rivals in just four games.
This will mark the franchise’s fourth appearance in the World Series after previously winning the title back in 2017, with the club remaining as mainstay contenders in the AL.
To the surprise of many, the team representing the NL at this year’s World Series is the 87-75 sixth seeded Philadelphia Phillies, who have enjoyed a ‘Cinderella’ run to the World Series that began with their 2-0 sweep over the St. Louis Cardinals in the Wild Card.
In the Division Series, the Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 and secured a spot in the NLCS where they soundly defeated the San Diego Padres 4-1, earning their first trip to the World Series since 2009.
The Phillies have won two World Series titles in their historic tenure as an MLB ball club which came way back in 1980 and 2008 respectably, leaving many fans to question on whether the impossible can be made possible as the sixth seeded organization looks to upset the bookmakers with a victory over the heavily superior first seeded Astros.
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Profiling the Astros’ top star names:
In the latest World Series odds, the Astros stand as the clear front runners to lift the Commissioner’s Trophy at -185, with the Philadelphia Phillies standing as the perennial underdog candidate at +160 outright.
Given that the Astros have remained as one the MLB’s most imposing franchises since their World Series win back in 2017, Houston still poses a number of immense talented superstar caliber players that are sure to provide a major factor heading into the opening few games of the series.
One of their most versatile options is the ball club’s legendary pitcher Justin Verlander who played an integral role in ensuring that the Astros would defeat the Yankees in the ALCS with 11 strike outs while pitching despite a few minor injury worries heading into the postseason ahead of the Astros divisional encounter against Seattle.
First time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year Yordan Alvarez has also been a revelation since making his debut at MLB level back in 2019, with last year’s ALCS MVP scoring 37 Home Runs throughout the regular season and also proving to be a regular force during their series winnings against the Yankees and Mariners.
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Profiling the Phillies’ top star names:
Despite entering the MLB postseason as a sixth seed, the Phillies certainly bolster a roster of impeccable talent that has helped the club reach its first World Series appearance in over a decade.
The Phillies have suffered their fair share of injuries to key names, including Corey Knebel and Brad Hand. Still, thanks to the efforts of Zach Eflin and Jose Alvarado, the Phillies have reached the promised land. They will be raring to cause another major upset to complete the impossible journey back to the promised land as world champions.
If the Phillies want to rely on any individual star player to score Home Runs this series, it is likely to come in the form of the NL’s leading HR scorer and former World Series Champion Kyle Schwarber who scored an incredible 46 HR this season.
With the 2022 World Series now set to get underway, fans will be quick to question on whether the city of ‘Brotherly Love’ can finally return back to winning ways on the field after a lengthy absence outside of the contending, or will the state of Texas once again lay claim to another World Series crown after another finals appearance.
