World Series 2022 Predictions: Full Schedule and Picks for Fall Classic

The championship series in Major League Baseball have been less dramatic than one may have expected to this point. With every passing game, it has become more apparent that the 2022 World Series matchup will see the defending American League champion Houston Astros square off with the underdog Philadelphia Phillies.

The Astros have dominated the New York Yankees and are one game away from a return to the Fall Classic, while the Phils have relied on their heavy-hitting bats to guide them past St. Louis and fuel a 3-1 NLCS lead over the San Diego Padres.

While nothing is over until it's over, and postseason comebacks are part of what make baseball playoffs the stuff of legend, the World Series is fixing to be a showdown between the explosive hitters of Philadephia and the most well-rounded team in Houston.

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World Series Schedule*

• Game 1: Friday, October 28
• Game 2: Saturday, October 29
• Game 3: Monday, October 31
• Game 4: Tuesday, November 1
• Game 5: Wednesday, November 2
• Game 6: Friday, November 4

*Times to be determined

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Prediction

There is something to be said about a good, old-fashioned sports revenge tour, and the Houston Astros are in the midst of one.

They were the best team in baseball a year ago but fell to the Atlanta Braves in the World Series. This year, they are a combined 6-0 in the playoffs, a seemingly unstoppable force as they have mowed down the Seattle Mariners and are in the process of sweeping the hapless Yankees.

The Astros pass the eye test, and on the surface, they look like the undisputed choice to roll through the World Series and hoist their first Commissioner's Trophy since 2017, thanks in large part to consistency from the lineup and rotation.

With that said, if Philadelphia does advance past San Diego and into the Fall Classic, the Phils will win their first world title since 2009.

Momentum is key in any sport during the postseason, and the Phillies have it on their side. Down 4-3 to San Diego in the first inning Saturday? No problem. The team rallied and won 10-6, overcoming two deficits in the process.

They are unfazed by the scoreboard and are as resilient a team as we have seen in the postseason. They are also offensive juggernauts that can score with the best teams in the Majors and are peaking at the right time.

The face of the franchise, Bryce Harper, is playing his best ball when the lights are brightest and stage the biggest. He has four home runs, nine RBI, an on-base percentage of .439 and a hearty average of .410.

Rhys Hoskins, Jean Segura, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh have all helped to create a seemingly unstoppable offensive onslaught that even the best, most dominant pitchers have had trouble stunting.

The Astros and their great rotation of Justin Verlander, Cristian Javier and Framber Valdez will have the opportunity to do what no other team has been able to this point and silence the bats. If they can, with a playoff ERA of just 1.57 between them, the World Series will be cake walk.

That may be easier said than done, regardless of what the stat line says.

The playoffs are a time for magical moments and unforgettable performances. More importantly, they are the time that the best players step up in the biggest moments and help ignite their team to victory.

Harper has done that repeatedly and will continue to do so, all the way to a Phillies World Series win that appeared improbable just three weeks ago.

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Prediction: Phillies upset the Astros, 4-3, to win the world title