The 10 Players Who Will Decide the Astros vs. Phillies 2022 World Series Winner
The 2022 World Series matchup is set with the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies both making short work of their respective LCS matchups to advance on to the Fall Classic.
In any series, a handful of players are X-factors who will play a major part in who comes out on top. That's the focus here, and we've highlighted 10 players—five from each team—set to help decide who is crowned World Series champion in 2022.
Since the goal is to highlight players outside each team's usual impact players, the top three hitters, top two starting pitchers and closer for each team were excluded from the conversation. Those players are as follows:
HOU: José Altuve, Yordan Álvarez, Alex Bregman, Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Ryan Pressly
PHI: Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Seranthony Domínguez
What's left is a collection of players whose performance could make-or-break their team's chances in the upcoming Fall Classic.
RF Nick Castellanos, Philadelphia Phillies
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It was a trying first season in Philadelphia for outfielder Nick Castellanos after he signed a five-year, $100 million deal during the offseason.
On the heels of a 34-homer, 100-RBI season with the Cincinnati Reds, he hit just .263/.305/.389 for a 95 OPS+ with 13 home runs and 62 RBI in 136 games, logging minus-0.1 WAR overall as a result of his middling defense.
However, he seemed to snap out of his seasonlong funk a bit with a three-hit performance in Game 1 of the NLDS, and he has nine hits in his past nine games, including three doubles and six RBI.
With the young trio of Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh scuffling a bit so far this postseason, Castellanos stepping up would help take some pressure off the top four spots in the batting order to shoulder the offensive load.
1B Rhys Hoskins, Philadelphia Phillies
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In the final two games of the NLCS, first baseman Rhys Hoskins went 3-for-7 with three home runs and six RBI.
He also went deep in Game 3 of the NLDS and Game 2 of the NLCS, tying him for the postseason lead with five homers.
The 29-year-old had a 122 OPS+ with 30 home runs and a career-high 3.1 WAR during the regular season, serving as protection for NL home run leader Kyle Schwarber and a table-setter for Bryce Harper out of the No. 2 spot in the batting order.
Hoskins is as hot as any hitter in baseball right now, and it'll take the Philadelphia offense to another level if he can keep it going in the World Series.
SS Jeremy Peña, Houston Astros
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After a hot start that seemingly put him in the driver's seat in the AL Rookie of the Year race, Jeremy Peña was ultimately overtaken by Julio Rodríguez and Adley Rutschman as the top rookie performers in the American League.
That said, he still put together a fantastic debut, posting a 101 OPS+ with 20 doubles, 22 home runs and 63 RBI in a 4.8-WAR season, and he has been a staple in the No. 2 spot in the batting order.
The 25-year-old has looked right at home under the bright lights of the postseason, going 6-for-17 with two doubles and two home runs against the New York Yankees to win ALCS MVP honors.
With leadoff man José Altuve off to a 3-for-32 start this postseason, Peña's importance as a table-setter can't be overstated.
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RF Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros
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With a 30-homer, 25-steal season and his first All-Star selection, Kyle Tucker has continued his ascent as one of the best young outfielders in baseball.
However, he's run into a bit of a wall in the postseason.
The 25-year-old went just 6-for-32 with nine strikeouts through the ALDS and ALCS, and a solo home run in Game 2 of the ALDS has been his only extra-base hit and lone RBI.
Taking his importance to the team offensively one step further, he hit a terrific .303/.376/.559 with runners in scoring position during the regular season, but he's just 1-for-9 with four strikeouts in those clutch situations during the playoffs.
SP Ranger Suárez, Philadelphia Phillies
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Left-hander Ranger Suárez was on the mound for the final two outs of Game 5 of the NLCS, earning the save against the San Diego Padres in the Phillies' pennant-clinching victory.
He has plenty of experience pitching in relief, but it's his status as the No. 3 starter in the Philadelphia rotation that makes him a major X-factor in the World Series.
The 27-year-old went 10-7 with a 3.65 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 129 strikeouts in 155.1 innings during the regular season, but he completed six full innings just 13 times in 29 starts, pitching beyond the sixth inning only seven times.
He lasted 3.1 innings in Game 1 of the NLDS and tossed five innings in Game 3 of the NLCS, so his ability to keep from over-taxing the bullpen ahead of what could be a busy day for the relief corps in Game 4 will have a major impact on the back-end of the series.
SP Noah Syndergaard, Philadelphia Phillies
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The Phillies have turned to veteran Noah Syndergaard (3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER) to start Game 4 of the NLDS and rookie Bailey Falter (0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 ER) to toe the rubber in Game 4 of the NLCS, so it's not a sure-thing who will follow Ranger Suárez in the rotation.
Given Falter's struggles against the Padres, the smart money is on Syndergaard. With free agency looming this offseason, it could be his final chance to make a pitch for a considerable offseason payday.
The towering 6'6" right-hander went 10-10 with a 3.94 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 95 strikeouts in 134.2 innings in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, and he has yet to show the same pre-injury stuff. His average fastball velocity was down from 97.8 mph in his last full season in 2019 to 94.1 mph this year.
While he had a couple of clunkers following his midseason trade to Philadelphia, he also turned in five quality starts over a seven-start stretch in August and September, so he's still capable of a signature moment.
SP Lance McCullers Jr., Houston Astros
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Lance McCullers Jr. suffered a forearm strain during the 2021 ALDS against the Chicago White Sox, and he spent the bulk of the 2022 season recovering from what was eventually diagnosed as a flexor tendon strain.
The 29-year-old finally made his season debut on Aug. 13 with six shutout innings against the Oakland Athletics, and in eight starts down the stretch he had a 2.27 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 47.2 innings.
That was enough to win him a postseason rotation spot ahead of Luis García and José Urquidy, and he tossed six scoreless innings against the Seattle Mariners in Game 3 of the ALDS.
Things did not go as well last time out, when he allowed 10 base runners in five innings against the New York Yankees, surrendering four runs (three earned) before he was given the hook. Which McCullers will show up in the World Series?
SP Cristian Javier, Houston Astros
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It speaks to just how deep the Astros' stable of starting pitching options is that Cristian Javier ripped off a 25.1-inning scoreless streak to close out the regular season and still had to settle for being the club's No. 4 starter.
In 148.2 innings during the regular season, he posted a 2.54 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with a 194-to-52 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a stingy .170 opponents' batting average.
After pitching in relief in the ALDS, he took the ball in Game 3 of the ALCS against the New York Yankees and surrendered just one hit in 5.1 scoreless innings to out-duel Gerrit Cole and pick up the victory.
With Luis García and José Urquidy waiting in the wings in the bullpen, Javier won't have a long leash if he runs into some early trouble, but another untouchable outing like the one he turned in during the ALCS could be huge in a potentially pivotal Game 4.
RP David Robertson, Philadelphia Phillies
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After a first-half resurgence with the Chicago Cubs playing on a one-year, $3.5 million deal, David Robertson was acquired by the Phillies at the trade deadline in exchange for promising pitching prospect Ben Brown.
The 37-year-old finished with 20 saves while posting a 2.40 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 11.5 K/9 in 58 appearances, and with 33 career postseason appearances under his belt entering the 2022 season, he is no stranger to October baseball.
After tossing a scoreless inning in his lone wild-card round appearance, he watched from the sidelines in the NLDS after suffering a calf strain celebrating a Bryce Harper home run. He returned for the NLCS but failed to finish an inning in Game 2 when he allowed three hits and one earned run, and he walked two and recorded just one out in the ninth inning in Game 5 before he was lifted for Ranger Suárez.
The Phillies can turn to Seranthony Domínguez and José Alvarado to close out games, but having a third reliable late-inning option will be important. Robertson needs to be that guy.
RP Bryan Abreu, Houston Astros
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Ryan Pressly and Rafael Montero have handled late-inning duties for the Astros this season and been lights out in that role, but there's a case to be made that Bryan Abreu is the team's best overall reliever.
The 25-year-old had a 1.94 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 13.1 K/9 in 55 appearances, tallying two saves and eight holds pitching in a middle-inning fireman role.
He was virtually untouchable during the second half, logging a 0.66 ERA and a .161 opponents' batting average in 27.1 innings, and that has continued into the postseason where he has worked 6.1 scoreless frames.
The Astros have an impressive array of weapons in the bullpen, and Abreu will be as important as any of them to the team's success in the World Series.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.
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