World Series 2022: Underrated Storylines to Track in Phillies vs. Astros Fall Classic
The 2022 World Series is jam-packed with notable storylines.
From Justin Verlander's return to the Fall Classic for the Houston Astros to the impact of the Philadelphia Phillies bats, led by Bryce Harper, there is so much to delve into.
A few storylines will get lost in the conversation because of all the high-profile stars participating in the series.
Philadelphia's top home-run hitters stole the spotlight in the NLDS and NLCS, but it also received key hits from its younger players at the bottom of the order. Bryson Stott and Co. could be vital to the team's success over the next eight days.
Much of the talk about Houston's rotation is centered on Verlander, who is expected to start Game 1 after producing 11 strikeouts in his ALCS start against the New York Yankees.
Framber Valdez will follow Verlander in the Astros rotation and his performance could have some extra motivation behind it after he struggled mightily against the Atlanta Braves 12 months ago.
The Fall Classic matchup is so fun to break down because we did not see most of the stars in play when the two sides met at the end of the regular season. Sometimes you are able to gather data from those regular-season contests to figure out what will happen in the postseason, but that is not the case for the Phillies and Astros.
Impact of Phillies "Daycare"
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The younger players on the Phillies roster got branded with the "Daycare" moniker throughout the season.
Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh, Matt Vierling and Nick Maton were not the stars of the team, but they all came up with big plays throughout the run to clinch the National League wild-card spot and carried that production over into the postseason.
The bottom half of the Phillies order is littered with these young players and they will be asked to make an impact of some sort to support Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and the power bats at the top of the order.
Stott and Bohm are the two players that will feature the most out of the group. They combined for seven hits in the NLCS against the San Diego Padres. They also share the left side of the infield.
Vierling and Marsh will split time in center field based on the pitching matchup and they could be vital in flipping the order around to let Schwarber, Harper and Rhys Hoskins break innings open.
The defensive impact of Bohm at third base, Stott at shortstop and the Marsh/Vierling combination in center field could be massive as well. If they do not come up with big hits, they could always come up with momentum-changing defensive plays as well.
How Framber Valdez Rebounds from 2021 World Series
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Framber Valdez had an awful 2021 World Series.
The Houston left-handed pitcher lasted 4.2 innings over two games against the Atlanta Braves in last year's Fall Classic.
Valdez allowed 10 earned runs on 12 hits and allowed four home runs in his Game 1 and Game 5 starts.
The likely Game 2 starter against the Phillies turned in a pair of solid starts in the first two postseason rounds to suggest the disappointment from last year is behind him.
Valdez struck out nine New York Yankees batters and did not give up an earned run in his ALCS Game 2 start. He struck out six over 5.2 innings against the Seattle Mariners in ALDS Game 2.
Valdez has been the master of the quality start all season long and Houston may need two strong outings out of the southpaw to secure the pennant.
If he puts 2021 behind him, Valdez could be in the running for World Series Most Valuable Player, especially if he asked to close out a series-clinching Game 6.
Regular Season Meetings Mean Nothing to World Series Matchup
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Usually you can find some advantages for teams in postseason matchups based on their regular-season matchups.
Philadelphia and Houston met for the final three games of the regular season, so you think one side would come away with an advantage, but that was not the case because of the circumstances in play.
The Phillies clinched their playoff berth with a win in the first game of the three-game set and then they trotted out a hangover lineup in the second game and saved their pitching for the NL Wild-Card round.
Houston's 10-run mashing of the Phillies pitching in the second game of that series is not an example of how the American League champion will hit Ranger Suárez or Seranthony Domínguez.
The Astros got six runs off Suarez in three innings and took two runs off Dominguez in the ninth. The Phillies were at a significant disadvantage because they celebrated their first playoff berth in over a decade the night before.
Some of the same factors were in play for the series finale, as the Phillies did not use any of their best pitchers to preserve arm strength for the St. Louis Cardinals series.
The only thing you could takeaway from that matchup may be Aaron Nola's nine-strikeout performance over six innings that helped the Phillies clinch the final NL wild-card spot.
That may help Nola settle into the environment inside Minute Maid Park as the Phillies' Game 1 starter. Zack Wheeler is scheduled to pitch Game 2.
Outside of Nola's outing, there is not much to gain from breaking down the three-game set in Houston and it would not come as a surprise if the individual results from that series are flipped with a title on the line.
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