3 storylines for Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies World Series

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And then there were two.

The 2022 World Series is now set. The Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies will match up, a tale of two completely different teams heading into the playoffs. The Astros rolled throughout the regular season, their grasp on the division never really in question. Meanwhile, the Phillies lost 13 of their last 20 games and seemingly backed into the playoffs.

3 storylines for Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies

But none of that matters now. All that matters are the next four victories. Whichever team gets those wins will raise the trophy, another banner that will fly forever. And within those games, there will be plenty of storylines that are worth keeping an eye on.

The Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies are set to play in the 2022 World Series. Let’s take a look at three storylines going forward.

Philadelphia Phillies – a team of destiny?

The Philadelphia Phillies should not be here.

Seriously. That is not a hyperbolic statement. In any other year, the Phillies would have been sitting at home with some other team representing the National League in the World Series. The sixth seed did not exist until this year. And the Phillies backed into it as they struggled down the stretch, their 7-13 record hardly inspiring faith in their chances.

Then there is the tragedy that the team has endured. Prospect Corey Phelan passed away in the midst of this run through the postseason, a shadow over their celebration. While he had only pitched in the Florida Complex League, he had visited the clubhouse during his battle with cancer and had become an inspiration.

But the Phillies have gotten hot at the right time. They stunned the Cardinals in the first game of the Wild Card round and have ridden that momentum since. They are now 9-2 in the playoffs and appear to be a team of destiny. Four more wins would prove that to be the case.

The Philadelphia Phillies have defied the odds. If they can do so four more times, they could be a team of destiny.

Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

Can Dusty Baker finally get a World Series ring?

There is no question that, whenever Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker retires, he will be heading into the Hall of Fame.

He is already one of the best managers the game has seen. His 2093 regular season wins are the ninth most in MLB history, and if he returns in 2023, he has a chance to climb the ladder and pass Sparky Anderson for sixth all time. His .539 winning percentage is 25th amongst managers with at least 1000 major league wins, he has guided teams to the postseason 12 times – including each of his last seven years on the bench – and won two pennants.

However, there is one thing that Baker has not done. He has yet to win the World Series as a manager, his one ring as a player coming back in 1981. It is the only blemish on his resume, and at 73 years old, he is running out of time to finish off his legacy.

This may be his best chance. The Astros are heavily favored and would seemingly match up perfectly with the Phillies. That is not to say the series is a given – a white hot Bryce Harper will certainly have a say – but this may be the year. And it may be his last chance at getting one.

All Dusty Baker is missing is a World Series ring on his managerial resume. Maybe this will be the year he gets it.

Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports /

An unquestioned championship

The Houston Astros already have one championship, bringing home a World Series back in 2017.

However, a portion of the major league fanbase refuses to acknowledge that title. While the league has refused to take the championship away, it comes with a trash can shaped asterisk due to AstroGate and the cheating scandal. Dodgers fans regard that title as rightfully theirs and there is a distinct section of baseball fans that agree.

But that can all be pushed away. It has felt as though the franchise will be linked to that scandal until they can win another title – one that would not be tarnished with allegations or questions about their behavior.

That time could be now. Dusty Baker is one of the most respected people in the game. The Astros have been watched with hawk-like eyes since the cheating scandal broke and there have not been any allegations of impropriety since. Getting this title could finally put that story to rest.

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The Houston Astros could be able to exorcise the AstroGate demons once and for all. They just need four more wins to do so.

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