Major League Baseball

2022 World Series: Expert picks for Phillies vs. Astros

Updated Oct. 28, 2022 7:39 p.m. ET

The Houston Astros have not lost a game in the postseason. The Philadelphia Phillies have defied the odds and looked like a team of destiny throughout October.

So, which storyline will win out when the 2022 World Series begins Friday night (8 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App)?

Who wins it all?

Ben Verlander and Alex Curry break down the 2022 World Series and give their predictions on who is going to take home the title.

We asked our team of baseball experts to make their World Series predictions and let us know how this match will unfold.

Ben Verlander: Astros in six games

I do believe the big advantage for Houston will come during those games in Philly, where the Phillies won't have their great starting pitchers on the mound. The Phillies need to win one of these first two games in Houston, and then the series shifts really when you get to Philly. The Phillies do have a great home-field advantage, but they won't have their best guys going in those games.

I think the Astros can get it done, and I think they do it in six. But I can't stress enough, this series is Goliath versus Goliath. These are two loaded franchises that have MVPs, Silver Sluggers and great rotations. For MVP, I'm going with Alex Bregman. He's heating up at the plate at the critical time.

Ben Verlander's three keys for Game 1

Ben Verlander lists the three keys to a Game 1 victory for both the Astros and Phillies.

Alex Curry: Phillies in seven

Once the postseason started, we saw the Phillies turn into a completely different team. They have that special postseason magic — that one team always seems to pick up at one point. I thought there might be a couple teams to grab that magic, but it was the Phillies through and through.

They're clicking on all cylinders. If the pitching can show up and go deep in games, their bats have been red-hot, led by Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins. I think they have what it takes, and they're going to get it done.

Pedro Moura: Astros in six

The Phillies have some magic going, no doubt. There is a world in which they pull off one last upset and live forever. But the Astros possess too much talent to project that outcome.

It is during the middle of this series, especially, when I expect Houston to surge ahead. The starting-pitching disparity in Game 4 will be stark. But the postseason is often about stars, and the Phillies have the stars to at least make things interesting.

Dusty Baker's journey

MLB reporter Deesha Thosar discusses the impact Dusty Baker has made on the Astros and his quest for that long-awaited ring.

Deesha Thosar: Astros in five

The Astros have no weaknesses. They have swept each opponent they’ve faced. They have every playoff team’s dream: excellent pitching, led by 39-year-old Justin Verlander coming off Tommy John surgery. They have sluggers in the lineup and hitters who pounce on the opportunity to punish the opposing pitcher’s mistakes.

As if their roster wasn’t complete enough, they also feed off negativity and boos on the road. Combine all of that with the leadership of Astros skipper Dusty Baker, who knows a thing or two about out-managing his adversaries, and this Astros team looks unstoppable. The Phillies will be lucky to win one game.

Jordan Shusterman: Astros in six

I'm as enchanted by this magical Phillies run as much as the next person, and I do think Philadelphia has a real shot to make the Astros sweat more than they have thus far during their undefeated postseason run.

That said, I don't think the Phillies have seen the caliber or depth of pitching that Houston is about to run out against them. I also don't see them overcoming what should be an enormous gap in the middle games of the series in terms of starting pitching and variety of bullpen weapons that the Astros possess.

Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler should give them a real shot in Games 1 and 2 in Houston, but it's just hard to pick the team that has relied so heavily on just four pitchers (Wheeler and Nola, plus Seranthony Dominguez and José Alvarado) thus far, compared to the eight or nine that Dusty Baker can confidently turn to over the course of this series.

Rowan Kavner: Astros in seven

While it wouldn't be a complete shock to see another NL East underdog take down the Astros in the World Series the way the Nationals did in 2019 and the Braves did last year, this Houston team seems more capable of finishing the task. The Phillies can mash, and they have the best player on the field in Bryce Harper, but the Astros' pitching gives them the advantage.

If Zack Wheeler or Aaron Nola lose a start, or if Seranthony Domínguez or José Alvarado wear down from their high usage, the Phillies will find themselves in hot water against an Astros opponent that hasn't lost all postseason. Houston's depth will play out over the course of a lengthy series.