2022 Divisional Round Playoffs Recap
American League
National League
0/2 correct
Divisional Round total – 1/4 correct which is one standard deviation above the mean
Wildcard Round total – 3/4
Overall total – 4/8 correct which is right the mean
American League Championship Series
New York Yankees (East Division #2 seed) vs. Houston Astros (West Division #1 seed)
Regular Season records: New York Yankees 99-63; Houston Astros 106-56
Head-to-Head matchups for 2022: Houston won five out of the seven games played and outscored the New York Yankees 27-22 in total runs.
New York Yankees Analysis
Yankees advanced to the ALCS after beating Cleveland in five games. Turning point was SP Gerrit Cole’s dominant pitching performance in Game 4. Manager Aaron Boone has a decent three man starting rotation (Cole, Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino), but he continues to make a mess with the bullpen. Not sure if pitching coach Matt Blake or bullpen coach Mike Harvey have the stones to tell Boone when he’s making a bad decision. Yankees bats are ice cold (team batting average .177), but thankfully 1B Anthony Rizzo and CF Harrison Bader are carrying the team on their backs. Will this squad take advantage of their third postseason matchup (2017, 2019, 2022) with Houston? Only if the bullpen gets ironed out ASAP.
Houston Astros Analysis
Astros advanced to the ALCS due to sweeping Seattle in three air tight games, by a combined four runs. LF Yordan Alvarez single handedly carried the offense in Game 1 with a three run walk off homerun, against 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray. Hit a go ahead two run homerun during the sixth inning in Game 2. Game 3 established a new MLB record for longest postseason game without any runs scored (17 innings). SS Jeremy Pena hit a solo shot in the top of the 18th inning and Houston is now playing in their sixth consecutive ALCS. Manager Dusty Baker seems to relish the pressure cooker of the postseason and continues to make shrewd in game adjustments. Baker learned some valuable lessons during the 2002 World Series and the 2003 NLCS. This is now the favored squad to win the 2022 World Series.
Prediction: Houston advances in six games due to their pitching depth and big game manager
National League Championship Series
Philadelphia Phillies (East Division #6 seed) vs. San Diego Padres (West Division #5 seed)
Regular Season records: Philadelphia 87-75; San Diego 89-73
Head-to-Head matchups in 2022: Philadelphia won four out of the seven games played and outscored San Diego 21-15 in total runs.
Philadelphia Phillies Analysis
Phillies made quick work of the 2021 World Series champions, Atlanta Braves, by advancing to the NLCS in four games. Offense is currently clicking with a team batting average of .237 and 32 runs scored. DH Bryce Harper is hitting the cover off the baseball due to a robust .435 batting average and 3 HRs. 2B Jean Segura continues to keep rallies alive with timely hits. That has started to rub off on 1B Rhys Hoskins and 3B Alec Bohm. Don’t sleep on the Philadelphia pitching staff, due to the three man starting rotation of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Noah Syndergaard. This squad is gelling at the right time and has a ton of momentum. Not to mention they are fearless in all situational hitting and pitching scenarios.
San Diego Padres Analysis
Padres advanced to the NLCS by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games. Despite the Dodgers having the best MLB regular season record in 2022 (111-51), San Diego won three games in a row due to dominant pitching and timely hitting. Manager Bob Melvin deserves a lot of credit for guiding a team that could have tanked after Fernando Tatis Jr. was suspended for PED usage. RF Juan Soto looks very similar to his postseason hitting form in 2019. RP Josh Hader (3 saves, 0.00 ERA, 0.45 WHIP) is now being used correctly as a true closer in the ninth inning, instead of a game changing situational reliver. Brewers never figured that out with Hader in the postseason. San Diego is also playing fearless baseball right now and this series will be incredibly entertaining to watch.
Prediction: San Diego has homefield advantage and they play in a pitcher friendly park. Philadelphia plays in a hitters park, so this series is truly a toss up. Phillies are playing looser and more confident right now, which helps them advance in seven games.
Same bat time, same bat channel in one week. I’ll review the results of the MLB League Championship playoff series and try again for the World Series round.
