MLB teams are already working on the 2022-23 offseason, looking to improve their roster for the upcoming campaign.
However, the memory of the 2022 World Series is still fresh.
The Philadelphia Phillies had been playing some inspired baseball, eliminating the St. Louis Cardinals, the Atlanta Braves, and the San Diego Padres in succession on their way to the Fall Classic.
Once there, they got a 2-1 lead but lost three straight games to fall to the Houston Astros.
MLB writer Joe Giglio analyzed the series and identified the reasons why Philadelphia ultimately couldn’t compete with the Astros.
Hitting, despite the Phillies homering a whopping five times in Game 3, was an issue.
The Astros Completely Dominated Philadelphia’s Hitters
“The Phillies hit .159 and struck out 71 times in the World Series. That’s the worst batting average (in a series that went at least six games) and most strike outs ever in the World Series. It’s remarkable this even got to six games,” Giglio tweeted.
The Phillies hit .159 and struck out 71 times in the World Series. That’s the worst batting average (in a series that went at least six games) and most strike outs ever in the World Series. It’s remarkable this even got to six games.
— Joe Giglio (@JoeGiglioSports) November 6, 2022
Yes, the Phillies failed to execute most of the times at the plate, except for that incredible Game 3 in Philadelphia.
Nick Castellanos failed to get going in the playoffs, Bryce Harper was neutralized with fastballs inside, and only Kyle Schwarber represented a real threat in the final couple of games.
However, it’s also important to give credit where it is due: the Phillies hitters wouldn’t have struck out that many times if they hadn’t had to face Framber Valdez, Justin Verlander, Cristian Javier, Ryan Pressly, Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero, Hector Neris, and the rest of the Astros’ dominant pitching staff.
The Phillies didn’t hit, but it’s because the Astros’ pitching was overpowering and dominant.
It was not by chance.