Heavyweights and rising powers clash in League Series

There are now final four teams that have a chance to win the World Series. On the American League side, we have the World Series-defending Houston Astros and the upcoming Texas Rangers dueling it out. In the National League, the scrappy Arizona Diamondbacks take on the reigning National League Champions, the Philadelphia Phillies. 

Starting with the American League, we have the Houston Astros–one of the most powerful forces in Major League Baseball over the past decade. For the last seven years, the Astros have made it to the Championship Series or better every year. 

The Astros have won two World Series in that time span, one being the controversial 2017 World Series and the other being 2022. Houston practically has the same team as last year, and their offense consists of veterans who have plenty of playoff experience. The headliners for the defending champs are Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, and Yordan Alvarez. This offense is extremely powerful and can demolish any other team’s pitching. 

The Astros’ pitching consists of recently reacquired Justin Verlander as well as Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier. Future Hall of Fame Pitcher Justin Verlander has been impeccable, throwing six scoreless innings in his last playoff appearance. 

 These players have performed big in the playoffs for Houston in the past, and can lead them to another title. This team has already proved they could win a World Series last year, so they could make this postseason a repeat. This is a strong and experienced playoff team that could start a successful dynasty in the years to come. 

As for Houston’s competitor, the Texas Rangers have been bulking up their organization over the last few years by buying a core that includes some of the best talent in baseball. The best of these additions is Corey Seager, who would be a lock for American League MVP if not for the unicorn that is Shohei Ohtani. 

Seager has excellent batting average and power, and has playoff experience because of his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Seager’s flaw, however, is his durability. As long as he can stay healthy and provide above average offense, Corey Seager can lead the Rangers’ offense. 

Seager’s veteran qualities complement the young home-grown players on the Rangers. There is only one flaw in their plan–their starting pitching is extremely weak. The Ranger’s ace, Jacob DeGrom, is injured and will not be pitching until the end of next year. This is a huge blow for Texas, as they do not have another ace on their team. 

The best pitcher they have is Jordan Montgomery, who has been serviceable down the stretch and very reliable during the postseason. Beyond him is the former Red Sox ace, Nate Eovaldi, who is beatable and has not been on his A game recently. If the Rangers lose a game started by either Montgomery or Eovaldi, they are in trouble because of the skill level difference compared to their other pitchers. 

Although the Rangers are a flawed team, their extraordinarily strong offense could propel them to the franchise’s first World Series title. 

As for the National League, the young gun Arizona Diamondbacks are a sneaky pick for the World Series. For years now, Arizona has been a bottom feeder in the National League West–The Diamondbacks have not won a World Series since 2001, and have missed the playoffs for the last five years. This team is not as flashy as the other three, but they have made it this far, and have proved they can go the distance. 

The major star on the Diamondbacks is Corbin Carroll. Carrol is set to win Rookie of the Year as one of the most exciting young players in the game due to his power and speed. Although Carroll is a force to be reckoned with, the rest of Arizona’s offense is not as enticing–this offense does not hold a candle to the other three teams’ offenses. It is rather surprising that this team has gotten this far with this young of a roster, but sometimes a team being hot can propel them above better teams. 

The Diamondbacks swept the 100-win Dodgers by scoring a number of runs off the Los Angeles pitching early. This proves that Arizona’s offense is extremely hot. Their starting pitching is very strong, as they have Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Brandon Pfaadt to lead the charge. 

These three pitchers have the capacity to shut down a lineup, which will give Arizona’s offense a chance to strike. When looking at the four remaining teams, Arizona is the weakest of the final four, but they are the hottest team as well–Arizona’s recent hot streak could end in a World Series title. 

As for the defending National League Champs, The Philadelphia Phillies have an excellently built team. The glue that holds this team together is future Hall of Famer Bryce Harper. Harper is one of the best power bats in the game, as well as an extremely clutch player as he has shown in recent playoff games. Harper is an incredibly scary bat to face in the playoffs, and is truly a difference-maker. 

The Phillies have a deep lineup that would be difficult for any opposing pitcher to face. This lineup is complemented by the three-headed starting pitching monster of Zach Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Ranger Suárez. 

Wheeler especially is a strong pitcher who will consistently throw six strong innings per start. Nola and Suárez are not as talented as Wheeler, but have been reliable this postseason. 

The Phillies have been extremely hot recently, as they just eliminated the rival 104-win Braves. Phillies fans should be very excited, because their team has a legitimate chance to make some noise and win a championship. 

In the grand scheme of things, each team has a great chance at taking home a World Series title. The final four are a great combination of teams that are recent winners and teams that have ended their playoff droughts–there are both the perennial winners and the underdogs. These narratives and exciting players are what make the Major League Baseball postseason a must-watch.