2022 ALDS Preview: Houston Astros vs. Seattle Mariners

2022 ALDS Preview: Houston Astros vs. Seattle Mariners

Here we go again. The Houston Astros are back in the postseason and it’s not really a surprise either. The team is top tier in almost every aspect as evident in their 106-56 record. In the upcoming American League Division Series, they’ll be facing the Seattle Mariners, who are excellent in their own right.

Let’s take a dive into this series between these AL West teams.

Starting Pitching

Regardless of what is said about who’s better, both the Astros and Mariners have excellent pitching staffs. The tricky part for the Mariners is that they’ve already used both Luis Castillo and Robbie Ray during the Wild Card series against the Blue Jays. The pair might not be available until later in the series.

This means that Logan Gilbert will start Game 1 and Marco Gonzales in Game 2.

The Astros on the other hand have a devastating one-two punch in Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez. Verlander led the Majors in ERA, WHIP and other major pitching categories and will perhaps earn another Cy Young. Framber is no slouch either after posting a 2.82 ERA and 17 wins.

The edge is definitely in Houston’s favor. With Castillo and Ray potentially pitching at the back end of the series, this sets up for the Astros to possibly snag a quick 2-0 series lead.

Offense

The Astros’ lineup is a juggernaut. It is seemingly endless with five guys hitting 20 or more home runs. They collectively hit 214 homers as a team which ranks second in the AL.

They are led by superstar Yordan Alvarez who hit .306/.406/.613 with 37 home runs. Other impactful players include Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman.

The Mariners have a steady lineup, too. The power is abundant, with the team hitting 197 homers. Key players include phenom outfielder Julio Rodriguez, the clear frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year, who is batting .284/.345/.509 with 28 homers. Other notables include Eugenio Suarez and Ty France.

The edge definitely goes in favor of the Astros once again. Seattle only batted .230 as a team which ranks them second to last in the AL. Meanwhile, Houston placed fifth with a .248 team average. With the endless depth of that lineup, Seattle pitching will have a difficult task ahead.

Defense

Neither team is too accomplished in the field, but there are definitely some standouts. For the Astros, Altuve is still a great second baseman, who has a Gold Glove to his name. The same can be said for first baseman Yuli Gurriel and catcher Martin Maldonado.

The Mariners have the upper hand in the outfield with the trio of Rodriguez, Jesse Winker and Mitch Haniger flashing the leather. Let’s also not forget about Gold Glove winner J.P. Crawford and the steady first baseman in France.

To put it simply, it’s pretty evenly aligned, however, I still have to give the edge to the Astros. Their chemistry is unmatched as Bregman, Altuve and Gurriel are so comfortable with one another.

Bullpen

Both of these squads have very impressive bullpens who could make their mark on this series.

The Astros are loaded with immense talent. Names like Ryne Stanek and Bryan Abreu boast ERAs lower than two with at least 60 innings pitched. Then closer Ryan Pressly greets you with 33 saves and a 2.31 FIP.

The Mariners also have amazing pieces. Erik Swanson is their setup man boasting a 1.68 ERA. Andres Munoz is also excellent with a 2.04 FIP and 0.892 WHIP. Then you face closer Paul Sewald with an epic 0.766 WHIP. This Mariners bullpen is no joke.

I hate to do this once again, but the edge goes to Houston. As good as Seattle’s bullpen is, the Astros are on another level simply.

Verdict

As fun as the Mariners are to watch, there’s nothing stopping Houston. In every way possible, they are the best team. It would be astounding to me if they didn’t sweep Seattle. The depth is immaculate, and I’d say they could carry it all the way to the World Series.

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