FOX Sports MLB Lead Analyst John Smoltz Offers Inside Pitch on World Series Lineups

First-Ballot Hall of Famer, Sports Emmy Winner Sees Pair of Off-the-Radar Contributors 

LOS ANGELES – FOX Sports analyst John Smoltz, the first MLB pitcher to record 200 (213) wins and 150 (154) saves in his career, weighs in on the World Series pitching matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Houston Astros (Game 1 Friday, Oct. 28, at 8:00 PM ET on FOX, FOX Deportes and the FOX Sports app). A first-ballot Hall of Famer, the eight-time All-Star and Sports Emmy winner helped lead the Atlanta Braves to 14 division titles, five National League pennants and the 1995 World Series championship.

FOX SPORTS: Name a pitcher from each staff you think could be a surprising “difference maker” for their team … someone maybe not obvious to casual fans:

SMOLTZ: For the Astros, it would be rookie RHP Hunter Brown. He’s going to be a stud starter in the future. He has great stuff and can do so many things for Houston. For the Phillies, I’ll go the other direction and go with a veteran. I think RHP Noah Syndergaard could be huge for Philadelphia, especially if he can provide big innings for them. Game 4 will be the test. RHP Andrew Bellatti in the pen for Philly is another candidate but will need his slider to be a little better than it was in the previous series.

FOX SPORTS: How do the pitching staffs match up against each other and against the opposing lineup?

SMOLTZ: The starting pitching in this series will be great to watch and tough to hit. The front three for each club are fantastic, with the Astros having more starter depth. But the front three for each club match up great.  Both pitching staffs face good power-hitting lineups, but the difference maker may be that the Astros hitters don’t strike out as much. Both lineups include a pair of slugging left-handed hitters, with the Phillies having a little more power throughout their lineup.

FOX SPORTS: Where are the strengths and weaknesses of each team’s bullpen? Which team is in the best position to succeed if the series were to go seven games?

SMOLTZ: The bullpens have major pitchers at the end of it for both clubs, with the Phillies riding three or four guys, while the pen for the Astros is deeper. RHP Seranthony Dominguez and LHP Jose Alvarado are important for the Phillies, while Houston’s manager, Dusty Baker, can go to a lot of personnel before going to his closer   Overall, the edge goes to the Astros. However, if Phillies starters can do their thing and pitch 6 or 7 innings, then that Houston edge is obviously diminished.  Because of depth, if the series is a long one, the Astros have more weapons to handle a seven-game series. 

Game 1 of the 2022 World Series airs Friday, Oct. 28, at 8:00 PM ET on FOX, FS1 and FOX Deportes.