2022 ALCS: Preview, predictions for Yankees-Astros

Would you like a little chalk with your chaos? While the fifth-seeded San Diego Padres and sixth-seeded Philadelphia Phillies are playing in the NLCS, the American League gives us the two teams that carried the conversation all season in the junior circuit: The 106-56 Houston Astros, playing in their sixth straight ALCS, and the 99-63 New York Yankees, returning to the ALCS for the first time since 2019.

This is what we've been waiting for all season, especially after Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Astros owner Jim Crane got into a little wrangling of words back in the spring when Cashman whined that the Yankees hadn't reached any World Series because of the Astros' cheating. Of course, the Yankees failed to beat the Astros in the 2017 and 2019 ALCS — not so much because of Houston's hitting, but their own lack of it: They hit .205 and scored 22 runs in seven games in 2017 and .214 with 21 runs in six games in 2019. This Houston team is arguably better and deeper than those two the Yankees faced.

The Houston lineup, however, is not as deep, relying primarily on the big four: Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker. The Yankees hit just .182 in their five-game series win over Cleveland but hit nine home runs, including two apiece from Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, plus three from Harrison Bader. Judge and Stanton also went just 6-for-36 with 17 strikeouts — but if they swat a few over the fence, this series has a chance to go the distance, despite Houston's clear advantage on the mound.

Also of note: The condensed playoff schedule means the best-of-seven series will be played over eight days rather than the usual nine, with an off day after only Game 2. That will put a little added