Sports Illustrated celebrates the 2022 World Series Champions - The Houston Astros
IT WAS A BANNER YEAR • THIS CHAMPIONSHIP WAS A TESTAMENT TO EVERYTHING THE ASTROS HAVE BEEN DOING RIGHT
The Season • BEHIND A DEEP PITCHING STAFF AND A LINEUP FEATURING TESTED VETERANS AND A STELLAR ROOKIE, THE ASTROS FINISHED THE REGULAR SEASON WITH THE BEST RECORD IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE
The Playoffs • THE ASTROS BEGAN THEIR POSTSEASON BY TAKING ON THE LOVABLE UNDERDOGS FROM SEATTLE AND THE 27-TITLE CLUB FROM NEW YORK, AND THEY DISPATCHED BOTH WITHOUT LOSING A GAME
UP FOR A FIGHT • SEATTLE PLAYED HOUSTON CLOSE IN EVERY GAME, INCLUDING A HISTORIC MARATHON, BUT THE RESULT WAS STILL AN ASTROS SWEEP
A CUT ABOVE • HOUSTON’S SWEEP OF NEW YORK WAS A DEMONSTRATION OF THE GULF THAT SEPARATES THE TWO FRANCHISES
All Over It • BEHIND DOMINANT PITCHING AND GAME-CHANGING HITS, HOUSTON KNOCKED OFF PHILADELPHIA IN SIX GAMES TO CLAIM ITS SECOND CHAMPIONSHIP IN FRANCHISE HISTORY
The Heroes • THE ASTROS’ CHARGE TO A SECOND WORLD SERIES TITLE IN SIX YEARS WAS LED BY A PAIR OF REJUVENATED STARS AND A BASEBALL LIFER WHO FINALLY FOUND HIS MOMENT
ALEX BREGMAN • HE IS A LINCHPIN OF THE MODERN-ERA ASTROS, BUT THE THIRD BASEMAN STOOD TALL THIS SEASON ONLY AFTER FINDING NEW WAYS TO KEEP HIS LEGS UNDERNEATH HIM
JUSTIN VERLANDER • THE 39-YEAR-OLD RETURNED FROM NEARLY TWO YEARS OF REHAB, PITCHING AS SHARPLY AS EVER AND CAPPING HIS SEASON WITH A LONG-AWAITED WORLD SERIES WIN
DUSTY BAKER • THE ASTROS’ MANAGER IS THE FORREST GUMP OF BASEBALL, AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH A LEGEND OF THE SPORT HELPED SHAPE HIS 55-YEAR JOURNEY IN THE GAME
BY THE NUMBERS • FROM START TO FINISH AND FROM TOP TO BOT TOM, THE ASTROS WERE THOROUGHLY DOMINANT IN THIS CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON
All-Time Team • THE CHOICES FOR THE GREATEST ASTROS LINEUP EVER INCLUDE A MEMBER OF THE 3,000-HIT CLUB, A TOY CANNON AND ACES THAT STRUCK FEAR INTO THE HEARTS OF BATTERS
STARS AND STRIPES • FROM JOE MORGAN AND SONNY JACKSON TO JUSTIN VERLANDER AND GERRIT COLE, MANY OUTSTANDING ASTROS HAVE SOARED ONTO SI’S COVER
DUSTY’S DELIGHT • After coming close on previous tries, 73-year-old Dusty Baker finally won his first World Series as a manager.