Yankees vs. Astros ALDS Odds
| Yankees Series Price | +155 |
| Astros Series Price | -175 |
Series Schedule
- Game 1: Wednesday, Oct. 19, 7:37 p.m. ET, TBS
- Game 2: Thursday, Oct. 20, 7:37 p.m. ET, TBS
- Game 3: Saturday, Oct. 22, 5:07 p.m. ET, TBS
- Game 4: Sunday, Oct. 23, 7:07 p.m. ET, TBS
- Game 5: Monday, Oct. 24, 4:07 p.m. ET, TBS (if necessary)
- Game 6: Tuesday, Oct. 25, 6:07 p.m. ET, TBS (if necessary)
- Game 7: Wednesday, Oct. 26, 7:37 p.m. ET, TBS (if necessary)
New York Yankees
- World Series Odds: +260
- Regular Season Record: 99-63
- Pythagorean Record: 106-56
- Team wRC+ (Rank): 115 (4th)
- Starting Pitching xFIP (Rank): 3.55 (5th)
- Bullpen xFIP (Rank): 3.80 (11th)
How They Got Here
The Yankees got off to a fast start and cruised to their first division title since 2019. New York was 56-21 through the first three months of the season and built up a sizable lead in the American League East.
The Yankees went through some struggles in the second half of the season as they played .500 ball in July and went just 10-18 (.357) in August. However, the club seemingly got back on track with a strong September and will enter the postseason with plenty of momentum.
Of course, when it comes to the Yankees, a strong regular season is never the goal. The 2022 season marks the Yankees sixth straight trip to the postseason, but the organization hasn’t won the World Series since 2009.
Offense
Any conversation about the Yankees offense has to start with Aaron Judge, who now holds the American League single-season home run record after going deep 62 times.
Not only did Judge put forth a massive power display in 2022, but he also flirted with the triple crown as he hit .311 and drove in 131 runs. There’s little doubt Judge will win the AL MVP and deservedly so after he set career highs in numerous categories.
However, the Yankees’ offense is not just a one-man show. After all, the club averaged over five runs per game, the best mark in the AL. In addition to Judge, Anthony Rizzo, Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres each hit over 20 homers and, as a result, the Yankees finished top two in the AL in runs, slugging percentage and OPS.
Rotation
Gerrit Cole gave up the most homers of his career (33), but still turned in another strong campaign as he finished with a 3.50 ERA and 257 strikeouts over 200 2/3 innings.
The Yankees went out and acquired Frankie Montas at the trade deadline, but he has struggled in New York and wound up on the injured list late in the season.
Luis Severino, Jameson Taillon and Nestor Cortes may not be household names, but they all helped the Yankees finish second in the AL in both ERA and WHIP.
And, when the Yankees’ offense is firing on all cylinders, they don't necessarily need a string of dominant starters, but rather a collection of serviceable arms to match up and hold an opponent to three or fewer runs.
Bullpen
Clay Holmes, a first-time All-Star, anchors a unit that finished top five in the AL in ERA, WHIP and batting average against. Holmes finished the season with 20 saves, a 2.42 xERA and ranked in the 90th percentile or better in numerous categories (xBA, xSLG, Barrel %, xERA, xwOBA).
However, the second half has been a bit of a struggle as he missed the end of the regular season with a strained shoulder and previously spent time on the IL with lower back spasms.
If Holmes isn’t healthy, the Yankees relief corps certainly takes a dip. –Will Boor
Houston Astros
- World Series Odds: +160
- Regular Season Record: 106-56
- Pythagorean Record: 106-56
- Team wRC+ (Rank): 112 (6th)
- Starting Pitching xFIP (Rank): 3.61 (7th)
- Bullpen xFIP (Rank): 3.45 (1st)
How They Got Here
The Astros steamrolled through the American League West yet again, becoming the first team to clinch its division and winning it outright by 16 games.
With 106 wins, the Astros used a second-half surge to bypass the Yankees for the top spot in the American League and will have home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs.
Offense
Despite losing yet another key piece of their World Series core in Carlos Correa to free agency, the Astros did not miss a beat. Their 112 wRC+ ranked sixth in the majors and while they were middle-of-the-pack from an average perspective, they still got on base at a top-10 clip.
Without Correa or George Springer, and with Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman ageing, the Astros’ most feared hitter became Yordan Alvarez, who neared 40 home runs while topping a .300/.400/.600 split.
Altuve rebounded with another All-Star-caliber season, Bregman had a monster second half, and Kyle Tucker proved a threat with his bat, glove and on the base paths.
Rotation
American League Cy Young frontrunner Justin Verlander tops the rotation with a sub-2.00 ERA, and while he doesn’t strike out hitters in the same fashion he did in his prime, he’s still one of the most feared pitchers on the planet with a boatload of postseason experience to boot.
Behind him are young studs Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier, while the likes of Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy will be relied upon as it necessitates throughout the postseason.
Bullpen
Ryan Pressly anchors the bullpen at the back-end, notching 33 saves while putting up a sub-3.00 ERA. His strikeout and walk rates remain superb, and next to him the Astros can call on Hector Neris, Rafael Montero, Bryan Abreu and Ryne Stanek to help bridge the gap between the starters and the ninth inning. –Collin Whitchurch
