Astros vs. Phillies World Series Game 3 Postponed Due to Rain, Will Be Played Tuesday
Oct 31, 2022
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 31: Rhys Hoskins #17, Nick Maton #29, Alec Bohm #28 and Nick Castellanos #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies look on during batting practice prior to Game 3 of the 2022 World Series between the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, October 31, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Philadelphia Phillies fans will have to wait one more day to see their team's World Series home opener.
MLB announced that Monday's Game 3 at Citizens Bank Park has been postponed due to rain, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale. The game has been rescheduled to Tuesday, causing the rest of the series to be pushed back.
Game 4 will now be held on Wednesday, followed by Game 5 on Thursday. Friday will be a travel day, with Games 6 and 7 set for Saturday and Sunday, if necessary.
Game 3 of the #WorldSeries has officially been postponed. Here is an updated look at the Series schedule: - Game 3: Tuesday - Game 4: Wednesday - Game 5: Thursday - Travel Day: Friday - Game 6 (If Necessary): Saturday - Game 7 (If Necessary): Sunday pic.twitter.com/a61nzKUBM5
After stealing a 6-5 win in Houston in Game 1, the Phillies are looking to bounce back from a 5-2 loss in Game 2. The Astros were led by a nine-strikeout performance by starting pitcher Framber Valdez to even the series at 1-1.
Despite the loss, Philadelphia is still in a good spot, as the next three games will be in its home ballpark. The Phillies are 5-0 at home this postseason, which helped them get past the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres on their way to a surprising World Series berth.
For their part, the Astros have had no issues performing in hostile environments. Houston is 3-0 on the road in the playoffs, having closed out both the ALDS and ALCS against the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees, respectively, in front of opposing fans.
Following the postponement, Houston will stick with Lance McCullers Jr. as the starter for Game 3, while Philadelphia has pivoted from Noah Syndergaard to Ranger Suárez. Syndergaard will now take the hill for Game 5.
Astros Are Back: Framber Valdez Proves Groundballs Can Be Just as Sexy as Strikeouts
Oct 30, 2022
Framber Valdez
The ace of the Houston Astros staff was on the mound in Game 2 of the World Series.
All due respect to Justin Verlander, who is likely headed for his third career Cy Young Award and is a lock to take his place in Cooperstown once he calls it a career, but after his Game 1 dud it became abundantly clear that the present and future of the Houston rotation is Framber Valdez.
The left-hander was brilliant on Saturday night, allowing just four hits in 6.1 innings while racking up nine strikeouts and allowing a single run that scored on a sacrifice fly after he departed in the seventh inning.
Framber Valdez’s 6 1/3 IP is the longest World Series start since Zack Greinke went 6 1/3 IP in 2019 WS G7
The Astros spotted him three runs in the bottom of the first, and that was more than enough run support in a 5-2 victory.
Now the series shifts to Philadelphia, and while the Phillies managed to steal Game 1 in Houston, it still feels like the Astros are in the driver's seat with the one-two punch of Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler now out of the equation for the next two games.
Framber Valdez Has Been This Good All Season
Framber Valdez
For those of you who haven't been dialed into Houston Astros baseball all season, Saturday's start by Valdez was nothing out of the ordinary.
The 28-year-old teased frontline potential the past two seasons, but his 2021 ended on a sour note when he was shelled in Game 1 (2.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER) and Game 5 (2.2 IP, 4 H, 5 ER) of the World Series against the Atlanta Braves.
This season, he officially took that next step forward.
He finished 17-6 with a 2.82 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 194 strikeouts, earning his first All-Star selection in the process, and while those surface-level numbers are great they only tell part of the story.
He also led the AL in quality starts (27), complete games (3), shutouts (1) and innings pitched (201.1), tossing a full 26.1 more innings than Verlander. He rattled off a streak of 25 straight quality starts at one point to set the single-season record.
As usual, his ability to keep the ball on the ground was a key to his success in Game 2. He induced nine ground ball outs against zero fly ball outs. That included a pair of double play balls to erase two of the six base-runners he allowed, one of which came off the bat of Bryce Harper with two runners on and one out in the sixth inning.
A busy night for the infielders was nothing new. His 66.5 percent groundball rate led all qualified pitchers during the regular season by nearly 10 percent over San Francisco Giants right-hander Logan Webb (56.7 percent), who checked in second on that list.
He may be able to touch 97 mph with his fastball, but Valdez is an old-school pitcher in many ways. He's a reliable workhorse who keeps hitters off balance with spin and prioritizes keeping the ball on the ground. That's the type of skill-set that ages well, and he checks all the boxes to be a staple atop the Houston rotation for years to come.
José Altuve is Back!
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 29: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros hits a single in the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Two of the 2022 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 29, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
José Altuve is one of the most prolific hitters in MLB postseason history.
His 23 career playoff home runs trail only Manny Ramirez (29) on the all-time list, and he entered the 2022 postseason with a .286/.361/.547 line in 363 plate appearances.
Anyone watching the Astros for the first time this October would never believe those numbers were true.
The eight-time All-Star went an unfathomable 0-for-25 to begin this year's postseason run, the longest slump of his MLB career. Even after finally getting a few hits, he was still 4-for-40 with 12 strikeouts when he dug into the batter's box to lead off the bottom of the first on Saturday.
With one swing of that bat, all of that was seemingly erased.
The first pitch he saw was a 96 mph sinker from Phillies starter Zack Wheeler, and he turned it around for a double down the left field line.
“Altuve is the heart of this team. He has been since I’ve been an Astro.” - Lance McCullers Jr. #LevelUp#WorldSeries
Jeremy Pena followed suit with a first-pitch double of his own, and Yordan Alvarez made it three in a row with a shot off the left field wall. Four pitches into the bottom of the first and the Astros had what proved to be an insurmountable 2-0 lead.
He finished 3-for-4, adding a pair of singles in the fifth and seventh, and that may be just the spark he needs to be a major factor the rest of the way.
Jose Altuve now has 9 career 3-hit games in the postseason, tied for 3rd-most in postseason history, trailing only:
The Astros are simply a different team when Altuve is effectively setting the table.
During the regular season, they were 26-18 (.591) in games where he went hitless, compared to 70-27 (.722) when he tallied at least one hit.
What's Next for the Astros and Phillies?
After a travel day on Sunday, play will resume on Monday night from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
The Astros will hand the ball to Lance McCullers Jr. who pitched a gem in his ALDS start (6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER) but was shaky at best in his ALCS outing (5.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER), so it remains to be seen what can be expected from him.
The difference is the depth the Astros have behind McCullers.
If he gets into trouble and makes an early exit in Game 3, they can turn to Luis García (28 GS, 3.72 ERA, 157.1 IP) or José Urquidy (28 GS, 3.94 ERA, 164.1 IP) to chew up innings out of the bullpen.
Meanwhile, the Phillies will hand the ball to Noah Syndergaard in Game 3, though it will likely be an all-hands-on-deck bullpen game. He was yanked after three innings of one-hit ball in Game 4 of the NLDS.
An early exit would mean a taxing day for the bullpen, which would in turn put even more pressure on Ranger Suárez in Game 4. The left-hander has great stuff, but he completed six full innings just 13 times in 29 starts, so the bullpen will be a factor in that game as well.
Looking down the line to a potential rematch of Game 2 starters, it's also worth wondering if Zack Wheeler is simply running out of gas after his stuff was less-than-sharp on Saturday.
Red flags everywhere in first inning for the Phillies, but the greatest concern might be Zack Wheeler sitting 96 mph with his fastball in first inning. It's been more 97-99 in first innings this postseason. A long season.
He also seemed to lose trust in his signature fastball, using the pitch far less than he has throughout the season. That's not a good sign.
It will be a moot point if the Phillies don't make it to his next start, and even going home with a win under their belts, it still feels like the Astros are in control of this series.
First pitch for Game 3 is scheduled for 8:03 p.m. ET on Monday.
Jose Altuve's 'Vintage' G2 Draws Rave Reviews as Astros Tie World Series vs. Phillies
Oct 30, 2022
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 29: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros at bat in the second inning against the Philadelphia Philliesin Game Two of the 2022 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 29, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The 2022 World Series is all evened up as the Houston Astros took Game 2 against the Philadelphia Phillies at Minute Maid Park 5-2 on tremendous performances from starting pitcher Framber Valdez and second baseman José Altuve.
Valdez allowed four hits and one run in 6.1 innings before being replaced by Rafael Montero. He also struck out nine hitters.
Altuve, meanwhile, had his best game of the postseason, notching three hits in four at-bats. Entering Saturday's game, he had just four hits in 37 at-bats (.108 batting average) this postseason.
The three-time batting title winner's performance drew rave reviews on Twitter, and understandably so as the Astros head to Philadelphia with the series tied 1-1 instead of being down 2-0.
If Altuve can stay hot, it certainly won't be easy for the Phillies to contain him for the remainder of the World Series.
The fight for the Commissioner's Trophy shifts to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Monday for a Game 3 Halloween showdown.
Astros' Martín Maldonado Used Illegal Bat from Albert Pujols in World Series Game 1
Oct 30, 2022
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 29: Martin Maldonado #15 of the Houston Astros strikes out in the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Two of the 2022 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 29, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Houston Astros catcher Martín Maldonado reportedly used an illegal bat from ex-St. Louis Cardinals star Albert Pujols in Game 1 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday.
Tom Verducci broke the news during FOX's broadcast of Game 2 of the Fall Classic.
"Martín Maldonado is using a different bat today here in Game 2," Verducci said. "He found out from MLB today that the bat he used last night was not a legal bat. It was a model that he obtained from Albert Pujols, and he used it because he thought it was very similar in size and weight to his own model. The barrel, he said, was slightly bigger. He also thought it was a way to honor the baseball legend, of course retiring at the close of this season.
"But here's the catch to it, guys: In 2010, Major League Baseball changed the bat specifications, and that bat—that Pujols model—was no longer legal except if you were playing to prior to 2010, it was grandfathered in," Verducci continued. "So Albert Pujols could use that bat, but Maldonado—who began his Major League career in 2011—was not legally able to use that bat."
The concern in question surrounded the size of Maldonado's bat barrel, which was over the maximum limit allowed after MLB enacted a rule change during the 2010-11 offseason.
"Baseball also is changing the specifications for all bats, slimming the maximum diameter of the barrel from 2.75 inches—which had been the standard for more than 100 years—to 2.61 inches," a March 2011 Associated Press report stated.
Talkin' Baseball provided a comparison of the bats between Games 1 and 2:
Astros' Justin Verlander Says 'I Need to Do Better' After Blowing 5-Run Game 1 Lead
Oct 29, 2022
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 28: Justin Verlander #35 of the Houston Astros walks off the field in the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game One of the 2022 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 28, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
A perfect start turned into a nightmare for Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night.
Speaking to reporters after the Astros' 6-5 loss in 10 innings, Verlander shouldered the blame for not protecting a five-run lead.
"I need to do better," he said. "No excuses. I felt like I had some guys in good situations and just wasn't able to quite make the pitches that I wanted to. A lot of credit to [the Phillies] as a lineup. They laid off some good pitches, and they were able to, when I did execute pitches, they were able to foul it off or put it in play and find a couple hits that way. Then when I did make a mistake, they hit it hard."
The game started in such a way that it seemed like the Astros would cruise to an easy victory. Verlander threw 32 pitches and didn't allow a baserunner through the first three innings.
Meanwhile, Kyle Tucker gave Houston a 5-0 lead with a two-run homer in the second and a three-run homer in the third.
It looked like the Phillies were going to go quietly in the third inning. Rhys Hoskins' one-out single broke up the perfect game, but J.T. Realmuto made the second out of the inning in the next at-bat.
The Phillies were able to string together three consecutive hits to cut the deficit to 5-3 before Jean Segura popped out to end the top of the fourth. Realmuto's one-out double in the fifth tied the score.
Both bullpens combined to allow seven hits in 10.2 innings, and Realmuto's solo homer off Luis Garcia in the top of the 10th provided the difference in the game.
This marks the second time in three playoff starts this month that Verlander has allowed at least five earned runs. He allowed five earned runs once in 28 starts during the regular season.
Verlander has struggled in the World Series over the course of his career, as the front-runner for the American League Cy Young award is now 0-6 with a 6.07 ERA in eight starts in the Fall Classic.
This is Houston's fourth appearance in the World Series since 2017. The team is 0-4 in Game 1 during that span, with losses to the Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers (2017), Washington Nationals (2019) and Atlanta Braves (2021).
The Astros' only championship during this run was in 2017.
Framber Valdez will look to get Houston back in the series when he takes the mound against Zack Wheeler for Game 2 on Saturday night.
The J.T. Realmuto Game Stuns Astros, Flips World Series in Phillies' Favor
Oct 29, 2022
Philadelphia Phillies' J.T. Realmuto watches his solo homer during the 10th inning in Game 1 of baseball's World Series between the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Game 1 of the 2022 World Series had a little bit of everything, but mostly what it had was J.T. Realmuto showing why the Philadelphia Phillies refer to him as the Best Catcher in Baseball.
For them, it ultimately meant a 1-0 series lead. And for the Houston Astros, that means trouble.
There was a point on Friday when the Astros seemed well on their way to victory. Justin Verlander entered the fourth inning having retired the first nine batters he had faced, and he had a 5-0 lead courtesy of a Martin Maldonado single and two home runs from Kyle Tucker.
Yet that lead came under threat when the Phillies, who won 19 fewer games than the Astros in the regular season, pushed three across in the top of the fourth. Then in the fifth, it vanished when Realmuto knocked a two-run double off the left-field wall.
Cut to the top of the 10th, and there was that man again with a go-ahead shot to right field:
Once David Robertson induced a groundout from Aledmys Díaz for the final out, the Phillies had dealt the Astros their first loss of the playoffs and, as Sarah Langs of MLB.com noted, their first loss in any game they had led by five or more runs since July 26, 2021.
Meet J.T. Realmuto, Who Really Is This Good
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 28: J.T. Realmuto #10 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a home run in the 10th inning against the Houston Astros in Game One of the 2022 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 28, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Perhaps it's a reach to present Realmuto as some kind of overlooked gem. He is, after all, a three-time All-Star who secured the highest average salary for a catcher in Major League Baseball history when he signed a five-year, $115.5 million contract in January 2021.
Plus, there's the 31-year-old's place among his fellow catchers on the wins-above-replacement leaderboard for the last six seasons:
J.T. Realmuto, MIA/PHI: 24.7 WAR
Willson Contreras, CHC: 19.1 WAR
Salvador Perez, KCR: 14.9 WAR
Still, it used to be that one could fairly surmise that Realmuto was one of baseball's more under-the-radar stars. It didn't help that he didn't set foot in the playoffs in any of his first eight seasons, which is typically the best place for a player to get on the radar.
There were also times in 2022 when it looked like Year 9 would keep Realmuto's playoff record empty, perhaps never more so than on June 25.
By the end of that day, the Phillies would be nine games out of first place in the National League East and suddenly without reigning MVP Bryce Harper after he suffered a broken thumb on a hit-by-pitch. And even after cranking two home runs over his last three games, Realmuto was still hitting only .237.
Whether by coincidence or providence, that's when things clicked into place for Realmuto. He hit .310 and clubbed 17 home runs the rest of the way, in the process accumulating more WAR (FanGraphs version this time) than any position player not named Aaron Judge.
It's in no small part because of this super-heated version of Realmuto that the Phillies were able to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2011. And rather than cool down, he's greeted his first postseason by turning on the jets.
He came into the World Series having hit safely in eight of the Phillies' first 11 games, with home runs in Game 4 of both the Division Series and Championship Series. When he hit that double off Verlander, it had a sort of "Who else?" feeling to it.
“I guess tonight was my turn,” Realmuto said after the game, per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. “It’s so cool to see the way this team is playing. It’s been a different hero every single night. It's been that way all postseason long. Every hitter in our lineup has had their moment where they have come through huge for the team.”
In a game that otherwise featured terrific plays by Alec Bohm at third base and Nick Castellanos in right field, Realmuto also came this close to being yet another defensive hero for the Phillies.
José Altuve got a good jump and had a good pitch to run on when he took off for second base with two outs in the ninth inning, but Realmuto nearly caught him stealing anyway. Though they got away with it this time, the Astros surely won't be forgetting that firsthand glimpse of Realmuto's MLB-best pop time to second base.
It's Only One Game, But It's a Big Loss for the Astros
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 28: Justin Verlander #35 of the Houston Astros walks off the field in the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game One of the 2022 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 28, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
A loss in Game 1 of the World Series? The Astros have now been there five times in their history, yet they know from 2017 that it is possible to come away victorious anyway.
There should nonetheless be no mistaking that a 1-0 deficit is indeed a hole, and one that tends to eventually leave teams buried for good. Per Langs, the track record of teams coming back after losing the first game of the World Series is not good:
REMINDER entering tonight:
the Game 1 winner in a best-of-7 postseason series has gone on to win the series 121 of 187 times (65%) in MLB history
This is not to say there weren't any silver linings for the Astros on Friday.
It was certainly good for them to see Tucker, who had entered the series just 6-for-28 in the postseason, go off for two long balls and an eighth-inning single. It was also another largely successful night for the bullpen, which boasts a near-microscopic 0.95 ERA for the playoffs.
But then there's the Verlander problem.
There was no such problem during the regular season as the 39-year-old pitched to a league-best 1.75 ERA and won 18 games next to just four losses. That performance is almost certainly going to win him the third Cy Young Award of his career.
Since the playoffs began, however, Verlander hasn't looked like the same guy. He got lit up in his first outing against the Seattle Mariners and at times looked human in his second even as he struck out 11 members of the New York Yankees.
All this seemed to be behind Verlander through the first three innings of the eighth World Series start of his career, but the unraveling that followed was the real deal. He got out of his mechanics and struggled to throw the ball where he wanted, including on that curve that caught too much of the zone against Realmuto.
"I need to do better," the veteran ace said afterward, according to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. "No excuses."
In the end, it was merely the latest World Series disappointment for Verlander. Per MLB.com's Paul Casella, he now has the highest ERA ever in the Fall Classic among pitchers who've logged over 30 innings therewithin:
Worst ERA in World Series history (min. 30 IP):
- Justin Verlander: 6.07 - Carl Erskine: 5.83 - Don Sutton: 5.26 - Gary Nolan: 4.96 - Al Leiter: 4.59
This is a sizable blemish for the future Hall of Famer. And if this series gets to a point where the Astros have to start Verlander again, it'll resemble a bad omen.
Meanwhile, there's no ignoring the problems the Astros are having on the offensive side.
Those start at the top with Altuve, who only has four jam-shot hits to show for his 38 at-bats in the playoffs. They also involve Yordan Álvarez, who's 3-for-25 since hitting home runs in Games 1 and 2 of the Division Series. There are also some automatic outs in the bottom third of the lineup.
In a broader sense, the Astros frankly looked beatable even before the Phillies finally put them in the loss column for the 2022 playoffs. Though they won all seven of their games en route to the World Series, all but one was decided by two or fewer runs.
What's Next for the Astros and Phillies?
Game 2 of the World Series is set for Saturday at Minute Maid Park, with Zack Wheeler on the mound for the Phillies opposite Framber Valdez for the Astros.
Valdez is a ground-ball machine who's allowed just two earned runs over 12.2 innings so far in the playoffs. Yet on account of the 1.78 ERA that Wheeler posted in four starts prior to the World Series, the pitching matchup for Game 2 may nonetheless favor the Phillies.
Justin Verlander Criticized by MLB Twitter After Astros' Game 1 World Series Loss
Oct 29, 2022
HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 28: Justin Verlander #35 of the Houston Astros pitches during Game 1 of the 2022 World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on Friday, October 28, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The Houston Astros held a 5-0 lead after three innings, but the visiting Philadelphia Phillies scored three in the fourth and two in the fifth before taking the lead for good in the 10th off a J.T. Realmuto homer for the 6-5 victory in Game 1 of the World Series from Minute Maid Park.
Everything was going right for Houston through three innings. Staff ace and likely American League Cy Young winner Justin Verlander was perfect through nine batters. Kyle Tucker hit a pair of homers, and Martin Maldonado executed an RBI single on a hit-and-run.
Verlander had a chance earlier in the inning to finish the Phils off on a double play after nearly snagging a Realmuto line-drive comebacker with one out and Rhys Hoskins on first, but he had to settle for the lone out on the force.
The fifth inning was not kind to Verlander, either, as Realmuto got back up to the dish and smacked a two-RBI double to tie the game.
For the night, Verlander threw five innings and allowed six hits, five earned runs and two walks while striking out five.
The two teams went scoreless for the next four frames before Realmuto took Luis Garcia deep. Houston got runners on second and third with two out in the bottom half of the 10th, but David Robertson got Aledmys Diaz to ground out to end the game.
The story of the day was Verlander, a surefire Hall of Famer and superstar pitcher who continues to have trouble in the World Series. It appeared that narrative would be chucked in the trash through three innings, but the story remains the same after the star struggled again.
No matter what happens in this game the top story is that Justin Verlander, who needed a World Series with in the worst way, gave up a 5-0 lead, quickly. Teammates going to need to hold him down like Game 1 of ALDS. #WorldSeries#LevelUp
This collapse is on Dusty Baker. Should have pulled Verlander before he blew the 5-0 lead and let the Phillies tie it. A terrible two innings by Verlander. Bad decision by Baker.
Game 2 of the World Series will occur Saturday in Houston at 8:03 p.m. ET. Zack Wheeler will take the mound for Philadelphia, and Framber Valdez will do the same for Houston.
Dusty Baker 'Ashamed of the Game' over Lack of US-Born Black Players in World Series
Oct 28, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 22: Manager Dusty Baker Jr. #12 of the Houston Astros looks on prior to game three of the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on October 22, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker is gearing up for a tough battle against the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2022 World Series, but he's thinking about more than just the matchup itself with Game 1 set for Friday night.
This year's World Series is the first in 72 years to not feature a single U.S.-born Black player, and Baker told USA Today's Bob Nightengale that it is "terrible for the state of the game."
"Wow! Terrible," Baker said. "I’m ashamed of the game. Quote me. I am ashamed of the game."
Baker added:
"Well, I don't think that's something that baseball should really be proud of. It looks bad. It lets people know that it didn't take a year, or even a decade to get to this point.
"But there is help on the way. You can tell by the number of African-American No. 1 draft choices (four of the first five picks in 2022). The academies are producing players. So hopefully in the near future we won't have to talk about this anymore or even be in this situation."
Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, also told Ben Walker of the Associated Press earlier this week that having no U.S.-born Black players set to take the field in this year's Fall Classic is "startling."
"That is eye opening. It is somewhat startling that two cities that have high African American populations, there's not a single Black player," Kendrick said. "It lets us know there's obviously a lot of work to be done to create opportunities for Black kids to pursue their dream at the highest level."
Both the Astros and Phillies have a number of Latino and Afro Latino players on their respective rosters, though none of the Black players were born in the United States. Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is from Venezuela, Phillies infielder Jean Segura is from the Dominican Republic and Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez is from Cuba.
Baseball has a lengthy history of racism, and before Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson broke MLB's color barrier when he debuted for the then-Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, Black players were barred from competing in the league, instead forced into the Negro Leagues, which operated between the 1920s and 1940s.
While having no U.S.-born Black players set to suit up in the 2022 World Series is certainly concerning, diversity across MLB is expanding, with 38 percent of players on 2022 Opening Day rosters having come from racially diverse backgrounds—Black, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander and Native American—per MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince.
However, just 7.2 percent of Black players on 2022 Opening Day rosters were born in North America. That's a decline from 7.6 percent in 2021. Baker and L.A. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts are the only Black managers in the league.
MLB is trying to address the issue at the foundational level, and there is some optimism for the game moving forward. Four of the top five picks in the 2022 MLB draft are U.S.-born Black players, including Druw Jones (Arizona Diamondbacks), Kumar Rocker (Texas Rangers), Termarr Johnson (Pittsburgh Pirates) and Elijah Green (Washington Nationals).
In addition, a number of American-born Black players are listed in MLB.com's Top 100 prospects, including Jordan Walker (St. Louis Cardinals), James Wood (Nationals) and Cam Collier (Cincinnati Reds).
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