The Wednesday Discussion: Our ALCS Predictions

October 19, 2022

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We made this simple for our writers. We sent the following to them:

Please make your predictions for the series against Houston.

Here are their responses:

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Mike Whiteman - I didn’t hang in there this season to predict a loss. Yankees in seven!

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Paul Semendinger - I can't believe I am writing this, but, the Yankees will win this series in five games. They passed the worst test - a short series against a team they should defeat. Aaron Judge finds his stroke and bats over .300 this series. Josh Donaldson will also hit well. Harrison Bader, by the way, won't hit any homers against Houston. Four different pitchers: Jameson Taillon, Luis Severino, Gerrit Cole, and Nestor Cortes will each win one game.

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Tamar Chalker - I’m not sure the Yankees bullpen can get them through a series against Houston - but since they won last night, I think they can keep it going. At the least it will be a good series and I hope they win…

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Andy Singer - The Yanks will finally get over the hump against Houston, winning the series in 6 games. Sevy will throw a gem, striking out 9 in 6 innings in his lone start, and Harrison Bader will flash a strong glove in CF and provide timely hits offensively.

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Lincoln Mitchell - The Astros will be a relatively heavy favorite in this series, but the Yankees can win. The challenge for the Yankees is that Cole and Cortes will only be able to have a total of two starts on full rest, although I assume Cole would be back for a game seven on short rest if necessary. The Yankees can only win this series if their offense steps up. My prediction is that the Yankees bullpen hits its stride at the right moment and the Wandy-Holmes-Loaisiga trio continues to pitch well. The offense will be led by hot streaks by Torres and Stanton. The Yankees path to victory is not seven well played games where the out-maneuver and out-play a very good Astros team. Rather, their path is getting very hot and very lucky, so I am saying Yankees in six.

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Ethan Semendinger - If you've seen me at work talking to my coworkers and patients, you know I continue to say "I'm not confident". Yes, I predicted the Yankees would escape the ALDS against Cleveland but I was not confident after the rain delays and the poor showings (and wins turned to losses) in Games 2 and 3. They escaped.

Against Houston, the Yankees will...win. In 6 games. The Yankees will hit Verlander tonight, but the Astros will also hit Taillon and it will be a close loss. Severino gets the win tomorrow, the Yankees will get wins from both Cole and Cortes this weekend before they take the series from Houston, winning in their house to issue a re-run of the 2009 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

On the offensive side, Aaron Judge will come alive this series, let's count him in for a better than .270 AVG with 3 home runs. Keep him in the 2 hole from here on out. After an abysmal showing (4-20, 2 HR, 11 (!) K's), he's going to come back. I also have faith in Gleyber Torres and, yes, Oswaldo Cabrera to hit at least .250 each while Bader and Rizzo will fall back a bit in performance.

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Tim Kabel - I believe the Yankees will win the series in seven games. Gerrit Cole, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Luis Severino, Harrison Bader, and Oswaldo Cabrera will come up big.

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Cary Greene - I think the Astros win four-games to one and I make this prediction based simply on the sheer strength of Houston’s pitching, which can match any team in baseball, inning after grueling inning. (I go into this deeper in an article at 1:00 p.m. today.)