The Philadelphia Phillies have advanced to their first World Series since 2009.
That year, they were defeated by the New York Yankees.
This time, they will match up with the back-to-back American League champion Houston Astros.
Thanks in large part to going undefeated through their first seven postseason games on the heels of a 106-win regular season, the Astros will be heavily favored to win this series.
But that won’t be a problem for the Phillies, who have been underdogs all postseason long and are prepared to surprise all the experts again.
The Phils won 87 games during the regular season, which is 19 games fewer than the Astros.
The last team to win the World Series with 19 or fewer wins than their opponent was the Chicago White Sox, who won 93 games in 1906 to knock out the 116-win Chicago Cubs.
The Astros won 106 games this season. The Phillies won 87.
The 19-win difference is the 2nd-largest between World Series opponents in MLB history.
The only one larger: In 1906, the 116-win Cubs LOST the World Series to the 93-win White Sox. pic.twitter.com/lLdkggCjpI
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 24, 2022
Phils Looking To Pull Off Miracle
The Phillies have a chance to match the 1906 White Sox in this World Series.
They would also join a recent group of underdogs who have upset opponents with far better records than them.
The Washington Nationals won 93 games in 2019 when they eliminated the Astros, who had won 107 games that year.
The St. Louis Cardinals won just 83 games in 2006 before beating the 95-win Detroit Tigers.
So, while the Phillies will be heavy underdogs, they have a chance to do something quite special and capture the hearts of everybody around Major League Baseball.
The series will start on Friday night at Minute Maid Park and will air exclusively on FOX Sports.
Can the Phillies pull off the upset?
NEXT: Phillies Owner Shares A Hilarious Bryce Harper Admission