In June, New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge led his team to two walk-off wins against the Houston Astros. He went on to break the American League single-season home run record, hitting 62 home runs on his way to a presumed MVP Award.

With Yankees fans cheering “pay the man,” Judge was confident going into the American League Championship Series against the Astros, who got by the Seattle Mariners in the AL Division Series. By the end of his playoff run, Judge recorded just five hits in nine games and made the final out to seal the Yankees loss. 

On Oct. 23, the Astros came back to defeat the Yankees 6-5 and sweep the series 4-0 to secure their spot in the World Series, their fourth appearance in six years. For the final play of the ALCS, Astros closer Ryan Pressley flipped the ball to first baseman Yuli Gurriel on a routine grounder from Judge. The team rushed the Yankees Stadium field as scattered Astros fans cheered from the stands.

Two hours before the Astros clinched the American League pennant, the Philadelphia Phillies won the National League after star outfielder Bryce Harper, serving as the designated hitter since returning from injury, hit a game-winning homer against the San Diego Padres. And so, the Astros will face the Phillies in the World Series beginning Friday, Oct. 28 at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

For new Head of Upper School Kevin Weatherill, the Phillies vs Astros matchup is exciting but conflicting. Weatherill was born into a Phillies family and grew up attending games. He watched the Phillies succeed in the late 2000s and struggle in the mid-2010s. Weatherill moved to Houston in June and has been rooting for the Astros as his designated American League team, but he remains devoted to the Phillies.

“I have nothing but really good things to say about the Astros, their organization, their fans,” Weatherill said. “If they weren’t playing the Phillies, I would be rooting for the Astros right now.”

Weatherill especially appreciates any success that the Phillies have considering their unfavorable odds going into the postseason as the NL’s lowest-seeded team. 

“This doesn’t happen every year. They got the last wild card spot. They should have played two games in the playoffs and been out. Now we’re in the World Series.”

Though the prospect of winning is exciting to Weatherill, baseball is more to him than just a game. He has been a baseball fan for over forty years, even citing “Field of Dreams” in his first address to the School. Weatherill enjoys teaching his five-year-old twins the rules of baseball and spending time with his family when watching the game. 

His twins have now played two seasons of Little League and are beginning to understand baseball. They root for both the Astros and the Phillies but, like Weatherill, will root for the Phillies this week. 

“Baseball is about getting to spend time with my kids, and I hope they develop a love for the game too,” Weatherill said. “It’s more about time with them than it is about who wins. Though, I want the Phillies to win.”

The World Series will begin later that usual due to the work stoppage at the beginning of the season that pushed everything back one week. If the Series goes a full seven games, it would end on Nov. 5. The first game will take place just as the Maverick football team faces off against their rival Kinkaid, with the winner to face off against Houston Episcopal in the SPC Championship the following week. While this puts fans in a difficult position, Weatherill is unconcerned. 

“I’ll be following the score, but on Friday night, I’ll be at Rice Stadium cheering for the Mavericks,” Weatherill said. “[The Mavs] are also playing for a championship on Friday night, and that championship is really important too.”

Maverick baseball catcher Zell Godbold is excited to watch the Astros play the Phillies since the Phillies are a change of pace from previous National League Champions.  Godbold expects an entertaining duel between the Astros pitching staff and the Phillies powerful lineup. 

“The Phillies are a fun team,” Godbold said. “They play hard but look like they are enjoying just being on the field.”

Godbold also respects the Phillies fanbase. While they are not “as intense” as the Yankees, they are still passionate.

“They love their team—just like the Astros fans—so home-field advantage will play a big role in this series.”

Weatherill’s value of spending time with his family is something that the Astros players themselves value between one another and with their fans.

Before Game Four of the ALCS, Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers said, “We’re here to create a family in this clubhouse. If you’ve been here one day, been here 20 years, we’re going to laugh, be happy, smile, and we’re going to show up every day ready to play.”

The World Series will be broadcast on Fox and streamed through various platforms, including Fox Sports and ESPN. Tickets may be purchased on the official MLB website.