"Hopefully we just win in 4…We’re hoping to get it out of the way early" - Kyle Tucker confidently asserts the Houston Astros' ambitions of sweeping the Phillies in the World Series

Kyle Tucker is looking forward to an early vacation after a long MLB season. The Houston Astros outfielder is supremely confident about his team's chances in the World Series. He doesn't just believe the Astros will win; he's hoping they can finish it off early.

The overconfidence that Tucker, and maybe some of the other Astros are feeling, may have come from the fact that they just swept the 99-win New York Yankees. It could be the fact that they have reached six-straight American League Championships. It may stem from the fact that this is the club's fourth World Series appearance since 2017. The Houston Astros have reason to be confident.

"Hopefully we just win in 4…We’re hoping to get it out of the way early," said Tucker.

Although the Astros are heavily favored, Tucker's latest comments will light a fire under the Philiadelphia Phillies. Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, and Kyle Schwarber are experienced players and will make sure to bring their A-game against the Astros.

The Houston Astros had the best record in the American League during the regular season. They finished with a 106-56 record. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers finished the season with a better record (111-51).

The team has talent at offense and defense. Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Pena, and Alex Bregman are all capable of putting up runs. On the defensive side, Justin Verlander brings quality and experience to the pitching rotation. Framber Valdez, the left-handed flamethrower, is also a dangerous asset and has emerged as one of the top starting pitchers in the MLB in 2022.

The Houston Astros are heavy favorites to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2022 World Series

General view during a World Series Workout between the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies at Minute Maid Park

It is still too early to count the Phillies out. Although they barely scraped their way into the playoffs, Philadelphia has performed admirably in the postseason.

Their road to the World Series has not been easy. They defeated the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card and Division Series, respectively. They went on to shock the highly favored San Diego Padres in the NLCS, routing them 4-1.

"First pitch for all seven potential World Series games between the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies: 8:03 p.m. ET. Game 1: Friday Game 2: Saturday Game 3: Monday Game 4: Tuesday Game 5: Wednesday Game 6: Friday Game 7: Saturday 1-2, 6-7 are in Houston. 3-5 in Philly." - Jeff Passan

It is ironic that Tucker could be so confident after the Astros lost in their previous two World Series appearances. The Astros lost to the Washington Nationals 4-3 in 2019 and the Atlanta Braves 4-2 in last year's championship. A better approach from the Astros may be to take it game-by-game.

The series begins on Friday night with Game 1 set to take place at Minute Maid Park. After Kyle Tucker's comments, expect the Phillies to come out swinging.