ABC News Today

HOUSTON — Mark those calendars. Because no matter who wins Saturday night at Minute Maid Park, history will be made.

Game 6 between the Astros and the Phillies on Nov. 5 will be the deepest in a year that a Major League Baseball game is played. The previous record was Nov. 4, which was accomplished in 2001 (D-backs over Yankees in Game 7) and 2009 (Yankees over Phillies in Game 6).

Between the unusual schedule of shutouts in 2022, the mid-series rainout that moved everything back a day, and the possibility of a Game 7 on Sunday, this record has the potential to hang around for a while. In fact, this will be the only World Series in which the most games (all but two) are played in the month known more for the crack of the Thanksgiving arm than the crack of the bat.

Now, with this being the most November-centric World Series of the 118 to be played, it seems reasonable to suggest that one of these Phillies or ‘Stros players should emerge as a new and true “Mr. November.”

Oh, we know what you’re thinking. We already have a Mr. November! This is Derek Jeter, who not only became the MLB leadoff hitter at the plate in November during Game 4 of that epic ’01 World Series, but hit an incredible leadoff home run, a moment of healing for New York City in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

But while Jeter is currently tied for the November games played record (six) and currently holds the November hit record (eight), his signature moment in the month is statistically tied for Oct. 31, not the ‘November 1, because that was it. the official date of the game.

Is it enough to take the title away from Jeter? Well, no, not really. But Jeter has another, more meaningful nickname (“The Captain”), so… at least he can share that one, okay?

As we head into Game 6 (the 16th November game in history), here are some guys in this 2022 World Series with the potential to be “Mr. November.”

(All performance from Games 1 and 2, which were played in October, does not count for this all-important exercise.)

Right now, it’s hard to top Javier’s case after he pitched the first six innings of the Astros’ historic no-hitter in Game 4. Javier was absolutely brilliant, baffling the Phillies with his “invisible” fastball in the one who was not a mathematician. must win, but it was very close.

Javier gave up two runs in relief in Game 6 of the World Series last November, but we think he’s accounted for that. In fact, he now holds the record for most points in a career in November, with 12. The X-factor is the possibility of a Game 7 and the possibility of Javier starting that game. If this happens, the end of Javier “Mr. November” the case would hang in the balance. (And so would the Series, by the way.)

Like some of the Astros (who we’ll talk about in a minute), Schwarber entered this series after playing two games in November. He featured prominently in that exciting 2016 World Series between his Cubs and Cleveland. He was 4-for-9 with a walk in those games. In Game 3 of that series, he hit a 443-foot homer into the batter’s eye green at Citizens Bank Park, then homered again in Game 5. That puts Schwarber within a home run of tying Chase Utley’s November record of three.

Also, research confirms that “Schwarber” and “November” end in “ber” (which should count for something, but probably doesn’t).

Peña had never played in a November game before this year. Wait, check that, he had never played a major league game before this year!

That can’t be true, because Peña has been completely comfortable at this stage of the Series. And in the three games played this month, he is 6-for-12 with a home run, a walk, two RBIs and two runs. Also, he’s a shortstop and 100% of the people known as “Mr. November” have been shortstops. You can look it up.

Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins, Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh, Phillies

Like Schwarber, all of these Phillies have gone deep in a November game in this series, and that’s a decent starting point, though they’ll obviously need to do a lot sooner.

For now, bonus points to Marsh and Harper for taking the “No-Shave November” idea to the extreme all year long.

Also, he was born in November (the 19th, if you want to send him a birthday card)!

Seranthony Dominguez, Phillies

The only other November birthday boy on these lists (the 25th), and his role as the man most likely to have the ball in his hand if the Phillies try to close out their first World Series title since 2008 it speaks for itself.

Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel, Astros

As the only members of the Astros to have played in the club’s previous two November games, Game 7 in 2017 and Game 6 last year, all three of these guys will tie Jeter and Jorge Posada’s record for most November hits. Matches played (six) in Game 6.

Unfortunately, they have yet to do as much with the opportunity as Jeter did. Altuve is just 4-for-20 with a triple, Bregman is just 2-for-17 with a double, and Gurriel is just 4-for-19 with a double (and he’s currently nursing knee pain). But all of them had at least one hit in Game 5. If they want that coveted nickname (and you know, in their hearts, they do), they’ll need to ride that momentum Saturday.

The veteran left-handed reliever has a much lower leverage spot in this Astros bullpen than he did with the Braves a year ago. Smith has yet to pitch in this postseason.

But we should keep him in mind in case a game gets a little silly (probably in extras) and Smith somehow has a chance to become the first reliever to close out the World Series in November in two years consecutive He got the last outs for the Braves on November 2, 2021.

You can’t predict what magical November moment awaits us and who will provide it. If someone hit a ninth-inning homer, go-ahead homer, or homer in a series clincher, for example, that person would have a pretty strong claim to “Mr. November.”

It’s that or “Captain Clutch”… although we hear that name has been taken as well.