The Houston Astros have looked like the team to beat all season. Tonight with a shut-out victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, Houston clinches the American League West Division. Officially making them a playoff team for seven out of the last eight seasons.
Houston Astros Becoming a Dynasty?
The Houston Astros have been one of the top 3 teams in baseball since the *cough* 2017 season. Houston has been to three World Series (2017, 2019, and 2021) losing the two latter.
Somehow this season’s Astros looks better than all of the teams to come before it. They have plugged every hole they might of had over last off season. As well as at the trade deadline adding veteran hitting to go with this already deadly core.
Trey Mancini fits into this lineup beautifully. Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, and Alex Bregman has elevated their approach at the plate to the next level. All four of these players are having career seasons, amazingly at the same time.
A Rotation of God’s
No matter which starter takes the mound this season for the Astros, the result is the same. Dominance. Justin Verlander is leading the way having another Cy Young type season with an ERA under 2.00.
Luis Garcia, Framber Valdez, Jose Urquidy, and Christian Javier have all been on their “A” game this season. Lance McCullers came back from injury a few weeks ago and looks even better than he has in previous seasons.
The emergence of Hunter Brown has given the rest of the league no hope in catching a break in a seven game series. Add a top notch bullpen lead by Will Smith, Phil Maton, and Ryan Pressly; the Houston Astros are ready for a long playoff run.
Houston Astros Own the American League West
Tonights victory gives them their 5th AL West title in the last six years, coming 2nd the only year they did not win it. Even that year which was 2020, the Astros made it all the way to the ALCS, losing a close series in seven games to the Tampa Bay Rays. Ironically the team they beat tonight to clinch.
Moving forward this division looks like a two dog race as the Seattle Mariners and Julio Rodríguez are getting better. The rest of the AL West is is drastic rebuild mode with no signs of competing any time soon.
The Houston Astros might renew their lease at the top of this division for the rest of the decade if things keep going like this.
As far as this season goes, I can not wait to see what the ‘Stros do in the playoffs. This team feels special, maybe they can even erase some of that *cough* 2017 hatred.
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Rowan Donaghey is a Sports and Betting Insider for Fantom Sports Industries. Follow him on twitter for daily content via @RowanDonaghey
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