Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Are the Houston Astros Still World Series Contenders?
It's been over two decades since the baseball world had a back-to-back World Series winner. The last time it happened we go all the way back to 1998 when the New York Yankees won three in a row.
The Houston Astros are coming off their 2022 World Series victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6. The Phillies took their most recent 2023 series but who's counting?
They have their eyes on the long game: bringing another Commissioner's Trophy to the city.
Houston was the preseason favorite and their success on the field is well noted. They've made a record six ALCS appearances since 2017, adding in four World Series trips and two titles.
They also won 100-plus games in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022 -- including 106 wins last season.
They currently sit second in the AL West with a record of 23-19, three games back of division-leading Texas Rangers.
Let's not forget a couple of team scandals but they're still poised for another run.
But what gives them the edge?
Stars in Space City
While the Astros lost the likes of Justin Verlander in free agency, they more than made up for it by bringing back other key players and signing José Abreu.
Who else is on that roster? Just a couple of guys from the 2022 World Series squad: Jose Altuve, Yordan Álvarez, Jeremy Peña, Kyle Tucker, and Alex Bregman just to name a few.
Returning stars are going to be helpful in creating offensive consistency. These Astros' top five had a WAR of 26.6. Going into this season, Houston had to contend with Altuve's thumb injury that put him out for months.
But with the addition of Abreu, these six can possibly have a WAR of 24.9.
A shining light is Alvarez and his level of hitting. It's out of this world for the Houston line: he's currently hitting .298/.400/.573 and has an OPS of .973.
Last season, Alvarez was on fire. He was hitting .306/.406/.613 with 14 RBIs in 13 postseason games. He threw in three home runs for good measure.
This is a Houston squad built for October.
Pitch(ing) Perfect
Houston has solid consistency in both their pitching rotation and their bullpen. Yes, they lost Verlander but all hope didn't go with him.
They've got two solid aces with Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier. Javier had a solid season in 2022, going 11-9 with a 2.54 ERA. He kept the batters he faced to a .170 batting percentage and his four-seamers are killer. Javier is likely a Cy Young contender in 2023.
Valdez currently sits 3-4 with an ERA of 2.84, a WHIP of 1.12, and 65 strikeouts over 57 innings pitched. His last outing on May 15th saw him only last four innings. He recorded eight strikeouts but allowed seven hits and two walks.
Manager Dusty Baker also has Lance McCullers Jr., to consider once he's back from his elbow strain.
Moving to the bullpen, the Astros have some depth on them. Rafael Montero, Hector Neris, Bryan Abreu and Ryne Stanek and Ryan Pressly are all reliable.
Pressly for one reminds this writer of Mariano Rivera as one of the best closers in the league. He converted 91% of the chances he had in the past two seasons. Right now, Pressly has a 3.63 ERA over 17 1/3 innings pitched with 13 hits and two walks.
The other combined in the 2022 season had a bullpen ERA of 2.80. Currently, they sit with a 3.27 bullpen ERA. Baker has plenty of arms to let lose in October and that will be Houston's advantage yet again. Oh and don't forget last postseason's 0.83 ERA last postseason, allowing just six runs in 54⅓ innings.
The only team that could Houston a run for their money is the Tampa Bay Rays.
Other than that, may the odd be ever in your team's favor.
More From SI's Inside The Astros:
- Could Mike Trout Request a Trade to the Houston Astros?
- Mariners Fans Inexplicably Outraged Following Houston Astros' Social Media Post About Sweep
- Report: Former Astros Pitcher Fiers' Contract Terminated By CPBL Club
- Six Houston Astros Declared Free Agents
- Watch: Yordan Álvarez's Home Run Wins Astros World Series
- Lucas Giolito Claims All Teams Were Cheating in 2017
- Dusty Baker Makes His Thoughts Known on Bonds and Judge Records
- Is it Time to Move on From the Houston Astros Cheating Scandal?
- Is There Any Hope for an Aging Yuli Gurriel?
- Astros' Álvarez Stopped Striking Out and Became the Best Hitter in Baseball
