Astros on Verge of Clinching Most Unlikely AL West Title in MLB History

Someone has to win. Isn’t that the saying? That’s certainly true of the American League West this year. Someone has to win, even if it isn’t pretty.

The Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers have spent the final few days of the regular season seeing just how difficult they could make it to determine which team actually desires to be crowned the champion.

Both teams lost on Friday night, which then left Houston and Texas tied once again atop the division at 79-81 with just two games remaining.

For the Astros, there is a remarkable possibility on Saturday.

They could actually clinch the division. They could become the AL West champions.

Houston needs to win over the Athletics, and then if the Rangers were to lose to the Minnesota Twins, the division would finally be settled, with just one game remaining in the season.

It would be another division championship for a franchise that has become used to being seen in the playoffs. This would come on the heels of a shocking season in 2025 when they were left off the postseason roster.

Astros Could Clinch With Sub-.500 Record

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (21) attempts to tag out the runner at home plate — Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Thankfully for the Houston organization, they hold the tiebreaker against Texas.

That means the team doesn’t necessarily have to finish with a better record than the Rangers. If they can just manage a tie, they will move on.

Should Houston win and Texas lose on Saturday, the Astros would improve to 80-81 while the Rangers would fall to 79-82.

Then, no matter what happens on Sunday, the Astros will still be the AL West champions. That’s what makes Saturday the one to watch.

The celebration will be a bit absurd no matter what happens. A team clinching a division with a record less than .500 shows just how unusual the 2026 race has become.

Rather than storming into the postseason playing strong, the Astros have been stumbling toward the finish line. They entered the final week having lost 10 of their last 14 games. They were swept by the Atlanta Braves in their final regular-season series at Daikin Park.

Texas hasn’t been much better.

Now, after a long 160-game season, the teams are tied, and it will come down to the last two games.

AL West Champion Will Make MLB History

Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (8) celebrates with right fielder Cam Smith (11) Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At this point, history doesn’t care who wins because the team that ultimately takes the division title will have already etched its name in the record books. It will be a new standard, and not a good one.

The team will be recorded as the one that won the division championship with the lowest winning percentage in history.

The previous “champion” of that record was the 2005 San Diego Padres. They took the title home after recording an 82-80 record and a .506 winning percentage.

At least the Padres finished above .500, and that’s more than the new champion will get to say.

This won’t be the first time a losing team has been in the postseason. In fact, the Astros did it in 2020 and advanced all the way to the AL Championship Series.

This, though, would be different.

Over a full 162-game schedule, MLB has never had a division champion finish with a sub-.500 record.

That is about to change.

Astros Can Salvage Season

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) makes a play — Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Astros path to the postseason runs right through the division.

The 2026 campaign has been full of injuries, inconsistency and missed opportunities. Yet, somehow Houston still has a chance to play October ball.

Nobody will ask how many games the Astros won if they suddenly get hot in the postseason. If anyone understands that, it’s the Houston Astros.

This may not be happening the way Houston dreamed of it at the beginning of the season, but the truth is, the banner won’t have an asterisk.

It will simply say - division champions.

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