The Houston Astros Are the Real Deal

Houston is the first team in the majors to reach 40 wins this season, and have proven they have all the tools to make a deep playoff run

Houston Defender

It’s no secret that the Houston Astros are on fire. They have won 10 straight games, including a sweep of in state rival the Texas Rangers over the weekend. They currently have 41 wins through just 57 games into the 2017 campaign. That puts them on pace for 116.5 wins as of right now, if they kept winning at such a rapid pace. Of course that probably won’t happen, since every team eventually loses. But it should be noted that Houston is just the fourth team since 2000 to win 40 of their first 57 games. The 1906 Chicago Cubs and 2001 Seattle Mariners hold the record for most wins in a single season at 116. Who knows, The Astros could match that. A lot of people are saying this is the team to win the World Series, but it’s way too early to make those type of predictions. But I can tell you that this team is extremely talented in all aspects of the game.

Offense Is on Fire

The Astros currently have three of their nine starters hitting over .300. Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and Marwin Gonzalez have been raking this year. But that don’t forget about the rest of this powerful lineup. George Springer, who leads the Astros with 16 homers, has been a huge part of their success both offensively and defensively this season. Not to mention that Houston leads the big leagues with 90 home runs as a team. This team has a similar feel to the Chicago Cubs. They have a great mixture of both veterans and young studs. Bringing over Carlos Beltran, Josh Reddick, and Brian Mccann in the offseason has paid off for the ‘Stros. These type of players are impact guys, but also play a huge part as mentors for younger players like Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman, George Springer, Yulieski Gurriel, and more. Talent is absolutely vital of course, but having the right kind of teammates around you to help deal with the ups and downs in a season is extremely important as well.

Let’s talk a little more about their offense. They currently sit second in the MLB with a team average of .276, just three points behind the Washington Nationals at .279. But here’s the interesting part. In their last seven games, 7 of their 9 starters are hitting over .300. They’re currently tearing the cover off the ball, regardless of who’s on the mound against them. The lineup has combined for 18 home runs in just SEVEN games. That’s not a joke. This includes 5 homers from George Springer in that span, 3 from Alex Bregman, and 4 from shortstop sensation Carlos Correa. How about runs in the last seven games? The offense has scored 55 in that span. Absolutely unbelievable.

Jose Altuve has returned to normal form after a slow start. The four-time All-Star is leading the Astros with a .323 average. Earlier in the year, I wrote an article about the early struggles he endured, and how it wasn’t a worry because he is a batting champ, All-star, and MVP for a reason. He’s proven just that. After watching this type of performance in their winning streak, you have to think this team will be a serious contender come October. We know offense is important, but you also have to prevent the other team from scoring. Luckily, Houston’s stellar defense and pitching have done just that.

Pitching and Defense

The starting rotation has been led by 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel. The 29-year-old has been lights out this season , leading the majors with a outstanding 1.67 ERA, nine wins, and a WHIP of 0.87. It still amazes me how this guy has so much success in the big leagues. He is the living proof that you don’t need to throw 95 mph to be successful in the bigs. He sits in the high 80’s, rarely touching the low 90’s, but has such filthy stuff in his repertoire that no one can touch him. Between his dirty curveball and spectacular changeup, he makes hitters look foolish. Lance McCullers has been great for Houston as well. The 23-year-old can bring it, consistently sitting in the mid 90’s with the ability to gear it up to 98, and even sometimes 99 on the gun. He currently has a 2.71 ERA this season. These two starters have been the primary bright spots in the rotation so far this year. Charlie Morton, Joe Musgrove, and Mike Fiers have had average seasons so far, with all three of them holding sub 4.00 ERA’s. But it hasn’t mattered, because the offense has been just that good. The bullpen has been untouchable, led by Brad Peacock, Chris Devenski, and Mike Feliz just to name a few. Ken Giles has been great as the closer, with 15 saves in just 16 opportunities. In total, the bullpen has struck out 241 hitters in just 188.1 innings pitched. Unreal.

The defense has looked solid for Houston, holding a .983 fielding percentage as a team. With arguably the best combination in the big leagues up the middle in Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve, they are built for success. Then you have another true shortstop playing the hot corner in Alex Bregman, who was drafted as a SS out of LSU a couple years back. The outfield consists of some great athletes too in George Springer, Jake Marisnick, and Josh Reddick.

Houston Is Coming

In all aspects, this team is fundamentally sound. Its no fluke that Houston is playing great baseball. They have a great core of players, both young and old. It’s going to be interesting to see how good this team will be in the next few months of the major league season.

Either way, they are built to succeed for years to come with many young stars at the helm.