So why have the Yankees stalled out at good, without quite reaching greatness? First, context: They did win 921 games in the 2010s, topping 100 in each of the last two seasons. By rational accounting, that is great. But the Astros are clearly better, largely because the owner Jim Crane and General Manager Jeff Luhnow have aggressively exploited this window of opportunity.

“We’re pulling in the same direction,” Altuve said during the A.L.C.S., explaining that the front office honors the players’ efforts by trying just as hard. “They really feel responsible for backing us up and finding pieces to make this team better, even when people think this team can’t be better. In ’17 we got Justin, then last year we got Gerrit Cole, and now we’ve got Zack. It’s really impressive what they’re doing.”

Impressive is an understatement. The Astros have traded for a new ace each season — Justin Verlander, Cole and Zack Greinke — and each cost four players and a lot of money. But each has been worth it.

It would be foolish to question the effort of Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman and his staff, or the commitment of the Steinbrenners, who have spent more than $1 billion on salaries in the last five seasons, roughly $400 million more than the Astros. But wealthy teams have the luxury of options, and it is fair to wonder if the Yankees have chosen the right ones.

They entertained Patrick Corbin in free agency last winter but would not offer a six-year contract. The Washington Nationals did, and now they are in the World Series. The free agent the Yankees did sign, J.A. Happ, was not deemed worthy of a postseason start, after a mediocre follow-up to his impressive cameo last summer.