Are the Houston Astros Still World Series Contenders?

The Houston Astros are looking for a path to back-to-back World Series titles. Is this the squad to get it done?

Regina Ham | May 17, 2023

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Houston Astros

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.

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Published May 17, 2023

REGINA HAM

Regina Ham is an editor and writer for Inside the Astros. As an alumna of the University of Maryland-College Park, she studied both broadcast and multimedia journalism. A six-year veteran of the sports industry, she's worked in radio, television, and online media. You can follow her on Twitter @regina_ham or Instagram @reginamariesports. Upon her undergraduate education, Regina went to work in 2016 for Sirius XM-Satellite Radio on College Sports Nation/ESPNU for two years. During her time in school, Regina interned at a variety of Washington, D.C.-area media organizations, including NBC Sports Washington and WTOP. There she assisted in coverage of local MLB and NHL teams. She also interned down at WAAY 31 in Huntsville, AL and worked on stories regarding the local Minor League Baseball affiliate and SEC football. Regina worked in international sports television for almost four years, covering sports from MLS to the KHL and the KBO. She joined Philly Sports Network in 2022 and covers both the Phillies and Philadelphia Flyers before joining the Sports Illustrated network in 2023. You can follow her on Twitter @Regina_ham or on Instagram @reginamariesports. If you have any questions or comments, she can be reached at regina.ham28@gmail.com.