Houston Astros Incredible Star Power Will Carry Them into MLB Postseason

The Houston Astros strength for the rest of the season lies in the star power on their roster.

Aug 17, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander (left) celebrates with shortstop Jeremy Pena (3) after the game against the Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The turnaround that the Houston Astros have undergone during the 2024 season has been very impressive. At one point in the first half, they were double-digit games behind the Seattle Mariners in the American League West.

Entering play on August 23rd, they have flipped the script. It is the Astros who are now building a healthy lead, as they are 5.5 games clear of their AL West rivals, who are now 7.5 games behind in the wild card race.

How did Houston overcome such a deficit? Their offense has gotten going despite the absence of star Kyle Tucker. Coupled with the Mariners going ice-cold in every facet of the game, the Astros are running away with the division.

Right now, Houston has an 89.6 percent chance of making the postseason. There are only four teams, the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins, whose odds are higher in the AL.

The Astros have shown no signs of slowing down either. In fact, their performance could stand to improve with all of the players they are getting back from the injured list.

That will play even more into their biggest strength, which is the star power they possess. Among that star power are players who know what it takes to find success in October, which is why the Astros have appeared in seven consecutive American League Championship Series.

Justin Verlander returned to the mound on Wednesday and Tucker should be back in the mix at some point. In their absence, some of their recognizable stars have stepped up, in addition to an unexpected boost on the mound.

Yordan Alvarez remains one of the premier sluggers in baseball. After a very slow start, Alex Bregman has regained his form, recording an OPS that is approaching .900 since May. Jose Altuve remains a productive power/speed threat with 16 home runs and 18 stolen bases with solid supporting stats.

On the mound, Josh Hader looks like himself again as he hasn’t blown a save since April 2nd against the Toronto Blue Jays, converting 27 consecutive. Framber Valdez has been an ace over his last 10 starts, recording an 8-0 record with a 2.39 ERA.

After a brutal April, Hunter Brown made an adjustment to his repertoire. He has been working in a sinker and the results have been fantastic. He had an ERA of 9.78 entering May. Now, it sits at 3.82.

There were some people ready to count the Astros out earlier in the season. A firesale looked more likely than a playoff run in mid-June following a loss to the Chicago White Sox that dropped their record to 33-40. They have been one of the hottest teams in baseball since, going 36-18 and cementing their status as true contenders in the AL.