Houston Astros Inside Top 10 of Way-Too-Early Power Rankings

The Houston Astros dynasty continues. It just may not be as powerful as it once was.

Oct 2, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros fans react during the seventh inning of game two of the Wildcard round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs against the Detroit Tigers at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have been on a dynastic run the likes that Major League Baseball has not seen since the 1990s and early 2000s.

The Astros have won the American League West division in each of the last seven full-length seasons, have made it to the American League Championship Series in six of the last eight years, have made it to the World Series in four of the last eight campaigns, and have won the World Series twice in that time.

It is a historic run for a franchise that was long forgotten about by the casual fan, but now regarded like the New York Yankees or the NFL's New England Patriots.

In a recent article for The Athletic, Stephen J. Nesbitt, Rustin Dodd, and C. Trent Rosecrans gave their way-too-early power rankings for teams entering 2025, with Houston ranking seventh.

"For the first time since signing with Houston out of LSU, Bregman is not an Astro," writes Nesbitt, "whether the two-time All-Star third baseman returns to take a run at a third ring is the organization’s first and biggest question this offseason."

While the third baseman is certainly a fan favorite around Minute Maid Park, the veteran seems to constantly get much more praise for his abilities than he should.

Bregman did start his career off at a fantastic pace, batting .286/.384/.527 with 99 home runs, 320 RBI, and a 144 OPS+ across 2,238 plate appearances in 517 games from his debut in 2016 through his American League MVP runner-up campaign in 2019.

In the five seasons since that stretch, however, the veteran has only batted .261/.350/.445 with 92 home runs, 343 RBI, and a 122 OPS+ across 2,594 plate appearances in 594 games.

Many still look at Bregman as the player that he once was, instead of seeing the player that he is now, which is a glove-first third baseman who is best suited for the sixth or seventh spot in the lineup.

For the Astros specifically, that could prove vital for their chances as they do still have one of the most potent lineups in the sport with Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker, and Yordan Alvarez leading the way, so retaining their Gold Glove third baseman would be beneficial for the team.

Houston's dynasty has lasted for the better part of a decade, and with their latest run to the postseason we still may not be anywhere near the end.