Houston Astros Remain Among 10 Best Teams in Latest MLB Power Rankings

The Houston Astros ranked among baseball's 10 best teams in the latest power rankings.

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The Houston Astros enter Tuesday with the third-best record in the American League and a four-game lead over the Seattle Mariners for the American League West division.

Looking to win their division for the seventh time in the last eight seasons, with the only season without a division win being the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the Astros have gone 31-23 since the All-Star Break.

Houston has once again relied on their brand of all-around baseball with their offense ranking eighth on the season in team OPS at .740, and their pitching ranking sixth in team ERA at 3.71.

After a 4-2 week last week, with all six games coming against divisional opponents, the Astros remain in ninth place in the latest power ranking from Bleacher Report.

Writer Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report had high praise for Houston's Designated Hitter Yordan Alvarez, writing that "it feels like the season that Yordan Alvarez is having hasn't gotten enough press."

In true Alvarez fashion, the slugger enters Tuesday with a .308/.392/.566 line with 34 home runs, 85 RBI, and a 170 OPS+.

While his season has gone unsung, he was voted to his third consecutive All-Star game, and made his first career All-Star game start.

The slugger accrued only one plate appearance in the Mid-Summer Classic, drawing a walk from Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried.

It is hard to overlook a season like Alvarez is having, but when the American League has an MVP race between New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and young Kansas City Royals phenom Bobby Witt Jr., it becomes more understandable.

Judge has been the runaway favorite for the American League MVP race since early May when he broke out of his early season slump to slug his way to 53 home runs entering Tuesday.

While Judge has been mashing in the Bronx, Witt has been approaching his second consecutive 30-30 season, sitting only one stolen base shy of achieving the feat, to go along with 32 home runs entering Tuesday.

Alvarez has been just as good, but on a much quieter level.

While Judge may have 53 home runs, Alvarez has 34 with a better strikeout rate (24.1 percent and 14.8 percent respectively).

While Witt has 29 stolen bases, Alvarez has the better on-base percentage (.384 to .392 respectively).

The Astro's slugger has been a key cog in the well-oiled machine this season, helping the team climb back from a sub-.500 record and a 6.5 game deficit in the American League West on June 1st, to an 81-69 record with a four-game division lead on September 17th.

Houston may be much better than their latest ninth place ranking indicates, and Alvarez is a big reason why.