MLB Expert Believes Houston Astros Are New York Yankees Biggest Competition

The Houston Astros are the team that will stand in the way of the New York Yankees advancing to the World Series.

May 9, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) reacts after striking out against the Houston Astros during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium. / John Jones-Imagn Images

With just a few days until the 2024 MLB Playoffs get underway, the Houston Astros still don’t know who they will be facing off against in the Wild Card round.

As the No. 3 seed in the American League, they will host the final wild card team in the first round of the playoffs. It will almost certainly be an AL Central team as the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins are all battling it out.

With seven consecutive ALCS appearances, the Astros aren’t worried about who they will be facing in the first round. They aren’t going to overlook an opponent, but they have their sights set on bigger goals than just advancing to the Divisional Round.

For their streak to run to eight, they will have to go through the New York Yankees or Cleveland Guardians. The other divisional champions would likely be favorites in a series against Houston, but one MLB expert doesn’t see it that way.

Jorge Castillo of ESPN believes it is the Astros, not the Yankees, who are the team to beat in the AL.

“Are the Astros still in the American League? They are? Then, no, the Yankees are not the team to beat. And that's not a knock on the Yankees. They have two of the best hitters in baseball (Aaron Judge and Juan Soto), an ace peaking at the right time (Gerrit Cole) and a bullpen performing at a high level despite not having a designated closer. They are as healthy as any team in the majors. They could end up with home-field advantage through the ALCS. Their top-end talent could fuel a deep October run,” Castillo wrote.

Houston knows what it takes to win in October; they have been the gold standard in baseball for nearly a decade. A lot of that playoff success has come at the expense of New York.

Even if the Astros don’t hold the edge on the field in some aspects, they certainly own the mental side of the game. After a brutal first six weeks or so of the season, they have completely turned things around as well.

“But the Astros are sitting there with the best record in baseball since May 12. They've advanced to seven straight American League Championship Series, and there's no reason to believe they won't make it eight. The Astros still feel inevitable. So Jose Altuve, Yordan Álvarez (whose health will play a key role in how far Houston goes), Alex Bregman, Framber Valdez, Josh Hader & Co. are the favorites to reach the World Series for the fifth time in eight years until they don't,” wrote Castillo.

Betting against this group could be a futile activity. Run prevention and pitching is key to finding success in the playoffs and they have that in spades.

The Astros' pitching group is so deep, that there may not be a role for Justin Verlander in it. Valdez, Ronel Blanco, Hunter Brown, Yusei Kikuchi and Spencer Arrighetti are a strong group even if the future Hall of Famer isn’t tabbed as a starter.