Last year, the Houston Astros finished the season with a record of 84-78, failing to reach the postseason. The Astros front office brought in several big names in the offseason including Carlos Beltran, Josh Reddick, and Brian McCann. Although they saw a few big names walk out the door to move to a new team, the Astros felt that their team was solid enough to contend for a World Series ring. Fast-forward to a few months later, as of June 6, 2017, the Astros lead the MLB with a 42-16 record, the only team with over 40 wins. They are in the midst of an 11 game win-streak, one win away from tying their franchise record.
The Astros are clearly favoured to win the AL West and clinch a playoff berth. Moving on, the Astros would have to trade for another starting pitcher to finalize their rotation and solidify their pitching. The Astros lineup is sufficient as it is, led by Jose Altuve, last year's AL batting champion and Carlos Correa, the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year. Their bullpen is considered one of the best in preserving leads, led by closer Ken Giles and long reliever Chris Devenski.
It certainly helps to play in a below-average division. Many players have also bounced back from mediocre seasons last year. Is it reasonable to expect the Astros to play as good as they are currently for the remainder of the season? Probably not, but with the many solid pieces in the Astros team, everyone could expect a great team for the next few seasons.
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