The Final Countdown

Thousands of eager Major League Baseball fans know all about the anticipated games played in October. Last Thursday my hometown Houston Astros clinched the AL West, winning their fourth division title in five years. They clinched the number 2 seed in the American League (AL), meaning they claimed home-field advantage for the AL Division Series (ALDS; a best-of-seven series). They will have to defeat the team in the number 3 seed in order to advance to the AL Championship Series (ALCS; a best-of-five series). If the team can make it past these games, they then move on to play in the World Series (a best-of-seven series) against the qualifying team from the National League.

Houston Strong

Despite being the target of backlash due to past controversies, the Astros have continued to prove why they deserve their spot in the 2021 postseason. The Astros have a strong, talent-packed roster that has put up some great statistics this year.

‘Stros Stats

As a team, the Astros finished the 2021 regular season with a 95-67 record. The team had the highest MLB batting average, posting a .267 average. They ranked first in RBI with 834 runs batted in, as well as first in runs with 863. They also ranked first in hits, putting up a total of 1,496 this season. Additionally, the teamed ranked first in OBP with a .339 on-base percentage. Also worth noting is the team’s pitching staff ranking first in the AL with a .228 batting average against, the lowest rate of hits allowed per at-bat. Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. alone finished the season with the lowest batting average against in the AL, with a .205, and 185 strikeouts.

Star Players

Yuli Gurriel #10

Cuban-born, thirty-seven year old, first baseman Yuli Gurriel won the 2021 American League Batting Title with his .319 batting average ranking the highest in the AL and second-highest in all of MLB this year. This season, offensively, Gurriel put up 15 HR (home runs) and 25 RBI. He lead the team in hits, getting 169 total. He also ranked first on the team and second in the AL with a .383 OBP. Defensively, Gurriel had a total of 1,057 putouts (PO), which is credited to the player who physically records an out. He claimed a fielding percentage of .994, which reflects a player’s performance in properly handling a thrown or hit ball.

Kyle Tucker #30

Kyle Tucker has had an incredible 2021 season. He was named the AL Play of the Month (Sept.-Oct.), the first time the 24 year old Astros outfielder has been awarded this title. For the combined months, Tucker led the AL with his OPS (on-base + slugging %) totaling to 1.130. This statistic is used to record a player’s ability to both get on base as well as hit for power. His batting average in these months was .346 with 36 hits, 8 HR, and 19 RBI. During this time his combined OBP was .438, the second-highest in the AL. This season, Tucker had the third-most HR on the team with 30, and tied for second in RBI with 92. He had a total of 83 runs and 149 hits. He had the team-best OPS at .917, plus he stole a total of 14 bases this season. Defensively in right field, Tucker finished the season with a .889 fielding percentage.

Carlos Correa #1

Hailing from Puerto Rico, Carlos Correa has played his entire career with the Astros since 2012. He has had a stellar season both offensively and defensively. Correa’s batting average was .279. He scored 49 total HR this season and tied for the second-most RBI on the team, with 92. He also ranked second on the team in OBP, with a .366, as well as in runs, getting 104 this season. He had the third-most hits on the team, with 155. Correa has made great defensive plays this year in shortstop. He recorded 384 assists, which is awarded to the player who handles the ball before a PO is recorded by another fielder. His fielding percentage this season amounted to .981. Correa will enter free agency at the conclusion of this season, so like me, many Houstonians are anxious to see the final moves made by the team organization that will determine the fate of this exceptional player.

Jose Altuve #27

Through the course of his career with the team, Astros ace Jose Altuve has become a household name to MLB fans. This Venezuelan is a powerful machine and one of the Astros’ best offensive players. This season he ranked first on the team in runs with 117 in total, and second in hits with 167. He also had the second-most HR on the team, with 31. He had 83 RBI, with a batting average of .278, and a .350 OBP. This second baseman has also had great success defensively. He recorded 344 total assists, and a fielding percentage of .985.

Yordan Alvarez #44

At only 24 years old, designated hitter and left fielder Yordan Alvarez has made himself known in the Astros roster. Originally from Cuba, Alvarez has been a prominent offensive player since his debut on the team in 2019. Alvarez ended this regular season with most HR on the team, getting 33 in total, and the most RBI on the team with 104. He claimed the second-highest OPS at .877. His 92 runs ranked the third-most on the team. He had a total of 149 hits. His OBP this season was .346. On defense, when in left field, Alvarez had a fielding percentage of .981 with 49 PO.

While I could go on and on about all the great contributions every player has made to this team, these are just some of the standout stars of the Houston Astros. Even though they battled some losing streaks this season, the Astros pulled off the most wins in the AL West division, rightfully earning their spot in the playoffs. It would be no surprise to see this talented team advance further into the postseason.

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