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Winners Win: How the Houston Astros Pulled Off A Second World Series Title

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The Golden Age of Astros Baseball

The Houston Astros are no strangers to postseason baseball, having made it to the postseason in every season since 2017, and to the World Series four times in six years. Since their first title win in 2017 and after falling short last year, the Houston Astros were chasing one thing this season: another World Series Championship. In a Game 6 against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Houston Astros won their second World Series title in six years, capping off an incredible season.

Road to the World Series

The Astros finished the regular season with a second-best franchise record of 106 wins, having already accomplished incredible feats such as pitching two immaculate innings in one game and throwing a combined-no hitter.

To start the postseason they swept the Seattle Mariners in the first three games of the American League Division Series (best-of-five), the first two games of which were defined by game winning home runs by Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez. The finale was a tense 18-inning game, a pitching dual from both teams that ended in a 1-0 win for the Astros in Game 3 thanks to a solo home run by Astros rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña. Then, in the American League Championship Series (best-of-seven) they swept their rival team the New York Yankees in four games, one of which was a complete game shutout, punching their ticket to a second straight World Series.

This October met an unlikely matchup in the final series of the season. The Phillies were the #6 seed team in the playoffs, a spot that didn’t even exist before the playoff bracket this year was expanded to include an additional Wild Card spot. The Phillies battled their way through opponents to face the #1 seed Astros in the 2022 Fall Classic. The stars aligned and the Houston Astros were set up for a chance at another World Series run.

Perfect Pitching

The success of this team can largely be attributed to what the team previously lacked: an all-around stellar pitching staff. The Houston Astros bullpen alone finished the playoffs with the lowest single postseason ERA with a stunning 0.83 ERA (earned run average), while the Astros starting pitching staff held their opponents through the postseason to a .172 batting average. In the World Series, Astros pitching got the Phillies to strike out a record-breaking 71 times.

Astros Aces:

Framber Valdez

Dominican-born left-handed pitcher Framber Valdez signed as an international free agent with the Astros at age 21, which is considered “old” for most international free agents. In 2022, he pitched dominantly and had considerably the best season of his career. Valdez relies heavily on his sinker and curveball pitch to record a high percentage of ground balls for outs. In the regular season he broke the record for the most consecutive quality starts, which is when a pitcher completes at least six innings allowing no more than three earned runs. He recorded a streak of 25 quality starts. In the postseason, he held a 1.44 ERA with 33 strikeouts, and was credited with three of the team’s wins during that span.

Cristian Javier

Another Dominic-born Astros pitcher, Christian Javier, was a 16 year old outfielder who decided to give pitching a try. Just shy of turning 18, again considered “old”, he signed a contract worth $10,000 with the Astros in 2015 and made his MLB debut in 2020. This season, he has proven himself to be a reliable ace for this team. Starting the year out as a bullpen pitcher, he soon became a key asset in the team’s starting rotation. While considered only the team’s number four starter, with his electric fastball he’s been nearly unhittable versus opponents. During the regular season he and the bullpen combined no-hit the New York Yankees. Later in the ALCS, the Yankees would see a complete game shutout pitched by none other than Javier and the Astros’ bullpen. Then, in the World Series, he gave the Phillies’ hitters the same treatment. In Game 4 of the World Series, Javier and the bullpen combined no-hit the Phillies, completing the first combined no-hitter in World Series history. He threw his fastball 70 out 97 pitches in this game. His plan was plain and simple: attack the strike zone and get ahead in counts. He finished the World Series credited with a win and a perfect 0.00 ERA.

Bryan Abreu

Yet another Dominican-born player Bryan Abreu, who signed with the Astros as an international free agent in 2013 and made his MLB debut in 2019, became the Astros’ secret weapon out of the bullpen this season. All year Abreu proved to be lights out and only continued this dominance throughout the postseason. In ten postseason games played this year, through 11.1 innings pitched (IP), he recorded 19 strikeouts while allowing zero runs.

Ryan Pressly

Astros closer Ryan Pressly had an incredible 2022 season. As a closer, it is generally the pitcher’s job to record the final outs of the game and preserve your team’s lead with the hopes of securing your team’s win. In this year’s postseason alone, Pressly had 6 saves out of 6 save opportunities (SVO) through 10 games and 11.1 IP. In that span, he recorded 13 strikeouts and a spotless 0.00 ERA.

Stepping Up to the Plate

With the loss of veteran shortstop Carlos Correa prior to the 2022 season, it was unclear if the Astros would be able to find a player of value to fill his shoes. But, rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña set off to make a name for himself in his first season as an Astro. He became the first rookie shortstop to win a Gold Glove, winning the award for his exceptional defense. In the regular season he lead all shortstops with 16 total defensive runs saved (DRS). Offensively he hit 22 home runs (HR), with 63 runs batted in (RBI). In Game 4 of the ALDS, he put an end to the Seattle Mariners season with a solo home run to snap a 17-inning scoreless game, completing the sweep and allowing the Astros to advance to the ALCS. After the Astros swept the Yankees, Peña was named MVP of the ALCS. Peña hit one home run during the World Series, becoming the first roookie shortstop to hit a home run in the World Series. His batting average through the World Series was .400 and his on-base percentage (OBP) was .423. He hit a total of four postseason home runs. As the Astros were crowned the 2023 World Series Champions, Peña was named MVP of the World Series, becoming just the third rookie, and first ever rookie position player to do so. If this is just the beginning of this 25 year old’s MLB career, the future is bright for this Astros star.


“Do it for Dusty!”

In 2020, Dusty Baker became the new manager of the Houston Astros. Prior to the 2022 World Series, 73 year old head coach Dusty Baker had managed the most MLB games without winning a World Series title. Both his 2002 San Francisco Giants and 2021 Houston Astros lost in the World Series. Since becoming manger of the Houston Astros, Baker has been successful in guiding his team to the postseason in each season he has managed, but his teams had just fallen short every time. That all changed when this year the Houston Astros prevailed against the Philadelphia Phillies and rewarded Baker with his first managerial World Series win.

H-town vs. Everyone

Ever since the Astros’ 2017 Championship was tarnished by scandal, this team has been fighting to put the past behind them and show everyone that they are a force to be reckoned with. On November 5th, after steamrolling their way through their two previous opponents, the Astros silenced the haters and in six games remarkably won the World Series trophy for the city of Houston. The final blow was executed by Astros power hitter, Yordan Alvarez, who hit a 450 ft. bomb to center field to put the Astros on top.

“Bury Me in the H”

I have followed this team all season long and never once doubted that this would be the outcome in the end; winners win. If this so-called “Golden Age” of Astros baseball and their postseason success is not to last for much longer, then I, as a true fan of my hometown Astros, call myself proud to be able to witness these days in which we can revel in the taste of sweet victory.

“For The H”: The Astros’ Mission to the Postseason

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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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