This text is devoting a number of months to an examination of previous greatness. It’s specializing in historical past’s high 50 ballclubs — collectively often known as the Finest 50 — as decided by my new e-book, Baseball’s Finest (and Worst) Groups. We’ve reached No. 43 on the all-time checklist, the 2017 Houston Astros.
Right here’s a fast boilerplate clarification that I’m appending to each story on this sequence:
I compiled the Finest 50 by analyzing 2,544 major-league groups from 1903 to 2024. These golf equipment have been ranked by their crew scores (TS), that are plotted on a 100-point scale. (A given membership’s all-time percentile is the proportion of the opposite 2,543 groups that it outperformed.)
See my e-book for an evidence of my TS calculations. The e-book additionally provides separate breakdowns of one of the best and worst golf equipment for each decade and franchise, complete profiles of the Finest 50 (together with position-by-position lineups and far more data than you’ll discover on this e-newsletter), and related summaries of the ten worst groups of all time.
Now on to at present’s profile.
Staff: 2017 Houston Astros
Staff rating: 85.289 factors
All-time rank: 43 of two,544
All-time percentile: 98.35%
Season file: 101-61 (.623)
Season place: First place in American League West
Remaining standing: World champion
The Astros have been the worst crew within the majors between 2011 and 2013. They suffered 324 losses throughout these three dismal seasons; no different franchise endured greater than 291. But Houston basic supervisor Jeff Luhnow remained optimistic. “The darkest hour is true earlier than the solar rises,” he stated, “and I feel that’s the place we’re proper now.”
Luhnow’s religion was rewarded in 2015 and 2016, when the Astros lastly edged above .500. Optimism ran excessive in 2017. “The entire crew is robust,” stated pitcher Charlie Morton. “I simply don’t see how we’re not set as much as win.”
And win they did. Houston rocketed to an 11-game lead within the American League West by Memorial Day, increasing the margin to 21 by the tip. The Astros topped each leagues in scoring (5.53 runs per recreation) and batting common (.282), accomplishments tainted by later revelations that the membership had violated baseball’s guidelines by utilizing a video feed to steal opponents’ indicators. (The scandal didn’t have an effect on the Astros’ rank in my all-time standings. See my e-book for an evidence.)
Get the whole lowdown on the 50 biggest (and 10 weakest) golf equipment of all time
The Astros defeated the Pink Sox simply within the American League Division Sequence. Their remaining postseason challenges have been tougher.
The Yankees pushed Houston to the brink of elimination within the AL Championship Sequence, forcing the Astros to win the ultimate two contests to advance. The World Sequence additionally went the gap, with Houston defeating Los Angeles, 5-1, in Recreation Seven. Heart fielder George Springer led the Astros with 5 homers and 7 RBIs towards the Dodgers.
Los Angeles pitcher Clayton Kershaw notched 11 strikeouts in Recreation One, however solely two in Recreation 5. The distinction, he insisted, was the placement. The primary recreation was performed in Dodger Stadium, whereas the rematch befell in Houston, the place the Astros had quick access to their video feed. “They didn’t swing and miss,” Kershaw stated, “as a result of they knew what was coming.”
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5-foot-six Jose Altuve was one among baseball’s smallest gamers. He was additionally probably the greatest.
Altuve already owned two American League batting crowns, and his 2017 common of .346 earned a 3rd. The diminutive second baseman was an outlier in a sport dominated by broad-shouldered sluggers. “As a scout, it’s a must to give credit score to slightly man, too,” he stated. “See what they’ve. Who is aware of?”
Shortstop Carlos Correa, the AL’s Rookie of the 12 months in 2015, batted .315 in 2017. He was nonetheless solely 22 years previous. “It’s not a secret that he’s going to be probably the greatest,” stated Altuve. 4 Astros hit greater than 20 homers and drove residence greater than 80 runs: Correa, Altuve, heart fielder George Springer, and utilityman Marwin Gonzalez.
Dallas Keuchel had struggled to a 21-27 file in his first three seasons with the Astros, solely to blossom right into a Cy Younger Award winner in 2015. “He’s our ace. He’s our man,” stated A.J. Hinch. Keuchel rewarded his supervisor’s confidence with a 14-5 file and a glowing 2.90 ERA in 2017.
However the Astros nonetheless wanted extra pitching, in order that they dealt for Justin Verlander on August 31. The celebrity, who had been with the Tigers since 2005, began 5 video games for Houston and gained all of them. He added 4 postseason victories.
