For a franchise that has accomplished so much over the past decade, there’s something shameful, even humiliating about raising the 2026 AL West banner. That’s because these Astros are, by record, the single worst division winner in the sport’s long past. Before Sunday, no team with a .500 record or below had ever reached the postseason.
But Houston rewrote history thanks to an MVP-caliber season from Yordan Alvarez and a tidal wave of mediocrity from its AL West counterparts. Their inclusion in the October jamboree is more an indictment of the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners than anything else, but the Astros at least ended on a high note with their 9-0 win over the A’s on Sunday.
Houston also deserves a morsel of credit for refurbishing its season after a disastrous April. Reaching .500 with the fourth-worst starting staff by ERA — only the Reds, A’s and Rockies were worse — is also an accomplishment worth commending, a testament to something. Where would this club be without Peter Lambert, whose 3.87 ERA in 153 2/3 innings offered the only semblance of stability for a roster constantly in flux?
Things got sad enough, discombobulated enough, that in August owner Jim Crane relieved GM Dana Brown of his duties. There’s an overwhelming expectation that skipper Joe Espada won’t be back next year, either. It’s difficult to be optimistic about Houston’s very uncertain future. But in the random present of playoff baseball, anything is possible — especially when you employ the best hitter on the planet.
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