BEST IN THE WEST?
Astros keep hanging around and that’s a problem for the West
Jun 2, 2025, 1:21 pm
How the West is won! Composite Getty Image.
Slowly but surely, the stars of Houston's 2017 World Series-winning team have scattered about in the years since.
George Springer is in Toronto now, Alex Bregman in Boston and Carlos Correa in Minnesota. Justin Verlander pitches for San Francisco. Jose Altuve and Lance McCullers Jr. are still with the Astros, but it feels like it's only a matter of time before Houston's dominance of the AL West comes to an end.
The question is whether anyone else in the division has what it takes to force a changing of the guard.
If it weren't for Oakland's division title in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Houston would have a streak of seven straight AL West championships. Only the Braves, Dodgers and Yankees have had runs that long since divisional play began. But last year, the Astros won just 88 games, their fewest in a full season since 2016. Only the mediocrity of the rest of the division kept them on top.
This year, Houston is 32-27, which puts the Astros on pace to win 88 games again. Nonetheless, they trail first-place Seattle by just a half-game.
The challengers all have their problems. The Athletics had an encouraging start but have lost 17 of their last 18. The Los Angeles Angels look headed to a 10th straight losing season. Texas won it all as a wild card two years ago but has been one of the worst offensive teams in baseball in 2025.
That leaves Seattle. The Mariners have the major league home run leader in Cal Raleigh — yes, he's ahead of both Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge with 23. Seattle also has Luis Castillo leading the pitching staff, but its team ERA is pretty middling at 3.86. Logan Gilbert missed all of May with an elbow issue.
The Mariners haven't won a division title since 2001. It's there for the taking right now, but are they up to the task?
Trivia time
There are six current major league franchises that have never won back-to-back division titles. Who are they?
Agony of defeat
Boston was swept three straight at Milwaukee, with the last two losses coming in walk-off fashion. Christian Yelich hit a 10th-inning grand slam to beat the Red Sox on Tuesday night, and the following day Caleb Durbin ended it with a sacrifice fly.
Boston has lost a major league-high seven games in walk-off fashion — and those games account for over a fifth of their 32 defeats.
Line of the week
Junior Caminero went 4 for 5 with two homers, two doubles, five RBIs and four runs in Tampa Bay's 16-3 rout of Houston on Saturday. Even after a loss Sunday, the Rays have won nine of their last 12 and are just a half-game behind Minnesota for the American League's final wild card.
Comeback of the week
Minnesota trailed Seattle 6-3 with two outs in the top of the ninth Friday night when Willi Castro hit a two-run homer off closer Andrés Muñoz. Then Byron Buxton singled, stole second and scored on a single by Trevor Larnach.
In the top of the 10th, the Twins scored six runs on their way to a 12-6 victory. Seattle had a win probability of 98.9% in the ninth, according to Baseball Savant.
Muñoz had not allowed an earned run all season. He blew another save against Minnesota on Sunday but ultimately got the win.
Trivia answer
The Miami Marlins and Colorado Rockies have never won ANY division titles. The other four teams that have never gone back-to-back are:
— San Francisco Giants (NL West titles in 1971, 1987, 1989, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2010, 2012 and 2021)
— New York Mets (NL East titles in 1969, 1973, 1986, 1988, 2006 and 2015)
— Chicago White Sox (AL West titles in 1983 and 1993, AL Central titles in 2000, 2005, 2008 and 2021)
— Seattle Mariners (AL West titles in 1995, 1997 and 2001)
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The Astros open a three-game set Tuesday night against the struggling Chicago White Sox, looking to put together a solid homestand and maintain their lead atop the AL West.
Houston enters the series at 36-29, including a 22-12 mark at Daikin Park, where they've consistently found ways to win behind timely hitting and quality pitching. They'll send Lance McCullers (1-1, 4.44 ERA) to the mound, hoping he can keep the momentum going against a White Sox team that has labored all year, particularly on the road.
Chicago comes in at 22-44 overall and just 6-26 away from home, though starter Shane Smith (2-3, 2.45 ERA) has been a bright spot in an otherwise dim season. He’ll be tasked with trying to quiet a Houston lineup that’s been inconsistent of late but remains dangerous when it clicks — the Astros are 20-3 in games where they score five or more runs.
Jeremy Peña continues to lead the way at the plate, hitting .316 with nine homers and 32 RBIs, while Jake Meyers is coming off a four-hit game on Sunday and is 11-for-35 over the past 10 games. If those two stay hot, Houston could have an edge against the young right-hander.
The White Sox have gotten recent production from Chase Meidroth and Miguel Vargas, but overall remain one of the most inconsistent offenses in the league. Like Houston, they tend to win when they hit — they’re 14-3 in games where they’ve scored at least five runs — but those games have been few and far between.
Both teams have shown flashes in recent days. Over their last 10 games, the Astros are 6-4 but have been outscored overall, while the White Sox are 4-6 despite a slightly better run differential. With Houston favored at -195 and an over/under of 8, the pressure will be on McCullers to set the tone early — and on the bats to back him up.
The teams will meet for the fourth time this season Tuesday night, with first pitch set for 8:10 p.m. ET.
*ChatGPT assisted.
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