A NEW WORLD?

Del Olaleye: Houston, you are the favorite. How does it feel?

Del Olaleye: Houston, you are the favorite. How does it feel?
The Astros did it. Can they do it again? Can the Rockets? Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

We’re in new territory as a city. The Astros are world champions and the favorites to repeat. The best team in basketball calls Houston home. There is a legit shot that Houston is the home to two major sports champions by the time June ends. Houston isn’t used to being the hunted. How does it feel to have the target on your back in two sports? I moved to Houston almost 16 years ago and the prevailing sentiment regarding the sports scene since I’ve been here is that for every step forward, they’ll be three steps back. Houston, always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The last time the Astros played a meaningful game in Houston they won an epic Game 5 in the World Series. Traveling back to Los Angeles up 3-2 with Justin Verlander ready for game 6 probably felt pretty good. Game 6 didn’t go as planned. The Dodgers beat Verlander and forced a game 7. Did you think game 7 had disaster written all over it? We all know what happened in game 7. The Astros broke a long string of worst possible outcomes for Houston sports. A World Series title hasn’t destroyed the Houston jinx as this shot will confirm (look away Coog fans, look away) but it let the city know that one team could get it done when it mattered most.

April is a few days away and it brings with it the first full month of baseball and the start of the NBA playoffs. Has the Astros title run changed your perspective? Do you expect the Astros and Rockets to win it all or do you believe a Damian Lillard three is around the next corner? I wouldn’t blame you if you were still apprehensive. Disappointment is in your DNA. Hopefully the Astros rewrote the code. For every Lillard or Michigan buzzer beater there is a Marwin Gonzalez home run in the top of the 9th. An Alex Bregman home run in Fenway. The Astros provided moment after moment in the playoffs to show you that they weren’t like every other Houston team that let you down.

The Rockets are next up to try to wash away the failures of past seasons. We’re less than a year removed from that Game 6 against San Antonio. Everything has gone Daryl Morey’s way since. Acquiring Chris Paul, P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute along with growth from James Harden has helped make this team the best in basketball. James Harden is the unquestioned MVP. The season up to this point has been a perfect Houston season. The Rockets weren’t the favorites or the most talked about. The entire season has been about surpassing expectations and shutting up doubters. Houston as a city is comfortable in that spot. Doing the hunting is easy. When the playoffs begin with the Rockets as the No. 1 overall seed, Houston will find itself in an uncomfortable role. NBA history says this Rockets regular season should end with a Finals appearance at the minimum. A recent article suggested that this Rockets team is the best team ever. Does that get you excited or did you just get a sinking feeling in your stomach? If you’ve got trust issues I understand. Harden and Paul’s playoff past could have anyone’s knees wobbling.

I was told to never count on anything good happening to a Houston sports team until the final out was recorded or until the clock struck zero. The city is always on the verge of having something good taken away because of a last-second shot or 9th inning HR. There are expectations for the Astros and Rockets. Win the whole damn thing-type expectations. You might be excited about that or there might be a little knot in your stomach just thinking about it.

If you’re a little shook at the prospect of being the favorite it really isn’t your fault. You’ve been conditioned that way and you’re not the only one.

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The Astros are cooking! Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Astros didn’t just sweep the Philadelphia Phillies. They sent a message.

In three tightly contested games against one of the best teams in baseball, the Astros leaned on their elite pitching and timely offense to secure a statement sweep. Hunter Brown was electric in the finale, shutting down the Phillies’ lineup and showing the kind of dominance that’s become a defining feature of his game. Bryan Abreu slammed the door with four strikeouts to close out the win, and rookie Cam Smith delivered the deciding blow — an RBI single in the eighth to drive in Isaac Paredes, lifting the Astros to a 2-1 victory.

It wasn’t a series filled with offensive fireworks, but that’s exactly the point. Both teams sent out top-tier pitching throughout the series, and Houston was the team that kept finding a way. For much of the season, the Astros’ inconsistent offense might’ve been a concern in a series like this. But this time, it felt different. The bats showed up just enough, and the pitching did the rest.

Now, with Houston on pace for 96 wins at the halfway point, the question becomes: Is the league officially on notice?

Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing is certain, the Astros have the third-best record in baseball, they’re 17-7 in one-run games, and they’re playing with the kind of rhythm that’s defined their near-decade of dominance. Unlike last year’s uneven campaign, this version of the Astros looks like a team that’s rediscovered its edge. Whether or not they need to take care of business against the Cubs to validate it, their recent run leaves little doubt: when Houston is clicking, there are very few teams built to stop them.

Off the field, however, a bit of long-term uncertainty is starting to creep in. Reports surfaced this week that extension talks with shortstop Jeremy Peña have been put on hold as he recently signed with super-agent Scott Boras. The combination has led many to wonder if Peña might follow the same free-agent path as Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and others before him. Boras clients rarely settle early, and Peña, now one of the most valuable shortstops in the game, could command a price tag the Astros have historically avoided paying.

If Peña and even Hunter Brown are likely to get priced out of Houston, the front office may need to pivot. Isaac Paredes could be the most logical extension candidate on the roster. His approach — particularly his ability to pull the ball with authority — is tailor-made for Daikin Park and the Crawford Boxes. Last year, Paredes struggled to leave the yard at Wrigley Field, but in Houston, he’s thriving. Locking him in long term would give the Astros offensive stability and the kind of value they’ve typically targeted.

As for Cam Smith, the breakout rookie is far from free agency and will remain a cost-controlled piece for years. That’s exactly why his contributions now, like his clutch eighth-inning knock to beat Philadelphia, matter so much. He's one more reason why the Astros don’t just look good right now. They look dangerous.

And the rest of the league is starting to feel it.

There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!

The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.

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