IT'S BASEBALL SEASON
As players report to spring training, here are 5 teams most likely to prevent an Astros repeat
Feb 14, 2018, 7:15 am
There are serious threats to the Astros having another parade. Bob Levey/Getty Images
You want my opinion on if it’s too early to talk baseball? I say no way, Jose Altuve! Spring training is officially under way, so let’s talk baseball!
Football is over. I don’t care about the NBA until the playoffs start, and have never really gotten into hockey. With Opening Day moving up to March 29th this season, we’ll have regular-season baseball before an NCAA Final Four, too. I think it’s finally time to put the amazing season of 2017 behind us and start talking about 2018.
It’s no surprise that most sportsbooks have the Astros as favorites to win it all again this year and for good reason. They lost basically no significant pieces and improved heavily by adding Gerrit Cole earlier this offseason to what should be one of the strongest rotations in the league.
However, repeating in any sport is rarely done, especially in the MLB where it’s only happened a grand total of four times. One big reason for that is championship teams spend the entirety of the next season with a huge target on their backs. You think the Rangers are going to lay down for the Astros on Opening Day like they did most of last year? Think again.
With that in mind, here are the five teams, in my opinion, that could prevent the Astros from repeating in 2018:
5. Los Angeles Angels
It all starts in their own division. If the Astros even want a shot to repeat, they will have to go through the AL West first, and it won’t be as easy this year. The Angels made one of the biggest offseason moves by signing international prospect Shohei Otani, a two-way player that can pitch, play in the outfield, and do damage at the plate. They also picked up infielders Ian Kinsler and Zack Cozart, who paired with a healthy Mike Trout can win enough games in 2018 to give the Astros a run for the division. I will be very surprised if the Astros win the division by 20-plus games this year like they did in 2017.
4. Cleveland Indians
Let’s not forget the best team in the AL from 2017, the Indians. They lost a couple of pieces this offseason, but are still just as much a potent team as they were last year when they went on that amazing 22-game winning streak towards the end of the season. Perhaps luckily, the Astros didn’t have to face the Indians in the playoffs in 2017 after Cleveland was bounced by the Yankees. In 2018, I’ll have my same reservations about having to face them if it comes to that because they are still stacked.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
It would be silly to pretend that losing Yu Darvish all of a sudden takes the Dodgers out of contention for being one of the best teams in 2018. They have the last two NL Rookie of the Year recipients in Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger, and arguably the best pitcher in baseball in Clayton Kershaw. They should have no problem locking up another NL West title to get them into the playoffs where they will be out for blood to redeem themselves. They made it to the World Series last year for a reason, and they could absolutely do it again and get over the hump this year.
2. New York Yankees
The Yankees took the Astros to the limit in their seven-game clash in the ALCS last year, and unfortunately for the Astros, they have made one huge upgrade. The Yankees added one of the best power hitters in baseball, Giancarlo Stanton, this offseason which paired with reigning AL Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge sets up a powerful duo that could double-handedly hit enough homers in 2018 to power their way past any opponent. They also have a decently strong rotation with pitchers Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, and will get a full year out of Sonny Gray, a pickup from 2017.
1. Chicago Cubs
Speaking of Yu Darvish, the team that picked him up? The Chicago Cubs. All that stuff I said about it being hard to repeat, the Cubs experienced that last year. Similar to the Astros, the Cubs will have to make it out of their division first, but with a lineup as good top-to-bottom as they have on both offense and defense, they’re the team I’m the most afraid of facing in the World Series if I’m the Astros. The team that won it all in 2016 is in there and just waiting to break out.
There are still some big names out there in free agency which could greatly change my opinion about this list such as J.D. Martinez, Jake Arrieta, Mike Moustakas, and Eric Hosmer, but for now, these are the five teams I see keeping the Astros away from back-to-back Commissioner’s trophies.
It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
We have so much more to discuss. 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!
*ChatGPT assisted.
___________________________
Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!