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Putting together a list of all-time franchise greats is never easy. Someone always gets left off. But in the 58-year history of the Astros, there really has not been a lot of stars. They went 36 years before winning 100 games. But there are still plenty of quality players to choose from. For the purposes of this list, players have to have had at least three full seasons with the Astros. Obviously, any such list is subjective, but on the eve of only the third World Series in franchise history, let's honor the best of the best:
10 - George Springer
You could make a case for a lot of long time Astros in this spot. Jimmy Wynn. Jose Cruz. Joe Niekro. But Springer was one of the key elements to the Astros rise from insignificance to a two-time World Series participant. There are others with better overall numbers, but none of them have a World Series MVP next to their name. He is also tied with Jose Altuve for the most postseason home runs in club history, which is no small feat considering some of the other names on this list. The magical 2017 title never happens without him, and he still has time to move way up in these rankings.
9 - Larry Dierker
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Long before he was a broadcaster and manager, Dieker was a terrific pitcher for a long time for the Astros, winning 137 games over 13 years, including a 20-win season and two All-Star appearances. While his numbers were not overwhelming, he was a very good pitcher for many years.
8-Roger Clemens
Clemens was simply one of the most dominant pitchers to ever play. And while he is better known for his time in Boston and New York, pitching just three seasons in Houston, he won a Cy Young award and helped the Astros to their first World Series appearance. Had he pitched a few more years here, he would be much higher on the list.
7-Alex Bregman
This might seem high, but Bregman has accomplished a lot in a very short time. He finished top 5 in MVP voting last season and will be no worse than second this season and could very well become just the third MVP in franchise history. He was an integral part of the 2017 World Series and still has a lot of good years ahead of him.
6-Roy Oswalt
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Like Dierker, Oswalt was simply a solid pitcher for a long time for the Astros, winning 143 games in 10 years and never posting a losing record in that time. He also was the winning pitcher in the NLCS clincher in 2005, sending the Astros to their first World Series. The three-time All-Star finished in the top five in Cy Young voting five times.
5-Lance Berkman
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Like Oswalt, Berkman was a great contributor for a long time. He played 12 years with the Astros, hitting 326 homers, driving in over 1,000 runs and batting .296. He was a five-time All-Star and finished third in MVP voting twice.
4-Craig Biggio
The Hall of Fame second baseball was a picture of consistency, playing 20 years, getting over 3,000 hits with seven All-Star appearances. His longevity made him the consummate Astro.
3-Nolan Ryan
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While many think of Ryan as an Angel or for his later exploits with the Rangers, the Hall of Famer pitched nine years in Houston and put up remarkable numbers despite a ridiculous lack of support. He made just two All-Star games but won 106 games with a 3.13 ERA with the Astros. His ERA never got above 3.80 for his entire tenure. He struck out an astounding 1866 batters in 1854 innings and threw one of his seven career no-hitters as an Astro. He also was an integral part of the first two playoff teams in Astros history. He led the league in ERA and strikeouts twice. An All-time great.
2-Jeff Bagwell
While Biggio got into the Hall before Bagwell, the first baseman was always the more dominant player. In a 15-year career, he hit 449 home runs, won rookie of the year, was named in MVP in 1994, played in four All-Star games, won three Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove. He led the team to six playoff appearances during his time with the Astros. His shoulder was shot when the team finally made the World Series in 2005, but he was a great player for a long time, and clearly the greatest Astro until...
1-Jose Altuve
No, this isn't a reaction to Saturday night's heroics. Altuve has been one of the best players in baseball for years. He has six All-Star appearances in his nine years in the league. He has won three batting titles - no other Astros has one - a league MVP in 2017, a World Series title, and now an ALCS MVP Award as well. He finished third in MVP voting in 2016. He has hit over .300 in five of his nine seasons, and just missed this year at .298. He has been the best player on a team that has made it to the ALCS three straight times, winning two and a World Series, and maybe another this year. He is likely a future Hall of Famer and will be tough to knock off the top of this list.
Just missing out
Justin Verlander might win a Cy Young this year and will certainly knock someone off this list when he reaches a third season with the team. His two-plus seasons in Houston put him on par with Clemens. He isn't slowing down and is a lock to be on this list. If he continues to perform at this level for the rest of his contract, he could easily crack the top five. As for honorable mentions, Mike Scott won a Cy Young and had a brief run of brilliance. J.R. Richard might have been the most dominant Astro ever, but his career ended too soon. Don Wilson was really good for nine years before his untimely death. Wynn and Cruz were the Astros best players when the team was not very good. Niekro was an underrated pitcher. Joe Morgan was terrific but in his 10 Astros seasons was merely an above average hitter and hit just .261; he thrived when he joined the Reds. Billy Wagner was a dominant reliever for a long time. Dallas Keuchel won a Cy Young and a World Series.
Current Astros with a chance beyond Verlander include Gerrit Cole if he re-signs and has more good seasons. Carlos Correa has been slowed by injuries but if he can ever stay healthy and re-signs with the team, he could be there at some point in the future as well. The current Astros team is the best we have seen, with three on the list and three more potentially making it. There's no surprise they are on an unprecedented run, and No. 1 on the list is the biggest reason.
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Are Awesome
The phrase most associated with the late former Oakland-Los Angeles-Oakland Raiders’ owner Al Davis was “Just win baby.” One has to think Al would strongly approve of the Houston Astros. Going to the fifth inning Sunday against the Mariners the Astros were facing a 3-0 deficit and staring at the prospect of being swept out of Seattle and having their American League West division lead slashed to just two games. Now after roaring from behind with 11 unanswered runs to take the series finale in the Emerald City, and then sweeping three games from the Diamondbacks in Phoenix, the Astros stand six games up with 60 games to go. So, if the Astros play just .500 ball the rest of the way (which would have them finish with 90 victories), the Mariners have to play .600 ball to catch them. If somehow the Astros are to maintain their season long win pace to the finish line they’d close with 95 wins, and the race is already over unless someone thinks the M’s are poised to uncork a finishing kick of 41-19 or better. It’s quite a pleasing perch from which the Astros survey the standings. Coupled with the freefalling Detroit Tigers having dropped nine of their last ten games, the Astros amazingly start this homestand sporting the best record in the entire American League. On the homestand they follow four games against the team with the second-worst record in the American League (Athletics) with three versus the team with the second-worst record in the National League (Nationals). I know, I know. There is fear of the Astros playing down to the competition, but that is not the way to look at it. A bad Major League team can beat a good team in a series at any time. If it happens it happens, but it wouldn’t mean it happened only because the Astros didn’t take their opponent seriously. This isn’t the NBA.
Trade deadline looming
Of course, It hasn’t been all good news with Isaac Paredes badly injuring a hamstring Sunday. Paredes could be back in three weeks (doubtful), he could miss the rest of the season. GET WELL SOON JEREMY PENA! Lance McCullers’s latest Injured List stint could be considered addition by subtraction for the Astros’ starting rotation. Whether impacted by his blister issue, Lance was lousy in four of his last five starts. So, one week from the trade deadline, if general manager Dana Brown has the ammo to get one deal done, where does he make the upgrade? The left-handed hitter everyone knows the Astros can use regardless of Yordan Alvarez’s status is a natural priority. With the Astros’ weak farm system it would seem difficult for Brown to put forth the winning offer for the top bats that could be in play. That probably rings even truer now, since if he wasn’t already untouchable, Brice Matthews may have cemented untouchable status by darn near winning the first two games of the Diamondbacks series by himself. Matthews is going to struggle mightily to hit for a good average if he can’t make notable improvement in the contact department, but the power is obvious, as is the athleticism in the field. The 23-year-old Matthews and 22-year-old Cam Smith (though presently mired in a three for 36 slump) are the clear (and right now only) two young shining beacons for the lineup’s future.
You can't have enough pitching
While Brandon Walter has been a revelation, a starting pitcher would make sense unless the decision is to hope Spencer Arrighetti and/or Cristian Javier can contribute meaningfully upon return to the big leagues, likely sometime next month. Going after a reliever or two may make more sense in terms of availability and transaction cost. Overall the Astros’ bullpen has been excellent, but Bryan Abreu is the only trustworthy right-handed option for Joe Espada. Back to Walter. Barely two months ago no way Walter himself would have believed he’d be where he is now. Nine starts since being summoned basically out of desperation, Walter has a 3.35 earned run average, and a stunning 13 to one strikeout-to-walk ratio with his 52 strikeouts against a measly four walks allowed in 53 2/3 innings. Walter has pitched fabulously in seven of his nine starts. He only has two wins, but that’s because in five of the six Walter starts the Astros didn’t win the game they failed to score more than two runs. Walter turns 29 years old in September. His only prior big league experience was 23 innings in relief with a 6.26 ERA for the Red Sox two years ago. The Bosox released him last August, the Astros signed him basically as minor league depth. Look at him (and the Astros) now.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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