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Dynasty. It's a word that gets thrown around in the sports lexicon too loosely these days. According to Merriam-Webster, a sports dynasty is defined as "a prolonged run of successful seasons." After enduring several 90 and 100-plus loss seasons, the Astros stuck with "The Process" and made the playoffs starting in the 2015 season. Although they missed the playoffs in the 2016 season, they finished with a 84-78 record and five games out of the wildcard spot in the American League. History was made in 2017 as they fulfilled Sports Illustrated's Ben Reiter's 2014 prophecy of winning the World Series. They lost the ALCS to eventual champs the Boston Red Sox in 2018 and are on the verge of winning another title this year.
Most dynasties are despised, hated even. The Warriors of the NBA and the Patriots of the NFL are the ones that come to mind when thinking of sports dynasties of recent memory. Both teams have a history of prolonged success in their respective sports. Both are also pretty much universally disliked for one reason or another. This Astros team (outside of the Roberto Osuna signing and Brandon Taubman controversies) have been pretty well-liked. Here's why I think they've been a likable dynasty:
Club Astros
A few years ago, "Club Astros" was born. It was a simple, yet fun and effective thing that helped appeal to the masses. After a win, a player would be the clubhouse DJ and play music. There would be special lighting to go along with the music. In 2015, when they started winning, Club Astros was discovered by the media. Fans got wind of this and immediately took to it. Social media played a large part of this. George Springer was/is usually the DJ.
Underdogs
In 2014 when Ben Reiter picked them to win the 2017 World Series, everyone thought he was nuts. The team had lost 92 game sthat season and their best player that season and the few previously was a 5'6 2nd baseman that was a slappy hitter. No one thought this team would do anything significant. However, they'd go on to bigger and better things. Jose Altuve and George Springer are the two holdovers from the previous regime that were building blocks for the title contender that they are now. Altuve was AL MVP in 2017 and Springer was World Series MVP in 2017. Who would've thought that was possible back then?
Humble...and cocky
While guys like Altuve and Springer have proven to be very humble in interviews, others (like Alex Bregman) have proven opposite. Bregman has been the red-ass that this team needed. The exception is that he can back it up. He's been one of the guys that can be arrogant, but will ball out. While I'm all for the the nice guy act, every team needs a dose of asshole. Bregman is the perfect dose.
Analytics approach
Analytics have been used in baseball more effectively and for a longer period of time than any other sport. The Astros have taken analytics to a different level. From shifts on defense, to spin rates when pitching, and the way they approach at bats while hitting, this team has truly taken a liking to and usage of analytics. How much you ask? So much so that they've been accused of cheating. Opposing teams/players have accused them of underhanded tactics because they've hand the upper hand when pitching, playing defense, and while hitting. They've simply used statistical analysis to their advantage better than most other teams.
Us vs all yall mentality
When Bregman saw a pitcher tipping his pitches and shared it with his fellow Astros, they were accused of cheating. When pitching coach Brent Strom transformed some unknown/forgotten about/or non-factor pitchers into killers, they were again accused of cheating. This team looks for different ways to gain an advantage over their opponents. If (when) they find something, they share it with one another. In the past, some pitchers and/or hitters would hold things to themselves. This team makes it a point to share the wealth of knowledge.Pitchers and hitters alike also crittique one another for added eyes on any potential advantages. For example: if Bregman sees Gerrit Cole tipping his pitches, he lets him know. Or, If Justin Verlander notices Yordan Alvarez is taking a bad approach at the plate, he helps correct it. They're the epitome of "us vs yall" in every sense of the phrase because everything is a collective effort.
This may seem like a homer type of article, but I've actually talked to other fans of other teams and they truly like and/or appreciate the Astros. Another common theme amongst other fans when it comes to the Astros is respect. Outside of the obnoxious Yankees fans that treated Astros fans like crap, other fans have thought of the Astros as a solid group of folks simply trying to enjoy rooting for their team. Other recent dynasties (the NFL's Patriots and NBA's Warriors come to mind) have been universally despised. The Astros have their missteps (the Osuna signing and Taubman debacle), but they've also found themselves getting out of fire of those situations relatively unscathed. Hopefully by the time most of you read this, the Astros are on their way to a second World Series title in three years. They're set up to compete for more over the course of the next few years. Here's to them staying a likable bunch of guys that can keep on winning titles while bringing pride and joy to Astro fans everywhere.
As we barrel toward Opening Day which is now less than four weeks away, so far it’s been largely a case of no news is good news at Astros’ spring training. Meaning no major injuries to key players, no controversies brewing. There are numerous question marks that can’t truly be answered until we get into the games that count, such as how will Jose Altuve fare as a left fielder. The most exciting thing to happen over the first week of Grapefruit League games would probably be the two-home run game from top prospect Cam Smith, he of the Kyle Tucker trade. Both came off minor league caliber pitchers, but so what. Smith turned 22 years old last Saturday, the ideal is that he forces his way to the big leagues by the end of this season.
A strong majority of players who go on to greatness in Major League Baseball get to the big leagues before they turn 23. I spoke to this with Astros-specific perspective this week during an episode of our Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. The ten greatest offensive players in franchise history as measured by Baseball Reference’s Wins Above Replacement metric are: Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Jose Altuve, Lance Berkman, Cesar Cedeno, Jimmy Wynn, Jose Cruz, Alex Bregman, Joe Morgan, and Bob Watson. Eight of those ten debuted in the majors at 22 years old or younger. Cedeno was 19! Morgan and Watson were 20. Wynn and Altuve were 21. Biggio, Bagwell, and Bregman were 22. That leaves Cruz and Berkman as the exceptions. “Cheo” debuted with the Cardinals and didn’t get to the Astros’ organization until he was 27. Berkman arrived at 23. He should have been up sooner but was backlogged in 1998 behind a fabulous outfield of Moises Alou, Carl Everett, and Derek Bell, with youngster Richard Hidalgo as the top reserve, while first base was manned by Bagwell in the heart of his prime.
The point is, special talents should be fast-tracked and/or fast-track themselves to the Major Leagues. There are numerous exceptions (team mistakes, late bloomers), but a very high percentage of eventual big stars get to The Show at a young age. Juan Soto, Bryce Harper, and Mike Trout entered at 19. Ronald Acuna Jr., Vlad Guerrero Jr., Freddie Freeman, and Jose Ramirez did so at 20. Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson, Mookie Betts, and Yordan Alvarez were 21. Not all tear it up immediately the way Yordan did upon his promotion in 2019, but rare tools and talents merit accelerated opportunity. The focus here is on hitters, but this isn’t a bad spot to note that among the four greatest pitchers ever to hurl for the Astros, only Randy Johnson was older than 22 when he started (25 as a notoriously raw and wild Montreal Expo). Nolan Ryan was a 19-year-old New York Met, Roger Clemens a 21-year-old Boston Red Sox, and Justin Verlander a 22-year-old Detroit Tiger.
This is not predicting mega-stardom or a plaque in Cooperstown for Cam Smith, but if the Astros have such a player in what is presently a lousy farm system overall, the odds overwhelmingly favor Smith being that guy. He should be ticketed for double-A Corpus Christi to start this season after having had just 96 at bats in single-A and 19 at AA in the Cubs’ system after being drafted last July. Should Smith excel with the Hooks, it’s not preposterous to see him getting to the Astros over the summer, especially given the shaky state of the big club’s outfield going into the 2025 campaign. Plenty of players have skipped over AAA. While Smith was drafted as a third baseman, unless the Astros grow offensively desperate enough to move Isaac Paredes to second base, Smith’s fastest path to Daikin Park right now might lead to right field. Coming off a relentlessly bad 2024, it’s make-or-break time for Chas McCormick. Chas is making three-point-four million dollars this season and turns 30 in April. If he is not a heckuva lot better this year, there is no way the Astros are bringing him back at an even bigger salary number in 2026.
Jacob Melton is another outfield prospect, but he’s already 24 years old and has yet to show any sort of elite hitting traits in the minors. Melton looms as a cheaper replacement for Jake Meyers in center.
Those who will ultimately be great only have time siphoned from their careers when not brought up as soon as reasonable. Of course there is risk of unfulfilled potential or straight up bust status. If early failure crushes a player, he wasn’t headed for greatness anyway.
On the upswing
Closing aside: a pinging endorsement for the Astros’ Annual College Classic Friday through Sunday. The reigning national champion Tennessee Volunteers and runner-up Texas A&M Aggies head the field. Rice, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, and Arizona fill out what is always an excellent six-team event. With gorgeous weather forecast through the weekend the roof should be open throughout. RIGHT?
The countdown to Opening Day is on. 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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