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Last year, when the Astros won the World Series, we did the top 20 Houston athletes. The Astros World Series championship truly expanded the field. With no titles but some strong performances, this year we offer the top 10 (rankings are based on 2018 performance in the calendar year against their level of competition. Make sure you keep that in mind before you complain):
10) Chris Paul
Chris Paul just sneaks in.
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesInjuries have kept him from moving up on the list, but Chris Paul has been a force when healthy. The sad part is he might be best known for an injury; the hamstring that kept the Rockets from beating the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. Just edges out another injury-riddled player, Ed Oliver of UH.
9) Jadeveon Clowney
Jadeveon Clowney is a force on defense.
Houston Texans/FacebookHis stats don't jump off the page, but they don't really do Jadeveon Clowney justice. He disrupts games and wreaks havoc on defenses. He also has a negative impact with penalties, which keeps him from being higher on the list.
8) Jose Altuve
Jose Altuve is still one of the best in the city.
Sean M. Haffey/Getty ImagesLast year's No. 1 battled injuries, but Jose Altuve was still one of the best in the game despite a slightly down year. Hard to ever envision a list where he is not on it, and this is about as low as you would ever expect to see him.
7) Deshaun Watson
Deshaun Watson is an emerging star.
Bob Levey/Getty ImagesAfter a slow start recovering from last year's knee injury, Deshaun Watson has become the franchise quarterback the Texans hoped he would be when they drafted him No. 12 overall. He has willed the team to victories several times, and the Texans are always a threat when he is in the game.
6) D'Eriq King
D'Eriq King was terrific as a runner and passer.
Photo via Houston Cougar Football/FacebookUnless you watched UH football this year, you might have no idea just how great D'Eriq King was. He threw for 36 touchdowns and just six interceptions in 10 games and rushed for another 14 touchdowns and 674 yards to go with his almost 3,000 passing yards. King's 50 total TDs was off the charts, and the team collapsed when he was injured late in the year. A dynamic player at a school known for dynamic quarterbacks.
5) J.J. Watt
J.J. Watt is back.
Steven Ryan/Getty Images
Unlike Clowney, J.J. Watt's impact does show up in the stats. With one game left, he has 14.5 sacks, 18 tackles for loss and SIX forced fumbles. After not playing for most of the last two seasons, dominating J.J. has returned. It's odd that the Texans defense has two players on this list and is not very good.
4) Justin Verlander
Justin Verlander was superb.
Bob Levey/Getty ImagesIn his first full season as an Astro, Justin Verlander was everything you expect a future Hall of Famer to be. He went just 16-9, but had 290 strikeouts and a 2.52 ERA and remains one of the most dominant starting pitchers in baseball.
3) Alex Bregman
Alex Bregman was a monster in 2018.
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesBuilding on his 2017 late season and postseason success, Alex Bregman was the Astros best position player in 2018. He hit 31 HRs with 103 RBIs and batted .286, but more importantly came up clutch all season long. The scary thing is he can get much better.
2) DeAndre Hopkins
DeAndre Hopkins is one of the best in the business.
Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesWatching DeAndre Hopkins this season has been a pure joy. He has been the best player in the NFL at one of the glamour positions and makes incredible play after incredible play. With a game still to play (and the playoffs), he has 103 catches for 1,425 yards and 11 touchdowns. A truly elite player.
1) James Harden
James Harden is the MVP.
Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty ImagesHard to argue with a league MVP at the top of the list. Harden led the Rockets to a remarkable season last year. While the team has struggled early this season, lately he has carried them. Might not hold on to this spot next year with some of the players behind him knocking on the door but hard to beat him in 2018.
How ceiling for Astros, rookie phenom may be higher than anyone imagined
Jun 19, 2025, 3:30 pm
Jose Altuve and Victor Caratini hit three-run home runs in a seven-run sixth inning and the Houston Astros had a season-high 20 hits in an 11-4 victory over the Athletics on Wednesday night.
THE GOAT LAUNCHES ONE!#VoteAltuve ⭐️ https://t.co/W06pfHQMR1 pic.twitter.com/iLGHl47ZQH
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 19, 2025
Framber Valdez (8-4) limited the A's to two runs and five hits in six innings to help the Astros win for the seventh time in eight games.
Altuve, Caratini, Jeremy Peña, Cam Smith, and Jake Meyers had three hits apiece, and Yanier Diaz and Mauricio Dubón each added two.
Cam The Man delivers!
6-1 Astros!#VoteCam ⭐️ https://t.co/W06pfHQMR1 pic.twitter.com/kpfgDCK3x0
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 19, 2025
Nick Kurtz hit a double and scored on a single by Austin Wynns to give the Athletics a 1-0 lead in the second. The 22-year-old rookie had a solo homer in the ninth.
Dubón hit a leadoff homer in the third inning and Peña's RBI single off starter Luis Severino (2-7) in the fourth made it 2-1.
The Athletics had a four-game win streak snapped Tuesday with a 13-3 loss to Houston.
Key moment
Tyler Ferguson replaced Severino to start the sixth and gave up a single to Meyers before Dubón grounded into a 4-6-3 double play but Peña followed with a single, Isaac Paredes followed with a walk and Altuve's three-run shot sparked Houston's seven-run sixth that made it 9-1.
Key stat
The Athletics gave up three home runs and have yielded a major league-leading 113 this season, sixth most before the All-Star break in franchise history. The A's are on pace to allow 247 homers this season and shatter the franchise record of 220 set by the 1964 Kansas City A’s.
Up next
Houston's Colton Gordon (2-1, 4.70 ERA) was scheduled to pitch Thursday against Jacob Lopez (1-4, 4.80) to wrap up the four-game series.