3 reasons why Houston Astros should be World Series favorites
By Tim Boyle
2. Astros have experience not too many other clubs do
This year’s Astros team might look a little more different than some others that won the American League Pennant. Carlos Correa is no longer there. George Springer has been gone for several seasons already. Where has everyone gone off to?
There’s a nice machine working in Houston able to replace its stars rather quickly. Jeremy Pena has stepped in for Correa this year and been a big part of the offense. Although he doesn’t bring the advantage of experience, many other members of the Astros do.
Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman are still there. Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez, while a few years younger, got their taste of deep postseason action in 2021. Their fingers don’t have a ring on it. How’s that for some motivation on the complete opposite end of experience?
Fresh off a World Series loss, anyone who was with the team last year already knows the rigors of making it as far as they did. The trade deadline addition of Christian Vazquez brings some experience of his own during his time with the Boston Red Sox. The same could be said about Will Smith who helped take down the Astros as a member of the Atlanta Braves last October.
It’s unusual for a team to end a playoff drought and then win a World Series. Fortunately, there’s no drought in Houston. They are an easy bet for the playoffs every year and often a World Series favorite—something they are yet again this season.