MLB Playoffs: 3 teams most likely to win the 2023 World Series

The Houston Astros are looking to repeat

The defending World Series champions secured their spot in the postseason, and they are going to be a serious threat to win another title.

Last year, they had a rotation that featured Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Lance McCullers Jr. and Cristian Javier. They lost Verlander to the New York Mets over the winter and are currently without McCullers.

But General Manager Dana Brown made a key trade at the deadline to re-acquire Verlander from the Mets, making the Astros rotation that much stronger. The starting lineup of the Astros is very dangerous as well.

They have Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Jeremy Pena, Kyle Tucker, Chas McCormick, Yordan Alvarez, and others. The Astros are currently in second place in the AL West and are trying to lock down a Wild Card spot and possibly even chase down the Texas Rangers, who lead the division.

The Astros remain a strong World Series contender and could very well find themselves back in the Fall Classic this October. It would be their fifth trip in the last seven years and third consecutive trip dating back to 2021.

They certainly won't be an easy opponent to face this coming postseason. The Astros have quickly become a model franchise and are a threat to continue their trend of dominance. They've been the best team in baseball for the past several years for a reason.

They may have to do it as a Wild Card this year, but even so, they are a very dangerous ballclub.