With a 3-0 win last night on the road against the Seattle Mariners, the Houston Astros capped off what has been a truly remarkable turnaround over their last 24 games. On June 18, the Astros were seven games under .500(33-40) and ten games back of first place in the American League West. Houston is now leading the American League West by the slimmest of margins.
Houston is now the second team in Major League Baseball history to go from being five or more games under .500 and 10 or more games back to being in first place in fewer than 25 games. They joined the “Miracle Braves” of 1914 as the only other team to accomplish such a feat. The Braves went from last place midway through the season to defeating the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series that year. The Houston Astros hope history can repeat itself more than a century later. Will the Houston Astros be able to keep up their high quality of play during the second half of the regular season?
Houston Astros Season Summary
On June 18 the @astros were 33-40 & 10.0 games out. Just 24 games later, they are now in first.
They're the second team in MLB history to go from being 5+ games under .500 & 10.0+ games back to being in first place in fewer than 25 games, along with the "Miracle Braves" of 1914. pic.twitter.com/oOb3BLtdQK
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) July 20, 2024
On June 18 the Houston Astros had a 10.8% chance to win the division and a 29.3% chance to qualify for the MLB Playoffs. Houston now has a 50/50 chance to win the division and a 63.2% chance to make the playoffs according to FanGraphs.
Houston(51-46) leads the American League West by a tenth of a percentage point over the Seattle Mariners. Houston has been paced by a strong offense this season. They are leading the league in batting average, ninth in home runs, and 10th in runs scored. Second Baseman Jose Altuve is eighth in the league in batting average(.308) and Left Fielder Yordan Alvarez is top 20 in the league in batting average, home runs, and OPS. Right Fielder Kyle Tucker has been sidelined since early June with a shin injury. He will provide the offense of the Houston Astros with a jolt whenever he is healthy enough to return to the diamond.
The pitching staff of the Astros has been average this season. They are 15th in ERA, seventh in ERA, and 12th in opposing batting average. Starting Pitcher Ronel Blanco is sixth in the league in ERA and seventh in WHIP while Closer Josh Hader is eighth in the league with 19 saves. Relief Pitcher Bryan Abreu is fifth in the league with 22 saves.
Houston’s Upcoming Schedule
The Astros play the middle game of their three-game set with the Seattle Mariners this evening. This will be a critical series as these two teams are separated by a razor-thin margin in the American League West race. Seattle leads Houston 5-3 in the season series. Both of these clubs are set to jockey for playoff position throughout the season’s second half. Lurking behind the Mariners and Astros are the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers. They are five games back of first place in the AL West.
The Houston Astros face another divisional opponent, the Oakland Athletics, for a three-game series beginning on Monday. Houston’s playoff chances looked bleak just a month ago, but are set up to make their ninth trip to the MLB Playoffs in ten seasons. They are seeking their third World Series championship in what has been a decade full of dominance. The offense and pitching staff must continue playing well in the second half for the Houston Astros to ensure their historic turnaround in the standings is not undone during a critical time of the year.
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