The True Underdog Success of The Astros

In the bottom of the ninth inning with an empty count, Corey Seager hit a weak ground ball to second base. It was fitting that the final play of the World Series was made by none other than Jose Altuve, the American League (AL) MVP who led the Astros from an extremely disappointing season to a championship one.

Though it is tempting to see Altuve as the driving force behind this success, it is actually because of a cultivation of five years worth of important actions. In 2013, the Astros set a franchise record for the most losses in a single season, finishing with a 51-111 record. Following that, they began to build one of the strongest and deepest teams over the past year, even without the massive budget of some of their top competitors.

Altuve wasn't the only major contributor to the team’s pennant win this year, but he was critical to the their success. Picked up as an amateur in 2007, he made his major league debut in 2011. Since then, he has turned heads for his short stature and strong play. His last two seasons have been breakout years, marking a new segment in his career. Last season, he led the league in hits and the AL in batting average, finishing in third for the AL MVP award. This year, he followed up on last years stats, topping the league in batting average and leading the AL in hits. As captain, he brings a style of play that promotes a much more relaxed and enjoyable style of baseball, rallying many fans behind the Astros this season.

The story of the Astros’ postseason success would also be incomplete without crediting George Springer. A leadoff hitter for most of the season, he was one of the Astros’ best at the plate, but didn’t reach his peak until the postseason. He hit six home runs in the postseason, three of them coming in the World Series. His power and reliability during the World Series were unprecedented, and he led the Astros with a .379 batting average and a 1.000 slugging percentage, stats strong enough to earn him the MVP for the World Series.

Springer’s success comes after three years of relatively mediocre performances since his debut in 2014. He was drafted in 2011 and was certainly not expected by the Astros to be one of their stars. Entering the MLB with a speech impediment, he spoke often about his low confidence at the beginning of his career. But he’s been able to push through his personal issues and even raise awareness. On top of this, he led the Astros to success in the World Series with numerous leadoff home runs. Both homegrown players, Springer and Altuve have developed together over the past six years and contributed heavily to the team's success.

The Astros’ homegrown talent extends beyond their hitting core. Over the past season, they have accumulated new pitchers while also transforming some of their weakers arms into stronger weapons.

One of the breakout pitchers this postseason was Charlie Morton. Prior to this year, he had been one of the weaker starters on a challenged Pittsburgh Pirates team. Not much was expected of him coming into this year; he had only one season with a winning record before. However, he defied expectations and delivered a strong 14-7 record, as well as commanding appearances in the World Series, most notably in Game 7. Dallas Keuchel, another homegrown player, was one of the strongest pitchers in the league over the course of the regular season. In the playoffs he struggled with consistency, providing some dominant performances in the ALCS and then some mediocre starts in the World Series.

But the most dominant pitcher in the entire postseason was Justin Verlander, a last-minute signing before the trade deadline. He struggled to regain his old dominance during the first part of the season. However, after he signed with the Astros, he delivered five wins on the mound without dropping a game. His performance in the postseason was even more impressive, shutting down the Dodgers, despite one loss. His signing in the fall rounded out one of the strongest pitching staffs in the AL.

This year’s success showed that an underdog team, even without a massive budget to spend, can become a champion in just a couple years. This season could blow away some teams’ notion that strict discipline is the only way to win, a principle many baseball fans have struggled with over the past few years.