22.) Martin Machete Maldonado
Martin Maldonado is a bad hitter, and was worse than ever this year, with a .600 OPS and a 69 OPS+, but there was never a thought to get him out of the lineup. I guess in theory his defense is good, and his pitch calling and pitch framing are both well above average, but to me the real reason he was in there every day (aside from Christian Vasquez not doing much better) was he is absolutely one of the leaders of this team. He seems to be the crossover player from the five 2017 holdovers, and the newbies to carry this team in the future. Teammates love him. He has a great nickname, a great attitude, and someone who honestly can hit even less than he does, and we'll still love him for it.
21.) Chas McCormick's Weirdness
The back-half of the Astros lineup went through long stretches of badness, but with McCormick as its "leader" it went through stretches of greatness. McCormick was quietly one of the best four hitters for the Astros in the ALCS, with two home runs including a hilarious one that would have onyl gone out in Yankee Stadium, coming right after Aaron Boone got upset about the open roof in Houston. McCormick's weird stance, with half his back to the pitcher, ensures most of his hits are these stringy opposite field liners, which worked far more than it should. Of course how can we overlook the biggest moment of his career to date, his incredible catch to rob at least a double in the bottom of the 9th in Philadelphia. McCormick is in no way George Springer, but he is every bit a dependable, quirky, oddly powerful back-half bat that brought the Astros to this place.
20.) Game 1
The Astros have made it to the World Series 5 times, and are now 0-5 in Game 1s. Through four innings this seemed to be the start of a whole new Astros, but then came the biggest collapse in over a decade in a World Series game. Blowing a 5-0 lead, in just three innings, was bad enough. Having it happen to Justin Verlander, who was trying to win his first World Series game and was great through three innings, made it worse. Making Kyle Tucker's majestic pair of home runs an afterthought was another depressing development. The back half of the game was played with flame throwing reliever after flame throwing reliever culling rallies before they could start, getting us all intimately familiar with the various relievers that would make their presence repeatedly known over the series. It ended with the Phillies stealing a win doing what they do well (Realmuto home run) and what they generally don't (Castellanos's sliding catch saving a certain Astros walk-off win). In the end, other than the doubts it put in my mind for 24 hours, it was a memorable start to an incredible series.
19.) Trey Mancini's Story
To put it bluntly, Trey Mancini's run in Houston has been awful. He had a great start, including multiple home runs in his first few games in Houston, but then went into a terrible slump, and started the postseason 0-18, generally looking helpless. Even if he did nothing, it was still great to see him win the World Series, after battling back from Stage 3 colon cancer which forced him to miss the whole 2020 season. He came back to play well in 2021, and then even if he was mostly a bystander up through Game 4 of the World Series, he was already set-up to be a great story. And then those last two games, with his incredible catch on a potential game-tying hit in the 8th inning of Game 5, having to play the field for the first time in weeks. Then in Game 6, he got his first hit of the postseason. The Mancini trade did not work, but it also did in these small, special ways.
18.) Cristian Javier's Brilliance
If you told me there would be a pitcher who in his two starts across the ALCS and World Series would pitch 11.1 innings, giving up just one hit, with 14 home runs, I would have easily said it was Cristian Javier. He is the most "unhittable" starting pitcher the Astros have, and he literally showed that spearheading the combined no hitter (more on that in a bit). Javier doesn't have the nastiest stuff, but his fastball/sinker/slider combo, all located perfectly, is just magical. Through the year, he had 12 K/9, a WHIP under one, and was generally excellent. The only real knock on him so far is not pitching deep into games, but when he is that good, it doesn't really matter.
17.) The 18-inning game
I've lived through an 18-inning game before, one that if anything was more heart-wrenching than that one. It was in the 2005 NLDS against Atlanta, up 2-1 and the last game at Minute Maid. The Astros tied the game with a crazy grand slam by Brad Ausmus of all people in the 9th, and featured Roger Clemens pitching out of the bullpen and a walkoff by Chris Burke. A lot of that is stuff that aged weirdly. This game was about as absurd, if for its inevitability of how no one would ever score. The fact that Jeremy Pena ended it was quite a foreshadow.
16.) Minute Maid Park coming back to Life
Winning the entire thing in Houston was such a blessing. I've watched the Astros win three ALCSs at home, in 2017, 2019 and 2021. All three were tight series against big bad AL East teams. This was different, this was getting that bandbox the ultimate prize. The Astros were able to turn Minute Maid even louder this time. I still don/t know if it has ever reached the raucous heights it did in 2005, but this came close, particularly Yordan's home run, and of course every single pitch of that 9th inning. Bury me in the sound of Minute Maid Park at its loudest.
15.) Kyle Tucker's steady brilliance
Kyle Tucker may end up with one of the most overlooked, quietest 2-hr world series games with his performance in Game 1, launching two beautiful home runs that should have set up the Astros for a win. He actually was fairly below par the rest of the playoffs, but his defense was quietly brilliant throughout. Kyle Tucker was drafted 5th overall in 2015, the last high draft pick the Astros would get as they worked their way out of their rebuild. It took him a few years but he's steadily now a fulcrum point for the future of this team, breaking out as Springer left. He hasn't matched Springer's postseason brilliance yet, but there's many more years to build it out further.
14.) "The Roof is Open"
The sweep of the Yankees deserves its own memory but this one is more about the Astros becoming the Yankees daddy through and through. Their ridiculousness to blame the open roof and having to deal with wind - of course something they do for 81 games a year when they play at home, in a little league ballpark. Aaron Boone, and moreso catcher Jose Trevino and starter Luis Severino complaining about exit velocities, and the unfairness of life and all of that. The Astros mentally broke the Yankees, and I for sure knew at that point that the series was over.
13.) The Phillies
One of the only redeeming aspects of the World Series that kept me sane, even through the madness that was the Game 1 collapse, was how redeeming the Phillies seemed. I've always had a soft spot for Bryce Harper, and the rest of that offense, from Schwarber to Castellanos, to even Jean Segura are all likable. Even their top pitchers were fun in a way, from the ongoing brilliance of Aaron Nola in recent years, to seeing Zack Wheeler finally succeed after a tough life in New York. The Phillies were a fun team, even if they shared way too many similarities to the 2019 Nats and 2021 Braves for me to truly be calm. If anything, that Game 3 in Philadelphia, seeing their fans and that crowd go insane for all five home runs was still kind of worth it.
12.) Enjoying TBS
There's a weirdness that until this year, in the years FOX had the AL Playoffs, the Astros made it to the World Series (2017, 2019, 2021), but in the years TBS did, they Astros lost in teh ALCS (2018, 2020). Particularly that 2018 series loss to the Red Sox, where the Astros outhit them but couldn't string together hits to save their life, soured me on the TBS setup for no real reason. Well, with this 7-0 romp through the AL, I got to experience them in a new way. The combination of Curtis Granderson, Jimmy Rollins and particularly Pedro, with Ernie are excellent. Them pulling in Carlos Correa randomly for a couple games was nice as well (I continue to hold no ill will towards him leaving). TBS's theme song even grew on me a lot over time. It is no MLB on FOX theme, but it is right up there overall.
11.) Jeremy Pena
This might be low, but in reality somehow the guy who won both the ALCS and World Series MVP is overshadowed by a bunch of other stuff. I do worry that this is a career highpoint, because honestly who knows if it can be topped. Certainly he may have better years, assuming he develops a bit more pitch selectiveness but man was this incredible. Just peerless defense (something he was always going to be strong at) mixed with surprising power and good contact, and a little bit of swagger. It was always going to be tough to come in and replace Correa who was always a postseason beast, but somehow he more than did that.
10.) Alex Bregman growing up
In 2017, Bregman was something of the Pena of that year, a young rookie who had a decent season with the bat but showed out with some incredible defensive plays. He was brash, young, with a huge future. He then exploded into being one of the best hitters in baseball over 2018 and 2019, including a runner up MVP season, but it was the 2020 and 2021 season, beset with injuries that sapped his power and at times has hand speed, that allowed him to grow a bit - grow as a person. The Bregman that was interviewed this posteason was more mature, a true leader - perspective changed from being a husband and now a father. It is odd the most adult thing about him is him continually saying in interviews that he was so overjoyed to "be playing a kids game", but that itself is a mature perspective hardened by years of ups and downs along the way.
9.) The Yankees Sweep
The Astros for all their successes have played a lot of long series deeper in the playoffs. World Series's of seven, seven, six and now again six games. ALCS wins of seven, six and six. But for once they took over from the jump, and just dominated a team - and it had to be the Yankees, the same team they squeaked by in 2017, and beat in six in 2019. That sweep was so fun because of its completeness, from basically a shutout in Game 2 if not for Framber's error, to 8 innings of 1-hit ball in Game 3, to giving the Yankees some life early in Game 4 before stealing their souls. Being in New York, getting to listen to WFAN harangue the team for hours on end. It was all just special.
8.) Framber
What more to say - twice Framber took the mound in critical junctions of this series. First after the Astros blew Game 1 in memorable fashion, and then in Game 6 with a chacne to lock the series down right there and not even give everyone a sniff of thinking it was 2019. And Framber was amazing both times. The Phillies had a good approach, generally forcing him to throw strikes, but Framber's curveball was spinning beautifully, adding up to a perfect performance in both. Personally, I thought Framber should have been World Series MVP, but even if he's not, he's locked down a place in Astros lore as the most trusted World Series starter.
7.) The Dominant Bullpen
The Astros completed the most dominant postseason by a bullpen ever, with a sub-1.00 ERA over 70+ innings. They were as dominant as the numbers made it seem, from the jump of taking over for a bad Verlander in Game 1 in the ALDS, to the 12 innings in relief in Game 3 of the ALDS, to the entire Yankees, to limiting the Phillies to two runs total in teh World Series. It was incredible, and also so foreign. Don't get me wrong, the Astros have had seemingly great bullpens before, but from Brad Lidge's meltdown in 2005 (multiple times), to Ken Giles and Chris Devenski struggling throughout 2017, they were never "lockdown." Well, they were the definition of it this time, and it was so damn calming and reassuring to know they wouild go out and throw straight flames for inning after inning this time around. My cap to you, Hector Neris, Francisco Montera, Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly.
6.) Yordan the Great
It had to be Yordan who put the first touch and last touch with his majestic, "gone the second its hit" home runs. He made history being the first man to whit a walk-off home run with his team trailing by more than one in a playoff game in the first game. And he made further history by being hte fist man to hit a home run that damn beautiful in the World Series capper. Yordan Alvarez is arguably the best move the Astros ever made, picking him up on a whim for Josh Fields, and him turning into one of the best, most complete, most peerless hitters in baseball. They signed him up long term earlier in the season and he paid off already. What a player, what a beautiful, giant, startlingly good player.
5.) Game 5
Well, this was a far cry from Game 5 in 2017, still the greatest single baseball game I've ever seen. I to be honest it wasn't one that will live on in the minds of many, but that was such a great baseball game in every way. It had tons of guys on base nearly every inning, especially with Justin Verlander getting the monkey off his back fighting through baserunners. It had majestic home runs from Schwarber and others. It had good pitching on both sides. It had Jeremy Pena's home run to break a 1-1 tie that likely secured his MVP. It had Pressly putting out a Phillies rally with the help of an insane defensive play by Trey Mancini out of position, and of course had another Phillies rally ended with the great catch by McCormick. It had everything, and of course for me made better by the Astros ultimately coming out on top. It was just a beautiful game of baseball in every way.
4.) Justin Verlander's "Moment?"
Justin Verlander hadn't won a World Series game - had you heard about that? Now he has, doing the minimum in terms of outs to do it, but he has it. The weirdness is how little people talked about it until this year - though I think that has to do with (1) him having won a World Series and (2) having a litany of great playoff performances in other rounds. But in the end, it was a real issue, and it was great to see him get that win. After the series ended, he seemed far more emotional than I expected, but it made sense when he talked about his basically two years away rehabbing from Tommy John, and living at home becoming a better husband, father, person and ultimatley pitcher. If that was his final moment as an Astro, it was a perfect one. If he's back, then even better.
3.) Dusty Baker getting his Ring
I remember Game 6 2002, watching Dusty's Giants take a 6-1 lead in the game into the 8th inning and see the Angels steal it away in a flash, before winning Game 7. I remember 2003, when the Bartman incident and the Cubs collapse happened. I don't remember as vividly his exploits in Cincinnati and Washington where his teams lost in the playoffs in the NLDS four times, but I remember him consistently having to face that misery and be replaced, only for his replacement every time save Washington be worse. But now, he has his ring, the one achievement he hadn't yet reached. And he did it in a truly value-add way, providing security, calmness and a commanding presence when he took over in 2020, which has continued to now, and then becoming realistically a decent tactical manager. Dusty Baker was making the hall of fame long before yesterday, but now he's doing it with "World Series Manager" on his plaque.
2.) The World Series No-Hitter
The best part of the no-hitter to me was that if the Astros did end up losing the World Series, at least we would have that memory. It wouldn't replace winning it, and certainly having won it it's even better, but man was that an amazing game to watch. Javier did it already against hte Yankees in the regular season and you could tell he had it all going early. It was the ultimate statement, to go into a place where the Phillies hadn't lost all postseason, including the five home runs in Game 3, and no hit the Phillies. I get the idea that a combined no-hitter isn't as "cool" as a regular no-hitter, but any sort of no-hitter in the World Freaking Series is an incredible, three-times-in-multiple-lifetime's type achievement, and my team did it to regain the momentum that led to ultimately winning the World Series.
1.) The Dynasty to come?
The Astros aren't a dynasty. Two titles in six years, even with two other trips to the World Series, and two other trips to the ALCS (ok, I'm starting to shift to the other side even while writing this....) is not yet a dynasty. Specifically when the first title is, fair or not, tainted. But maybe this is more the beginning than the end. We talk about how just five guys are left from 2017, but at least three of them are still in their primes, and generally most of the people that have left from 2017 have been replaced adequately. A lot of this will come down to (1) can the young set of starters in Framber, Javier, McCullers and further out Luis Garcia and the likes stay healthy, (2) can Pena and McCormick continue to get better to supplement Tucker and Yordan as new superstars and (3) can the Astros continue to find a bevy of plug-in-and-out relievers. If they can do all three, they should be great for years to come. I might be getting ahead of myself, but somehow a six year run is nothjing more than finding a team's dynastic run at its middle, its peak, with eyes firmly fixed on the future. For the first time since 2018, I'm truly counting down the days to pitchers and catchers reporting again.
