They say it’s always darkest before the dawn, and if that’s the case, then the 2013 season for the Houston Astros was the darkest shade of black known to baseball-loving mankind. During that season, the Astros won 51 games, far and away the worst year in franchise history. Well, from those ashes a phoenix has risen, and in 2017, the Astros won their 51st game on June 24, a solid two weeks before the All-Star Break. Now, ask any baseball experts which MLB team is best positioned for long-term success, and the Houston Astros are on their short list. The Astros have a core nucleus of young franchise players in their twenties — Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, George Springer, Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers, to name a few — and a payroll that allows them flexibility going forward in locking up some of those pieces to long-term deals. Since the Houston Rockets won the 1995 NBA title, the city has been in a championship drought — but of all the local teams, the Astros have the best chance to break it.
This article appears in 2017 Best of Houston.