HOUSTON – Here we are in early June, and the Astros, with not even 60 games under their belts, have shown that they are the juggernaut in Major League Baseball.
The Astros, after a 4-4 start, are now 41-16 through their first 57 games.
They have dominated in all phases, and now, beginning with a road stop in Kansas City, are 13.5 games ahead in the American League West.
After Sunday’s sweep in Arlington over the Rangers, manager A.J. Hinch was on cloud nine when describing the mindset and approach of his baseball team.
“I love the makeup of this team and the resolve of this team. Nobody who we play and where we are, we have a good vibe going,” said Hinch.
The Astros all-time record for wins is 102, and at this pace not only will they reach that mark, they have a very good chance of shattering it later this summer.
Then there is the topic of the all-time major league wins record and are the Astros in line for that?
The simple answer is yes.
The 2001 Seattle Mariners won 116 games, tying the 1906 Cubs. The 1998 Yankees were close as well, finishing with 114 wins.
The Astros need to stay the course and stay healthy to have a shot. They’ve got all of the pieces to the puzzle in place with great pitching and an offense that is averaging over six runs a game on the road this season.
That’s a staggering number rarely seen in Major League Baseball. Keeping up that pace will be a difficult challenge as the dog days of summer arrive.
Staff ace Dallas Keuchel has returned to the Cy Young form he had back in 2015. He’s off to a 9-0 start with a 1.67 ERA that leads the majors. Add in a nice start for Lance McCullers, who is 6-1 on the year, and the starting rotation is more than holding its own.
At the plate, the offense has been routinely putting on a clinic and doing so with the home run in mind.
The Astros, entering the series with the Royals, have belted a Major League-leading 90 home runs.
George Springer, thanks to a recent surge, leads the team with 16.
On their current 10-game road winning streak, the Astros have hit 25 out of the park.
Now that the Astros are winning big, it’s time for Astros Nation to show up and fill Minute Maid Park, beginning with this next homestand that includes the Angels and Rangers.
“This team continues to show up every day with a great will to win,” said Hinch after sweeping the Rangers. “We take the aggressive approach and have done a lot of damage.”
Will this be the season that the Astros clear that hurdle and get back to the World Series and win it all?
There’s a lot of baseball left, but the early chapters of this Hollywood script are looking good.
