HOUSTON – Why they will:
Jose Altuve: Houston's second baseman is the best in the game. A front-runner for the Most Valuable Player award this season, Altuve claimed his third batting title in the past four years. He also led the league in hits for the fourth consecutive season, becoming the first player in baseball history (yes, you read that right) to lead the American League or National League in hits outright in four consecutive seasons. Altuve's on-base skills help the Houston offense get going.
Why they won't:
Jose Altuve's playoff struggles: Altuve has very little postseason experience, but in the six games (one against the Yankees in the 2015 Wild Card Game and five against the Royals in the 2015 ALDS) he has played, he has only four hits and one walk in 26 at-bats. He also hasn't recorded any extra-base hits in his limited playoff experience.
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Why they will:
Batting lineup: Houston's batting lineup is especially lethal this season. The Astros hit 238 homers (second to the Yankees' 241) while also accounting for the fewest strikeouts. Houston scored 896 runs this season, the most in baseball. Houston's 346 doubles, 1,581 hits, .282 avg., .346 obp., 2,681 total bases and 604 extra base hits are all MLB bests.
Why they won't:
Pitching: It's hard to knock anything Houston does offensively, so here we take a look at the pitching metrics to level out the argument. Houston's 4.12 ERA is 11th best in baseball, almost a full run worse than Cleveland's league-leading 3.30 team ERA. The Astros got 67 quality starts from their starters this season, 18th best in MLB. Boston had 88 quality starts, second most in baseball. Astros pitchers have walked 522 batters, which lands them exactly in the middle of the pack, 15th in the league.
Why they will:
Pitching: Houston's pitching staff has struck out 1,593 batters, the second most in baseball to Cleveland's 1,614 strikeouts. Opposing batters are hitting .240 against Astros pitchers, the sixth best average against number in the league. The Astros staff has allowed 1,314 hits this season, the third-best mark in the American League. Justin Verlander has been exceptional since Houston traded Detroit at the end of the trade deadline this season. Dallas Keuchel provides another former Cy-Young Award winning pitcher at the top of Houston's rotation. Brad Peacock, Charlie Morton, Colin McHugh and Lance McCullers also provide depth and matchup possibilities for the Astros.
Why they won't:
Carlos Beltran: Beltran is in the midst of the worst offensive campaign of his illustrious career. While he's most likely headed to the Hall of Fame at some point, we can't help but wonder if Beltran will be able to regain his magical playoff form that Houston remembers. Beltran is a career .323 hitter in the playoffs. He holds that mark with 235 plate appearances and 55 games of playoff experience. The only problem is, Beltran hit .231/.283 during the regular season. He played in 129 games for the Astros this year and had 509 plate appearances. He is the obvious weak link in a lineup that includes Altuve, George Springer, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman, Yuli Gurriel and Josh Reddick, among others.
This Week's Cover: @astros
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 25, 2014
Your 2017 World Series Champshttp://t.co/ikbbeb2Cxh by @SI_BenReiter pic.twitter.com/OY1v0Yei8S
Why they will:
Sports Illustrated: This SI article (from 2014) said so.
Why they won't:
Sports Illustrated: Will the cover jinx the 'Stros?
