How The Houston Astros Have Made Seven Straight ALCS Appearances

Baseball fans may not realize that the Houston Astros have one of the most impressive current streaks in MLB history. They’ve qualified for seven straight American League Championship series, which is something no team has ever achieved. We’ll take a look at what has made them so good for so long.

It’s hard to look past the nucleus Houston has relied on at second and third base. Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman have been along for the entire ride, and will one day have their numbers retired by the franchise. The two have come up with many clutch postseason hits, but are also sensational defensively.

Altuve’s exploits were touched on a bit earlier, but his impact during the Astros’ run can’t be overstated. He may not look the part of an imposing athlete, but Altuve’s ability to make contact at the plate gives opposing pitchers fits. He doesn’t usually beat himself, and is a good bet to get on base when he’s due up at the top of an inning.

Houston has done a great job of bringing in some of the best pitchers in MLB to bolster their standing. To their credit, the likes of Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke have all delivered when the stakes were at their highest. Many pitchers flop when the lights get bright, but the Astros are great at identifying hurlers who rise to the occasion.

The Astros were outbid for George Springer’s services ahead of the 2021 season, which many thought might be the beginning of the end for Houston. However, stud prospect Yordan Alvarez has become one of the best hitters in baseball. He’s hit at least 27 home runs in each of his four full MLB seasons.

In addition to finding the very best mercenaries for their rotation, Houston has also done a great job developing pitching talent at the minor league level. Framber Valdez has been fantastic for the Astros in recent years. His 2022 postseason performances against the New York Yankees in the ACLS and Philadelphia Phillies in World Series were dominant.

Of course, it’s hard to bring up the Astros run without addressing the allegations that they cheated their way to a World Series title in 2017. Houston was accused of having staff members bang a trash can in the outfield to communicate which pitches were coming next. MLB suspended manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow for the entire 2020 season as a result.

Many franchises would’ve folded under that type of scrutiny, but Houston continued to prosper under different leadership. They hired veteran skipper Dusty Baker as their new manager in 2020, and James Click took over as general manager upstairs. Houston really hasn’t missed a beat since, as their culture has withstood turbulence over the years.

Because they’ve been so successful, the Astros have had the luxury of coasting into the playoffs after locking up the division early. In 2023, that was not the case, as the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners hung tough until the final weekend. Houston was still able to come out on top in the American League West despite the added challenge.