The Houston Astros have the AL West title all wrapped up, but securing home field advantage in the playoffs is still on their to-do list.
Welcome to the best time of the year for Major League Baseball! We are officially under two weeks away from the postseason, and while many teams have clinched playoff berths there are still major implications remaining. For the Houston Astros there is one final thing at stake, and that is beating out the Cleveland Indians for home field advantage.
As it stands, the Indians hold a two-game lead over the Astros heading into the final nine games of the season. It’s undeniable that the recent domination of the Indians is a threat to everyone else in the American League playoffs. According to Sports Illustrated, since the introduction of the Wild Card to the postseason in 1995 the team that has clinched home field advantage has made it to the World Series 16 times, and only six have not.
The road to the World Series for the Houston Astros can play out in a few different ways. If the team does not beat out Cleveland for the top overall seed in the American League they will be forced to play host to the Boston Red Sox. On the year the Astros have only played the Red Sox three times, and dropped two of three at Minute Maid Park earlier in the season.
Wildly enough, the Astros will travel to Fenway Park to end the regular season with a three-game set. If the Astros cannot overcome the Indians they will be booking their hotel for an extended stay when they travel to Boston, as they will be playing them in the Divisional Round later that week.
As for the remaining scenarios, let’s allow our imaginations to run wild. Assuming the Astros clinch home field advantage they will then play host to the winner of the American League Wild Card Game, which as of now consists of the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins.
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On the year, the Astros have dominated the Yankees, winning five of seven and doing so easily. The biggest upside to this potential matchup is the Astros hosting three of five inside Minute Maid Park, and while they have played their best baseball on the road this season it could make for an easy series.
As for the Minnesota Twins, the Astros have played them in two series this season, taking five of six. Overall, the Astros want to have the easiest opponent possible as they gear up for what could be an electric American League Championship Series against the red-hot Cleveland Indians.
This is what I have been talking about all season long, and while the Indians have emerged as a threat to Houston out of nowhere, it’s going to make for incredible television as you have the first and second half of the season’s favorites possibly going toe-to-toe.
While speculation is fun, there is a lot that will have to happen to see the Astros and Indians compete on one of the game’s grandest stages, and both teams still have to worry about American League royalty in the Yankees and Red Sox.
The Astros are finalizing their starting rotation and getting their big names back just in time for the playoffs. It’s safe to say that it is officially time to kick back and enjoy what we have all been waiting for since the gates opened on Opening Day: the march to the Fall Classic.