The 10 best MLB teams of the now-concluding 2010s
By Bill Felber
The 10 best MLB teams of the now-concluding 2010s
2. 2017 Houston Astros, 18 points
Houston’s 101 regular-season victories were just one fewer than the AL-leading Cleveland Indians. But the Astros cruised to the AL West title by an imposing 21 games and featured a deep offense led by American League MVP and batting champion Jose Altuve (.346), third baseman Alex Bregman and outfielder George Springer (34 home runs).
With a 123 OPS+, that offense was baseball’s best.
The pitching staff was not as deep, at least not until a waiver deadline deal brought Justin Verlander over from Detroit. Verlander went 5-0 across the season’s final month, joining with veterans Dallas Keuchel and Charlie Morton to solidify Houston’s three-deep playoff rotation.
In that post-season, the Astros eliminated Boston in four games, then prevailed in a tense seven-game American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees. Morton shut out the Yankees 4-0 on three hits in the deciding contest.
That earned Houston the right to make its first World Series appearance since moving to the American League. Pitted against the National League champion Dodgers, they prevailed in seven thanks to Springer’s 11 hits and seven RBIs. Verlander lost his only decision, but Morton held the Dodgers to a single run in the seventh game in Los Angeles.