As strange as it may seem, the Houston Astros advancement through the postseason is a positive for Major League Baseball.
By all rights, the Houston Astros should not be in the postseason, let alone a part of the American League Championship Series.
They were easily the worst teams out of the eight entrants in the AL, finishing the regular season with a 29-31 record. However, due to the expanded postseason, and the provision that the top two teams in each division automatically advance, the Astros found themselves playing in October.
Once there, the Astros have gone on a tear. They have won five of their six playoff games, doing so in convincing fashion. They have dispatched two of the three division winners in the process, proving that maybe their regular season performance did not tell the full story when it came to their roster.
This success has also come to the dismay of virtually every other fanbase. The Astros have a giant target on their backs due to the fallout from AstroGate. While the manager and front office were punished, the general consensus amongst fans is that the team escaped with little penalty. The players, in particular, were unpunished, and have not exactly displayed any contrition.
This easily makes the Astros the villains for the playoffs. Fans are hoping to watch Houston get their comeuppance, to lose in humiliating fashion. Instead, the Astros continue to win, much to the continued annoyance of every other fanbase.
Houston’s ongoing success, however, is a boon for Major League Baseball. People are taking about the postseason, and about the Astros continued success. Those same people are tuning in, hoping to watch the Astros lose. It is a part of why people watch when the Yankees, Red Sox, or other hated teams are televised – they want to watch those teams go down in defeat.
Maybe this will be the round. Maybe it will be the plucky Tampa Bay Rays who take down the Astros and advance to the World Series. No matter what, people will be tuning in, hoping that this will be the time that the Astros train to the World Series is derailed.
The Houston Astros are marching through the postseason much to the dismay of most baseball fans. This is great for Major League Baseball.