Where the Houston Astros rank among MLB's all-time dynasties

Where the Houston Astros rank among MLB’s all-time dynasties

By Bill Felber | Nov 7, 2022

Nov 5, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Cristian Javier (53) and starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) celebrates in the locker room after the Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in game six winning the 2022 World Series at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

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Joe DiMaggio crosses home plate after hitting a home run in 1938; No. 4 waiting to greet him is Lou Gehrig.. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images) /

5. New York Yankees, 1938-1943

This was Joe DiMaggio’s dominant period. He won the 1938 and 1939 batting titles, and had his 56-game hitting streak in 1941, when he also won the RBI title.

The Yankees won the 1938, 1939 and 1941 World Series and, despite the loss of DiMaggio to the Navy, took another title in 1943. The 1938 and 1939 wins were both sweeps, over the Cubs and Reds respectively. They beat the Dodgers in five in 1941 and took down the defending champion Cardinals in five in 1943.

Even counting their 1942 World Series loss to the Cardinals, the Yankees were 17-6 against the best the NL had to offer for the six-season period. It should be no surprise, then, that they were 595-334, a .640 winning percentage, in those regular seasons.

4. New York Yankees, 1934-1939

Despite losing an aging Babe Ruth after the 1934 season, the Yankees rolled on. Joe DiMaggio arrived to join Lou Gehrig as forces in the middle of the lineup, lifting the Yankees to four straight World Series wins between 1936 and 1939.

How dominant were those mid-1930s Yankees? They won their four straight AL pennants by a combined margin of 59 games, only one team ever finishing within 10 games of their lead. The Gehrig-DiMaggio Yankees’ collective 592-332 record works out to a .641 winning percentage.

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