The Astros are showing promising signs for the 2023 Major League Baseball season, with a 96.3% likelihood of reaching the playoffs.
The Astros belong to the American League West Division of MLB. In 2013, they shifted to the American League, after being a part of the National League for 51 years.
Originating in 1962 as the Houston Colt .45s, the Astros were expansion teams in the National League, along with the New York Mets.
In 1965, they changed their name to the Astros, coinciding with their move to the Astrodome, the world’s first domed sports stadium.
They remained there until the end of the 20th century before relocating to Minute Maid Park in 2000.
The Houston team has secured twelve Division titles and five pennants across both leagues. Additionally, they have clinched two World Series titles, the most recent one being in the season before.
Are Astros Out Of The Playoffs 2023?
The Astros have a 96.3% chance of making it to the playoffs and a 67.9% chance of securing their Division, as stated by Baseball Reference.
Their 2023 regular season commenced against the Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Park on March 30, complete with a celebration of their 2022 World Series victory.
Although they lost the initial game 2-3, they managed to draw the four-game series. The start of the season was sluggish, with only three wins in the first nine matches.
However, the 2022 victors picked up the pace later in the month, securing twelve out of the remaining nineteen games.
Despite a slow start in the following month, dropping five out of the first seven matches, the team managed to rally, securing fifteen out of the remaining twenty matches in May.
By the end of May, the Astros were trailing the Texas Rangers by three matches, with a 32-23 record.
June began and ended on a high note with a three-match winning streak, but there was a rough patch in between, with a 7-14 downturn, bringing their record to 45-37.
Despite this underwhelming performance, they were only four matches behind the Division leaders and in a good position for a Wild Card spot.
The following month saw a strong recovery, losing only two series and winning fifteen out of twenty-five matches.
July closed with the Astros just half a match behind the Rangers and one match ahead for the final Wild Card spot. This momentum continued into August, ending the month with a 77-58 record.
September was a roller coaster for the Astros, starting with a sweep by the Yankees at Minute Maid Park, followed by a sweep of their division rivals, the Texas Rangers, in an away series.
This victory propelled the Astros to the top of the American League West Division, putting them in a good position for the postseason.
They are now half a match ahead of the second-place Mariners and three matches ahead of the third-place Rangers.
Have The Astros Clinched A Playoff Spot?
The Astros have managed to make it to the postseason for six consecutive years, although they haven’t secured their playoff position yet. However, with over a 90% probability, it is highly likely they will.
Currently, they are leading the West Division of the American League, with a September 7 standing of 80 wins and 61 losses. Even if the Houston team does not win the Division title, they have a high possibility of entering the postseason through the Wild Card.
At present, the Toronto Blue Jays occupy the last wild-card spot in the American League. The Astros are leading by two and a half games over the Blue Jays, and there are twenty-two more games left in the season.
The Astros are about to play an away series of three matches against the Seattle Mariners, who are the runners-up in their Division. If the Astros win this series, they will almost certainly secure their thirteenth Division title in the history of the franchise.
Moreover, the remaining games on their schedule are comparatively easier than those of their Division rivals. Their remaining schedule strength is 0.485, which suggests a relatively easier path ahead.
Here is the upcoming schedule for the Houston Astros in September:
- September 8-10: Face off the San Diego Padres.
- September 11-13: Face off the Oakland Athletics.
- September 15-17: Face off the Kansas City Royals.
- September 18-20: Face off the Baltimore Orioles.
- September 22-24: Face off the Kansas City Royals.
- September 25-27: Face off the Seattle Mariners.
- September 29-30: Face off the Arizona Diamondbacks.
October:
- October 1: Face off Arizona Diamondbacks
Last Playoffs Astros Appearance
The Astros made it to the playoffs during the 2022 MLB season and emerged victorious in the World Series, beating the Philadelphia Phillies in six matches.
This marked the 61st year of the franchise in the major league and a decade since their switch to the American League.
Starting the season as the defending champions of the American League West Division and AL pennant, they aimed to make up for their 2021 World Series defeat to the Atlanta Braves.
The season began on a positive note for Houston, with a 3-2 win against the Los Angeles Angels at the Angel Stadium.
April was a turbulent month for the Astros, being one of the two months where they suffered over ten losses. Conversely, May was the most successful month for the team, with only eight losses out of twenty-nine games.
The regular season concluded on October 5 with another 3-2 victory over the Phillies, bringing their record to an impressive 106-56.
This achievement marked the fifth occasion the Astros secured a hundred wins in a season, and the fourth time in the past six years.
Securing the top seed in the American League, the Astros received a bye to the Division Series. Their opponents in the ALDS were the Seattle Mariners, who had beaten the Blue Jays in the Wild Card Series.
Houston triumphed over the Mariners in the ALDS, sweeping them and moving on to the American League Championship Series.
Here, they faced off against the New York Yankees and won the best-of-seven series in just four games, progressing to their fourth World Series in six years.
In the final series, the Astros competed against the National League champions, the Philadelphia Phillies. Houston prevailed in six matches, securing their second-ever World Series title.
What Is The Astros Magic Number 2023?
The Astros’ wild card magic number is 20 as of September 7, signifying that the Mets have a strong possibility of advancing beyond the regular season.
This figure is a measure of a team’s proximity to winning their division or securing a wild card spot. It means that the Astros are 20 wins or losses by the nearest competitor away from securing a playoff spot.
Whenever the Houston team wins a match, or their nearest wild card competitor loses one, the number reduces by one. Following a series sweep against the Rangers, the prospects for the 2022 World Series champions are bright.
Despite a limited number of matches left in the regular season, the Astros are well-positioned to win their Division. Nonetheless, a significant amount of games are yet to be played, and the outcome is unpredictable.
Nonetheless, if the team maintains their current performance, they are likely to secure a good seed in the playoffs. The Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers are the closest competitors to the Houston team.
The Mariners have a magic number of 23, while the Rangers have 26. This suggests that it is comparatively easier for the Astros to reach the playoffs than their divisional rivals.
Additionally, the Astros’ magic number to win their division is 22, the lowest in their division. This makes them the leading contenders for their third consecutive West title.
The determination of the magic number involved several steps:
- A Major League Baseball season consists of 162 games in total.
- The Astros have completed 141 games, leaving 21 games yet to be played.
- The Mariners, currently ranked second in the AL West, have finished 140 games, which means they have 22 games left in this season.
- The Astros have a record of 80 victories, while the Mariners have suffered 61 defeats.
- For the Astros to secure a Wild Card spot, they must end the season with a minimum of one more victory than the Mariners.
- As a result, the magic number for Houston to clinch the division is computed as 162 – 80 – 61 + 1, which equals 22.
Note: It is important to note that this calculation is specifically for clinching the division. A similar method was employed to determine the magic number needed to secure a Wild Card spot.