The Houston Astros climb from the basement to win their fourth consecutive division title

There are a few truths in life that remain unshaken, no matter how often they’re put to the test. One of those is Houston’s uncanny ability to claw their way to the top, no matter how deep the hole seems. This season, as the Astros captured their fourth consecutive AL West title, they reminded everyone that you can never count them out. It’s becoming as predictable as the Dodgers faltering come playoff time: Houston always finds a way back. As sure as death and taxes.

This year, the road to the division crown wasn’t a smooth one. By mid-June, the Astros were a full 10 games behind the Mariners, staring up from what felt like an impossible distance. The whispers were growing louder: maybe Houston’s golden era was finally over. It seemed like the dynasty was showing cracks.

We should have known better.

By late July, the Astros were suddenly leading the division again, surging with a sense of inevitability. They clinched their seventh division title in the last eight seasons on a Tuesday night in September. Minute Maid Park roared as Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, and Jason Heyward sent balls into the stands, each home run another step toward that 4-3 victory over Seattle. By the time it was over, Houston had its AL West title, and the champagne flowed in the clubhouse.

“All of them are special,” Joe Espada said, celebrating his first title as manager. “But this one is more special for me, obviously... I never lost hope.” For Espada, the celebration was personal. First-year managers don’t usually inherit a team that loses so many key players to injury, from Cristian Javier and Luis Garcia to All-Star Kyle Tucker. Verlander, the ace himself, was sidelined for months. Yet Espada’s confidence never wavered. “I knew we were going to find ourselves in a position to come and compete and win the West.”

The Astros aren’t just another team in the postseason mix - they’ve now punched their ticket for the eighth consecutive year. Only the Dodgers can claim that kind of consistency, but October baseball feels different in Houston. There’s an undercurrent of something bigger, something that starts with a playoff spot but ends with a World Series trophy. The Wild Card Series looms, with a No. 6 seed opponent, but this team has its sights set far beyond the next three games.

Bregman, ever the steady presence, reflected on the season’s grind. “I think we’ve gotten better over the course of the year each month,” he said, an echo of the team’s resilience. “As a ballclub, sometimes you have your best month early, and I think ours is still ahead of us.”

Heyward, the team’s latest addition, made an immediate impact. His two-run shot in the fifth inning sealed the win against Seattle and solidified his place in this late-season surge. “To be one of the guys that’s new to this team late in the year is a cool experience,” he said. “I’ll never forget it.”

On the mound, Framber Valdez wasn’t at his sharpest, giving up three runs in 5.2 innings, but it didn’t matter. The Astros’ bullpen, a reliable trio of Bryan Abreu, Ryan Pressly, and Josh Hader, locked things down. Hader fanned Julio Rodriguez for the final out, and the celebration was on. Espada, standing in the dugout, couldn’t hold back his tears. “I’m emotional because I care about this team. I love this team,” he said. “The fact we are in position to compete for another World Series is special.”

In the last inning, Yordan Alvarez, still nursing a sprained knee, sat next to Espada on the bench. He could sense the tension in his manager. “Breathe, we got this,” Alvarez told him, a moment Espada will carry with him.

The injuries, the early struggles, the 12-24 start to the season - none of it broke Houston. Verlander, who knows this team better than anyone, credited the culture in the clubhouse. “The players had a big part in that. Joe not panicking had a big part of that,” he said. “There was never a panic like, ‘We suck, what’s going on?’ It was always, ‘We’re better than this.’”

And better they were. Young pitchers like Ronel Blanco and Spencer Arrighetti stepped up, and when Yusei Kikuchi came in via trade in July, the rotation finally started to look like the formidable unit it needed to be. By mid-August, Houston’s lead was safe, and they never looked back.

Now, as October looms, the Astros are ready to show the world they’re not just a regular-season powerhouse. Since 2017, no team has played more postseason games than Houston, and this year won’t be any different. They’ve been there before, and they know what it takes.

“You just got to get your foot in the door,” said Hunter Brown. “That’s what we did. We’ve got as good a chance as anybody.”

The road to the World Series still goes through Houston, and nobody should be surprised by that anymore.