The Astros dynasty run — 2017 through 2023 — was one of the best stretches in modern baseball. But father time is undefeated and this roster is aging.
Who's still here:
- Yordan Alvarez — locked up long-term, still mashing. The best pure hitter in Houston since Bagwell.
- Kyle Tucker — the silent superstar. Does everything at an elite level without anyone outside Houston noticing.
- Framber Valdez — the ace. His ground ball rate is elite and he eats innings.
Who's gone:
- Verlander, Altuve's prime, Bregman, the 2017-era bullpen. The names that defined the run are either retired, traded, or diminished.
The farm system: Dana Brown has restocked the minors faster than anyone expected. The pitching pipeline is legitimate. Two top-50 prospects on the mound side.
Minute Maid Park reality: The train doesn't run as often as it used to. Attendance dropped 12% from the 2022 peak. But a playoff push in September will fill those seats again. Houston is a front-runner town and that's fine.
Prediction: Competitive through 2027, then a 2-3 year retool. Not a rebuild. This front office doesn't tank.
Source: Baseball Reference, FanGraphs prospect rankings, Houston Chronicle attendance data
The 2017 thing will follow this franchise forever but the 2022 title was clean and dominant. That squad was the best team in baseball and proved it.