The Astros are Back in the World Series. Can They Get it Done in Four Games?

Haters gonna hate. The World Series is coming back to Houston for the third time in the last five years. Against all odds, the Astros overcame adversity.

The Astros were able to defeat the Red Sox, after a season marred by public outrage over their infamous 2017 cheating plan. Houston’s continued success in the aftermath of the scandal that tainted their reputations serves as a reminder of an undeniable fact that is both obvious and of no consolation to anyone who sees them as the ultimate baseball villain: they are a really good baseball team. They’ve always been.

“Our motivation,” Astros star Carlos Correa said on Fox Sports 1 after Friday’s game, “is to show the world how good we really are.”

The Astros were booed and jeered relentlessly everywhere they went, incurring the fury of fans throughout the country who were unable to attend games last season because of pandemic restrictions. Since the revelation of their cheating came in November 2019, the Astros have been despised, and nobody will let them forget it in 2021, but this time, they showed the world what they are made of.

They dominated the American League West the entire season, finishing the regular season with 95 wins. They topped the major league in runs scored and batting average. They struck out less often than anybody in the sport. They are one of the most consistent teams in history. Now, it’s their turn to change the tide of the sport, and consolidate them as one of baseball’s finest. 

The Astros played like a club that deserved to be in the World Series. They may never be liked again or even respected. But they should be recognized for what they are: a fantastic baseball club. Now, it’s their chance to win the World Series, and bring back a trophy that hasn’t been won in Texas since the 2017 season.