Houston Astros Surge Towards Playoff Contention with Impressive Streak

The Houston Astros' season is showing new life!

Written off in mid-May, Houston has now reached .500 for the first time this season after a commanding 7-1 home victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday, making them the hottest team in the league.

The Astros have won seven consecutive games, which is the longest current streak in MLB.

Since May 9, no team has matched the Astros' 27 wins, and only the Cleveland Guardians have a better win percentage (.675), according to FanGraphs.

This remarkable turnaround has been fueled by significantly improved pitching. During Houston's dismal 12-24 start—their worst in a decade—the Astros' pitchers had an earned run average (ERA) of 5.05, ranking third-worst in the league.

However, over their last 43 games before Wednesday, they have recorded a 3.31 ERA, ranking second in MLB.

Astros rookie pitcher Spencer Arrighetti showcased his best performance of the season in the 7-1 win over Colorado.

Entering the game with a 6.36 ERA, including a rough 7.53 in June, Arrighetti pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out ten batters on 89 pitches, 70 of which were strikes.

The Astros ' hitting has remained consistent throughout the pitching staff's ups and downs.

In their first 79 games, Houston ranked 13th in the league in runs scored (360) and first in team batting average (.263).

Despite this resurgence, history suggests a tough road ahead for the Astros.

After their loss to the Yankees on May 8, Stathead noted that only three teams have made the playoffs since 1901 after starting 12-24 or worse in their first 36 games.

The Astros are 12-24, their worst start in ten years.

Only three teams since 1901 have made the postseason after winning 12 or fewer of their first 36 games, and one of those three came during the strike-shortened 1981 season. 👀 pic.twitter.com/tYSuqRTqqi

— Stathead (@Stathead) May 9, 2024

Currently, the Astros are 4.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners (46-37) for first place in the AL West and three games behind the Kansas City Royals (44-38) and Boston Red Sox (43-37) for the league's final wild-card spot.

While their early-season struggles seem like a distant memory, the Astros still face a significant challenge in securing their eighth consecutive playoff appearance.