.Heading into the season, it seemed like the Houston Astros were the strong favorites to repeat as World Series Champions. I’ll admit that I was one of those guys. You re-sign Altuve to a absurd contract along with a big free agency acquisition in Gerrit Cole, it seemed like the Astros were going to be headed back to the World Series.
Two months into the season has shown that in the MLB, defending the championship is difficult. Yes, it’s early June but there’s some things that concern me with this team. You’ve got the offense hitting above the league average, but there’s no run support when you need it. The starting rotation may be one of the best in the league, but the relief pitchers have had a hard time getting into a groove. That combined with playing some of the top teams in the league in the last week has shown some weak spots in their game.
You can also look at the AL West being a little bit more competitive than it was last year. In the magical 2017 season, it seemed like Houston was going to win the division crown before the calendar flipped to August. Now, you’re seeing the Seattle Mariners be alone on top after June 1st for the first time since 2003. Add that to the Red Sox and Yankees returning to the forefront of the American League, the road back to the World Series is going to be a very tough one.
-Clint Domingue