2015 MLB Postseason Starts Tuesday; Astros to Visit Yankee Stadium

By Francisco Romero

The 2015 postseason final spot, a few sites and the best record in the American League were decided on the last day of the season.

Yes, all 162 games of Major League Baseball’s season are played for a reason.

On the 162^nd game of the season, the Houston Astros learned that they will be playing against the Bronx Bombers at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night’s wild card game.

The Astros claimed the second wild card in the American League.  

In some sort of way it’s a game with great significance, it’s a game that goes beyond the one-and-done wildcard game. 

In other words it’s in-with-the-new and out-with-the-old.

“The New Kids on the Block” Houston Astros is the greatest story of the 2015 MLB season; it was a must for them to be part of the postseason.

And yes, they belong there, along with the Royals, Cardinals, Dodgers, Blue Jays, Pirates, Mets, Cubs, Rangers and Yankees.

Every team in the field has special stories to tell and a unique path to the playoffs, but let me tell you a little bit about this Astros team and why it is so special:

• The Astros clinched their first postseason berth in 10 seasons.

• In 2013 the Astros finished the season with 111 loses.

• In 2015 the Astros finished the season with a record of 86-75 and a wild card berth in the post season, marking one of the most remarkable turnarounds in club history in what was manager AJ Hinch’s first season at the helm.
  
  

  Picture Courtesy of Houston Astros Baseball

• Carlos Correa, at 21, the Astros short stop has made a great case to be the American League Rookie of the Year.  An exciting, smooth and a superstar in the making finished the regular season batting .279, 22HR and 68 RBI’s.  He holds the franchise record for most homeruns in a season by a rookie.

• Dallas Keuchel, the 27-year old lefty, finished the season with a record of 20-8, 2.48 ERA.  He is the leading candidate for the Cy Young Award.  Keuchel had a perfect record of 15-0 at Minute Maid Park.

• Second baseman Jose Altuve is Mr. Consistency; the Venezuelan born player, finished with 200 hits for the season, becoming the 1st player in club history to record two 200-hit seasons (led the Majors with a franchise-record 225 hits in 2014).

• No-No, pitcher Mike Fiers, making his third start with the Astros, tossed the 11^th No-hitter in franchise history against the Dodgers on August 21^st.

• Slugger Evan Gattis is the 1st player since Dale Long (1955) to record 11 triples in a season without stealing a base.  The OF finished the season with 27 home runs.

• Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow (born in Mexico, City) was hired in 2011 and has built one of the best minor league systems in Major League Baseball.  The players he has developed have made a big impact in this year’s squad (Carlos Correa, Lance McCullers, Preston Tucker, George Springer, Vince Velazquez) and the Astros are not done, more young talent is expected to make its way to the majors in the future.  

These are only a handful of great stories and accomplishments by the Astros.The 2015 Astros season was marked by an exciting brand of baseball featuring home runs, aggressive base-running and youthful enthusiasm displayed by one of the youngest everyday lineups in the Majors.

Let the games begin.

Play Ball!