The AL West runs through Houston once again.
The Astros won their fourth consecutive division title after defeating the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Tuesday. Houston is also locked into the No. 3 seed in the American League portion of the postseason with the victory.
Houston has dominated the division, winning seven of the last eight AL West crowns since 2017. The Oakland Athletics won it in the shortened 2020 campaign.
Houston struggled in the first few months of the season, falling 10 games behind the Mariners with a 33-40 record in mid-June.
General manager Dana Brown said he was confident things would turn around after the slow start.
“We’re built to win,” the GM told MLB Network after Tuesday’s victory.
The Astros are the first expansion-era team to start a 162-game season 7-19 and make the playoffs, according to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome. They’re also just the fourth team to make the playoffs after losing 24 of their first 36 games and the first to do that since 1989, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com.
The Astros join the Yankees, Guardians, and Orioles on the AL side of the playoffs.
