Breaking down the Astros record

Despite their six game winning streak the Astros still have the worst record in the American League. They are however, ahead of the Marlins and closing in on the Brewers. The transition to the A.L. has been a rough one and one has to wonder if the Astros record would be better if they still called the N.L. home.

That is a question that cannot be answered — but a breakdown of the Astros wins and losses to this point in the season provides some interesting data. For one, the early season schedule has been pretty brutal for the newest members of the junior circuit.

Of the Astros first 58 games, 39 have been played against teams with winning records. That means only 19 games (32.7 %) have been played against opponents with losing records. The Astros overall record is 21-37 (.362 winning pct.) They have been able to win a high percentage of games against the bad teams but have been anemic against the good teams.

The Astros are a ridiculous 4-28 against American League clubs with winning records.

Jose Veras and Jason Castro celebrate a victory (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)

0-4 vs. Boston

1-2 vs. Cleveland

1-6 vs. Detroit

1-2 vs. New York

0-9 vs. Oakland

1-5 vs. Texas

On the flip side, they are 13-6 against A.L. teams with losing records.

2-1 vs. Kansas City

7-3 vs. Los Angeles

4-2 vs. Seattle

The Astros have played seven interleague games, going 4-3 against Colorado and Pittsburgh (both of whom have above .500 records). All three losses were by one run. Oh, to be back in the N.L.

This unwavering disparity is simply amazing. As the season progresses and the Astros play more games against some of the weaker teams it would stand to reason that their record will improve. Fangraphs agrees. Take a look at their projections for the rest of the season.

The Astros start a brief 3-game homestand tonight against the Orioles. Baltimore is currently 32-25, meaning the Astros winning streak is in serious danger.