The Astros WILL Make the Playoffs in 2015

Sep 10, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; The Houston Astros celebrate after defeating the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Houston defeated Seattle 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

On an earlier article of mine in December, I said the Astros would be playoff contenders this season. I’m going to take it a step further than what Jim Crane said recently, and officially say that the Houston Astros will be in the 2015 Playoffs. I ended that article stating if the Kansas City Royals could make a World Series run in 2014, then why couldn’t the Astros be a playoff team in 2015?

I was confident when the team upgraded the bullpen and shortstop, but to then see them upgrade third base and claim another big power bat set my expectations higher than most. It doesn’t help seeing articles claiming the Astros to be the 2015 surprise team of the year, but my optimism is at an all-time high.

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There isn’t a weak spot on the team now. Yes, some people might not agree with Colby Rasmus being on the team, but he is a legitimate MLB player. You now see players at the AAA level again because there is simply no room for them on the 25-man roster, and that is a great problem to have.

I know we’re all excited this year as fans to see how the team does, along with some anxiety just waiting for the season to start. But we aren’t the only ones excited. At the Bloggers Roundtable, you could see and feel the excitement coming from Reid Ryan, Jeff Luhnow, and A.J. Hinch. They might not come out and state that they expect the Astros to be in the postseason, but you can tell that they feel it.

And I know for a fact that Jeff Luhnow is thinking along the lines I’ve been thinking, as well as most people covering the Astros are: there will be a lot of runs scored. He confirmed these thoughts at the Bloggers Roundtable. With that said, let’s look at three reasons why the Astros will be in the 2015 Postseason.