Astros: What we as fans can be thankful for this year.

The Astros had another great season. They were essentially just a few innings away from another World Championship. There’s plenty we can be thankful for.

It’s the offseason, transactions are taking place and rumors are running rampant as the “Hot Stove” heats up. The media is feasting on speculation and trying to paint a dark cloud over the Houston Astros. Well, let’s just take a step back and look at the things we can appreciate and be thankful for as fans.

We can give thanks to our Cy Young Award recipient, Justin Verlander. Although it was a close race with teammate Gerrit Cole, Verlander earned that award with a spectacular season. After seeing him come in second last season in the CY Young voting, it was great to see him haul in the trophy this year.

Speaking of Gerrit Cole, we can appreciate what a pleasure it’s been to watch him pitch in an Astros uniform for the last couple of years. The record-breaking season he had was a rare thing to experience and we should be thankful for what he’s done for this team in his short stay here. Although, it sure would be great to see a few more years of him on the mound here in Houston.

How could we not give thanks to our Rookie of the Year, Yordan Alvarez? What an electrifying season Alvarez had breaking records of his own as a young 22-year-old youngster. We could be watching a superstar in the making and we can look forward to great things out of him for years to come.

When looking at things to be thankful for, we can’t leave out the runner-up to the American League MVP, Alex Bregman. We know he’s the MVP in our hearts here in Houston. He has gotten better season after season, and with his contract extension, we are ensured to even more greatness from him.

Let’s not forget to give thanks to AJ Hinch, Brent Strom and the rest of the coaching staff. Strom has been so influential in the success of the pitchers that are here and have come through this town and Hinch is the glue that bonds this team so tightly together.

I also can’t help but be thankful for Jim Crane, Jeff Luhnow, and the front office for seemingly always knowing what the Astros need to succeed. The offseason acquisitions they make and the late-season miracle trades they pull out of a hat each year are one of the reasons the Astros have won three straight division championships.

These are just a few of the things we can give thanks for as fans of one of the best teams in baseball. These aren’t the only players that make this team. There’s George Springer, the spark in the lineup, and then there’s Jose Altuve the heartbeat of this team. It takes a 25-man roster to make a successful team and every one of them played an important role.

So for today, let’s try to appreciate what a great team we have here in Houston. I don’t care what the media says or what speculations there may be. This is an extremely talented team with a lot of heart and that is what ‘s won them the trophies over the last few years.

Last, but definitely not least, we here at CTH greatly appreciate our readers and give great thanks for your loyalty and patronage. If it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t even be here. We wish all of you and your families a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.