Ranking Five of the Astros’ All-Time Greatest Rivals

(Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /
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Houston Astros
Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Atlanta Braves

Just like with the Dodgers, the Astros and the Atlanta Braves were in the same NL West Division for 25 years. As soon as both teams left the NL West for different divisions, they became playoff rivals.

The Braves swept the Astros in the 1997 National League Division Series, beating them 3-1 in the 1999 NLDS, and capped it off with another sweep in 2001. After all three of those series, the postseason record between the two clubs sat at 9-1.

That’s embarrassing to say the least, but the Astros were not finished. They would bounce back in 2004 to finally beat Atlanta 3-2 in the NLDS, and a 3-1 victory in 2005, which included the iconic 18 inning game 4 clincher.

The rivalry went dormant until 2021, when the Atlanta Braves beat the Astros in six games in the World Series. There were no flares in this series, but as both clubs stay talented in 2022, don’t be surprised if there’s a rematch brewing.