Astros fans won't believe this bold ESPN prediction for second half

Despite all of the experts declaring an end to the Houston Astros' dynasty this past offseason, Joe Espada's crew appears to be doing just fine through the first-half of the 2025 season.

Heading into the start of the second half, the Astros owned a five game lead in the AL West. Both Hunter Brown (AL Cy Young) and Cam Smith (AL Rookie of the Year) are serious contenders for end of season hardware. At the moment, the times are quite good and MLB experts at ESPN seem to think that will continue through the second half.

ESPN recently put out their preview of the second half for each team. Those predictions included team playoff odds and current place in the standings. Not only did the Astros get top marks for their work thus far, but the experts at the World Wide Leader in Sports seem to feel very strongly that Houston is poised for another deep postseason run.

ESPN gave Houston a 96.4% chance to make the playoffs and a 9.2% chance to win the World Series. Only three teams — Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and Detroit Tigers — were viewed more favorably.

Astros are already considered among favorites to win it all after doubts over their offseason fade

What seemed to impress the experts more than anything else was how improbable Houston's run has been thus far. The Astros lost third baseman Alex Bregman to the Boston Red Sox in free agency, traded away Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs, and have been without Yordan Alvarez (who's been hurt) for most of the season.

Despite all of that, the Astros have thrived and it is entirely possible that we haven't even seen the best version of them yet this season. That is a good place to be in. ESPN was careful to note that things could go sideways with a bunch of games yet to be played against both the rival Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners; the latter being the bigger potential threat.

However, they also noted areas where Houston could get even more as the season moves forward. Alvarez should, in theory, return to the Astros lineup, and both Yainer Diaz and Christian Walker have historically been better hitters than what they have shown through the first-half of the 2025 season.

While most Astros fans wished that these predictions actually count for something, but they don't. The Astros still need to go out there and win games to get to where they want to go. That said, all signs point to Houston being in great position to do just that.

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