For all their faults, Astros have one trait they can bank on in MLB playoffs

Whether you believe the Houston Astros are inevitable or have just had the good fortune of being the best of the worst in the AL West this season, there is a certain quality in this team that is undeniable. They are equanimous.

Equanimous: having a calm, even temper and emotional stability, especially during stressful or difficult situations.

It is the exact defining word for this team, and has been for the past three years. It doesn't matter how many injuries they suffer, how big a comeback win they just had, or how big a blowout loss they just endured. They are unflappable. They kick dirt over it and move on.

It's an incredible and unusual trait in sports, often seen as an emotional event. Teams ride momentum, emotional highs when they are going well to continue to do well. These highs help them overpower teams, psyche them out, make their opponents feel like they are a team of destiny.

It works the other way too. When things aren't going well, begative energy creates a self-fulfilling prophecy of anything and everything that can go wrong will go wrong and will prevent them from success. The feeling of being cursed, that there is a greater power working against them and their fate cannot be escaped.

Neither of these situations apply to the Astros, who continue to demonstrate that they are always above the fray even when it seems they are not.

For three seasons the Astros have been buried in injuries, yet they continue to tread water or better. They have cycled through 19 different pitchers who have started a game for Houston this season. They have churned through 16 different outfielders this season. None of it matters.

They have overcome a horrific start that saw them 11 games under .500 on May 20th. Historically, being 10 games under at Memorial Day is considered "red alert". The Astros never panicked. Why? Probably because they had been there before.

Just two years ago, the Astros starting rotation was besieged by injury, and they started the season 12-24. They were 12 games under on May 8th after a loss to the New York Yankees. They didn't crash out, they rallied together to win 88 games and run down the Seattle Mariners for the AL West.

This team always knows it's worth, even when the rest of the world is trying to sell them at closeout prices. It's the reason why I coined the phrase in 2024 "Nobody gets off the mat like the Houston Astros" and use it frequently on my radio show Area 45 on 95.7 The Fan Houston. Because it's true.

This team doesn't look at losing as an indictment on them. They wash it off and come back the next day ready to go. It is a reflection of the character of the team, the strength of the manager, the surety of the player leadership. It is part of their culture.

So while there haven't been a lot of big winning streaks, and seeing the team get swept by the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend in two close games and a blowout can make you wonder if the Astros are out of gas, the most important ting to remember is this: they are equanimous.

It's a good word. You can stump your friends with it and sound smart. At the end of the day, nothing fazes the Astros. That is the biggest reason why they can overcome what they have, and why some people think they are inevitable.

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