2023 Astros ALCS Bound: 15 Interesting Astros Facts You Might Not Know

As the Houston Astros continue to defy the odds in sustaining on-field excellence, take a look at some facts you might not know illustrating how elite this era of Astros baseball has proven itself to be in the history of Major League Baseball.

1) The second best it’s ever been done—championship series style

By advancing past the Twins with a solid start from José Urquidy who delivered the closing blow in the divisional round, the Houston Astros now build upon their AL-record of six straight appearances in the American League Championship Series. Now that the Astros will appear in seven in a row when they face the Rangers in short order, they only trail the Atlanta Braves in MLB history, who in the 1990’s appeared in eight straight National League Championship Series.

2) Things just got awkward with the Silver Boot

For the first time in franchise history, the Astros will face the Rangers in the playoffs. With the Silver Boot already awarded to Houston this season when the Astros bested the Rangers in nine of 13 regular-season matchups, the question presents itself—if the Astros lose the series, should the Silver Boot be transferred back to Arlington? The answer may be yes. If one team beats the other in a playoff series, that accomplishment should supersede whichever team featured the better regular season win-loss record.

3) A first time for everything

The 2023 ALCS between the Astros and Rangers will mark the first time in MLB history that two teams based in the same state will face each other in a league championship series. The championship series in both the American and National Leagues began in 1969, and has occurred every year except 1994, when a player strike ended the season prematurely.

Additionally, though the Astros and Rangers have appeared in a collective six World Series, this upcoming matchup between the franchises marks only the second time the two teams have made the playoffs in the same year since 2015.