MLB insiders foolishly disrespect Astros in ESPN playoff threat rankings

If you didn't dislike ESPN already, be prepared to do just that after seeing how utterly disrespectful the panel of Major League Baseball analysts were to the Houston Astros.

As ESPN, and so many other national sports outlets are prone to do this time of year, the World Wide Leader in Sports got together a group of baseball know-it-alls for a survey-style questionnaire involving the upcoming MLB Postseason.

Of course, it's assumed that the Los Angeles Dodgers (who haven't won the World Series in a 162-game season since 1988) are among the favorites to win it all this year. The other team that drew rave reviews from ESPN's panel of insiders, players, and scouts was the Philadelphia Phillies.

MLB insiders foolishly disrespect Astros in ESPN playoff threat rankings

So the question then becomes, who's the biggest threat to the Dodgers or the Phillies? Unsurprisingly, the San Diego Padres came away with largest number of votes. The Friars, who made several roster additions at the trade deadline, received eight votes from the analysts involved. The Milwaukee Brewers received five votes, as did the Baltimore Orioles. Both the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians received three votes each.

But when it came to the Astros, only one person — former Houston pitcher Ryne Stanek, it would seem, based on the quote he gave in the article body — voted for defending AL West champs. Really? That's ridiculous. Stanek cited the Astros' experience and playoff pedigree as the chief reasons that Houston can contend with the best in the NL.

Never mind that Houston is among the top 10 in the majors in both OPS and ERA. The Astros' team-OPS (.739) is higher than the Brewers and the Guardians, while their team ERA is lower than the Phillies, Dodgers, Yankees, Guardians, and Orioles. The only playoff contender with a lower ERA on the year is Milwaukee.

Astros fans are well aware of how they're perceived by fans and pundits outside of H-Town. But when October rolls around and the Astros are in an all too familiar spot, suddenly those who picked against Houston will likely be singing a different tune.

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