Houston Astros vs New York Yankees: Sizing up the 2017 ALCS series

After defeating the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in four games, the Houston Astros now have one more roadblock to get through to the World Series!

The Houston Astros are advancing to the 2017 American League Championship! Let that sink in, folks. The spacemen are going to the second round of the playoffs.

After a disappointing elimination in 2015, the Astros won’t be the ones going home this time. To make things even sweeter, they did this at the hands of the Boston Red Sox. A team long considered to be a baseball dynasty fell victim to our boys in navy and orange.

Additionally, the Astros won game 4 AT FENWAY PARK! Even though they have been road warriors all season long, there was concern about whether or not the green monster would intimidate the spacemen and throw them off.

Well, that most certainly DID NOT happen!

Because of their poise and fight, the Astros are now going to the one final series to decide which American League team goes on to the World Series to face the National League Championship winner for all the baseball glory.

This will be no easy feat for the spacemen. Their one final test will be against the New York Yankees, who are certainly no cake walks themselves. The took the Cleveland Indians to a winner take all game 5 in the ALDS, and won.

So how do both of these teams stack up for the 2017 American League Championship? Let’s take a look!:

Offense: Advantage – Astros

BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 08: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros hits a single in the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox during game three of the American League Division Series at Fenway Park on October 8, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

As has been the case all season long, this category goes to the spacemen. They led the league all season in team batting average (.282), on-base percentage (.346), slugging (.478) and OPS (.823). Additionally, the Astros were also dead last in the league (30th) in strikeouts at 1,087 of them as a team.

The overall batting has vastly improved for the spacemen. At the same time, they still have pop, being 2nd in the league in home runs for a team with 238 of them. Only the New York Yankees had more as a team with 241 of them. Of course, what do you expect when you have the shoe in rookie of the year, Aaron Judge, on your team?

Without a doubt, the bats have been the biggest part of the Astros advancing to the 2017 American League Championship. Here’s hoping it will also get them to the World Series!

Starting Pitching: Slight Advantage – Astros

The rotation for the Astros had some hiccups in the 2017 regular season. They placed 6th in the league in ERA for their starters at a clip of 4.03. Not terrible, but nothing really that great either. In fact, the Yankees had a better one overall in the regular season at 3.98.

However, the post season has been much kinder to the starters. Out of the 10 teams that have competed in the playoffs, the Astros starters have the 4th best ERA overall at 3.86. So long as they can hold things down for the first 5-6 innings, all should go well.

Relief Pitching: Advantage – Yankees

If there is one area of weakness for the Astros all season and post season long, it has been the bullpen. They were 17th in the league all regular season in ERA with 4.27. Unfortunately, that number has ballooned over the course of the playoffs at 5.51, ranking them 7th among the 10 playoff teams.

Naturally, this would give a huge advantage to the Yankees. But that’s not to say that it would be a total loss for the Astros, either. If they can make a mockery out of an elite closer like the Red Sox’s Craig Kimbrel, there’s no telling what they can do.

Somehow, the relief core of pitchers for the Astros has to find ways to take care of business in this next series. Especially, against the kind of bats that the Yankees possess.

Next: THREE reasons why the ALCS will be an all-out war

Anything and Everything Can, and Will, Happen!

For this 2017 American League Championship, the Houston Astros will have a formidable opponent in the boys in pinstripe. The ultimate goal is the World Series. It is a place that the team has been only once before now.

The way this team is built, it certainly will not be the last!

GO ASTROS! #EarnHistory!

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