Top 50 Houston Astros
The Houston Astros debuted in 1962 but not as the Astros, but as the Houston Colt .45’s. The Colt .45’s were short lived as with the advent of the space program in Houston and the first domed stadium, in 1965, the Houston Astros were officially born.The Astros may not have been the most successful on the field, but the dome (rather domes) and color schemes they used on their uniforms have made them a recognizable team throughout their existence.
Houston would win the National League Pennant in 2005, but would lose to the Chicago White Sox. They moved to the American League in 2014, and became a power, finally winning it all in 2017. They retuned to the World Series in 2019, but lost to the Washington Nationals.
Note: Baseball lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics and post-season accolades.
This list is up to the end of the 2019 Season.
While we have been open (often) about how Jeff Bagwell should have gotten into the Baseball Hall of Fame at the very least by his second year of eligibility, He at least earns this honor by being selected as the greatest Houston Astro of all-time.
Like his “Killer B” teammate, Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio spent his entire career as a member of the Houston Astros.
The third member of the famed Houston Astros “Killer B’s”, Lance Berkman had a decade of success in the state of Texas where he would finish five times in the Top Ten in National League Most Valuable Player voting. Berkman debuted in 1999, and he went to his first All-Star Game in 2001, where he was entrenched as Houston’s third star behind Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio. He had five 30 plus Home Run Seasons, and another five where he had over 100 RBIs as an Astro. He hit for average, with four years going over .300, and had a Slash Line…
The Houston Astros would become one of the elite teams in Major League Baseball in the 2010s and the biggest reason was because of the small in stature yet hug in talent, Jose Altuve.Altuve would become an All-Star in 2012 and secured himself as a bona fide hitting machine. After an "off-season" in 2013, he was an All-Star again in 2014 and went on an incredible hitting tear where he not only exceeded the 200 Hit mark but would lead the American League in that statistic. Altuve would win the Batting Title three times in that time frame and more…
From the Dominican Republic, Cesar Cedeno was signed as an Amateur Free Agent in 1967, and he made the Astros roster in 1970, finishing fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. He built on that, leading the NL in Doubles, which he did again in 1972, but that was a special year. That season, Cesar Cedeno would become the second player in MLB history to hit 20 Home Runs and accumulate 50 Stolen Bases in a season, a feat he would duplicate in the next two years. The flashy Dominican was known for his aggressive defense and on the base paths,…
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A great hitter who hit .300 or above for the Astros six times, Jose Cruz finished in the top ten in MVP voting three times. Cruz, a two time All Star, would lead the NL in Hits in 1983 and was close to the 2,000 Hit mark with the Astros. Cruz would also exceed the 30 Stolen Base mark five times.
Roy Oswalt made an instant splash as a rookie in 2001. That year he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, was fifth in Cy Young voting, and his 14-3 record and sub 3.00 ERA was a real head-turner. In the year that followed he won 19 Games, and was fourth in the Cy Young tally. It was all a precursor of what would comeFrom 2004 to 2007, Roy Oswalt was regarded as one of the elite pitchers in Baseball. Over that time, he was an All Star each year and has a Wins Title, a bWAR for Pitchers…
Mike Scott was the National League Cy Young Award winner in 1986 and this was in a season where he led the National League in ERA, FIP, WHIP, H9, SO9, Strikeouts and SO/W. While that was Scott’s best season, he still had a lot left as he finished 7th and 2nd in Cy Young voting in years after. The three time All Star was the main reason the Astros made the playoffs in 1986, and he was named the NLCS MVP in the series that they lost, though Scott went the distance in both games, winning both and allowing only…
Receiving a new wave of respect due to the sabremetric wave, Jim Wynn was nicknamed the “Toy Cannon” for generating power numbers despite a 5’ 8’’ frame. Wynn often had an On Base Percentage well over 100 points over his Batting Average and led the National League in Walks in 1969. Power, speed and a healthy OBP made Wynn a true threat at the plate and he is finally getting a lot of his due now.Wynn played the first eleven seasons of his career in the Lone Star State, and he amassed 1,291 Hits and 223 Home Runs for the…
It is very difficult to think of baseball in the state of Texas, without the name Nolan Ryan entering the conversation. The ageless flamethrower was born in Texas but did not play pro in his state until he was 33, and joined the Astros.Ryan arrived as a Free Agent for the 1980 season and would stay in Houston for nine seasons. Ryan would win the Strikeout title twice as an Astro (low for him), and was a two time All Star and would twice finish in the top five in Cy Young voting. He would leave Houston, for the Texas…
There was a time when the baseball world was transfixed on the flamethrowing ability of Astros hurler, J.R. Richard, and why not? He threw faster than anybody else, he fanned piles of batters and he was a young black pitcher in a time when there were not that many. Richard was only an All-Star once, but he is a two-time strikeouts champion, a two-time leader in FIP and finished in the top ten in Cy Young voting three times.
While Joe Morgan is rightfully remembered mostly for his accomplishments with the Cincinnati Reds, the Second Baseman first plied his trade with Houston, where he would make the first two of his ten All-Star appearances. Morgan would lead the NL in Walks in 1967 and when he returned for one season in 1980, he accomplished the same feat again.In his two runs in Houston, Morgan would have 972 Hits with 72 Home Runs and 219 Stolen Bases.
Justin Verlander was traded from the Detroit Tigers to help the Astros win their first World Series and before we get there let’s take a look at what the ace accomplished in Motown:
Far more than just Phil’s younger brother, Joe Niekro had his best seasons of his twenty plus year career as a Houston Astro. Niekro would post two consecutive 20 win seasons both of which saw him make the top five in NL Cy Young voting. An All-Star in 1979, Niekro would have 144 wins and 1,178 strikeouts with the Astros.
A Houston Astro for all nine seasons of his MLB career, Don Wilson was an All-Star once (1971) and hurled a pair of no-hitters. Wilson, who had a winning record, likely would have contributed more to the organization but he died in January of 1975 in his garage with his family with his car still running. His number was retired by the team that spring.He would have a record of 104-92 with 1,238 Strikeouts.
The Second Baseman for the Astros for most of the 1980s, Bill Doran was a fan favorite for his plucky play. Doran was not an excellent hitter, but he put up consistent numbers and had over 140 Hits four times and exhibited plate discipline with four seasons with an OBP over .350. Although he was never named to an All-Star Team, he did finish 11th in MVP voting in 1986.Doran retired with 1,937 Hits, 138 Home Runs, and 288 Stolen Bases
George Springer had a nice rookie season in 2014 with 20 Home Runs and it didn’t take long for him to become one of the Astros’ top players.
Playing 14 of his 15 seasons in baseball with the Astros, Canadian born outfielder, Terry Puhl was an All-Star in his first full season in 1978. Puhl would not repeat an appearance to the mid-season classic, but he would have two more seasons tabulating over 150 hits and would steal 20 or more bases six times. The Canadian would accumulate 1,357 Hits for the Astros.