Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022/23 revision of our top 50 Houston Astros.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in Major League Baseball.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Astros again were World Series contenders, and made the playoffs.  There were no new entrants, but four Astros climbed the list.

As always, we present our top five, which did not change.

1. Jeff Bagwell

2. Craig Biggio

3. Jose Altuve

4. Lance Berkman

5. Cesar Cedeno

You can find the entire list here.

Notably, Altuve remains at number three, and still has a way to go to overtake Biggio at #2, but he has it in him to not only do that, but snatch #1 from Bagwell.

Future first ballot Hall of Fame Pitcher, Justin Verlander, was traded back to the Astros during the season and did enough to climb from #11 to #9.

Infielder, Alex Bregman, went up three spots from #14 to #11.

Offensive stud, Yordan Alvarez shot up from #37 to #27.

The final change is Kyle Tucker, who climbed to #33 from #45.

As always, we thank you for your support, and look for more revisions in the future. 

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022 revision of our top Houston Astros.

As for all of our top 50 players in basketball we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League. 

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Houston won their second World Series, and they are blessed with young talent, two of which make their first appearance on this list.

As always, we present our top five, which was not impacted by last season:

1. Jeff Bagwell

2. Craig Biggio                        

3. Jose Altuve

4. Lance Berkman

5. Cesar Cedeno

You can find the entire list here.

Despite his good year, Altuve was unable to pass Biggio for #2.

Justin Verlander, who won the Cy Young, and is now with the New York Mets, jumped from #19 to #11; an impressive feat considering the relative brevity of his Astros career.

Infielder, Alex Bregman, moved up two spots to #14.

Yuli Gurriel also moved up by two, with a new rank of #35.

Designated Hitter, Yordan Alvarez, makes his debut at #37 and Outfielder, Kyle Tucker, comes in at #45.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

Skill and longevity are two of the key characteristics of a Hall of Fame candidate in the MLB. These credentials are more important for pitchers attempting to secure a place in the history of the sport, as it is far from easy to have an established career at the top amid the rigors of taking the mound one night in every five per week.

The players who do make it are a special breed and deserve their spot for remaining on top of their game over an extended period of time, but also showing their durability in a position that has a near 100% injury rate. Here are two of the outstanding candidates currently active in the MLB who are destined to join the Hall of Fame.

Justin Verlander

After a 15-year career at the top of the sport and earning his World Series crown with the Houston Astros in 2017 it appeared as though Verlander’s career was over. Like so many players before him, he had to undergo Tommy John surgery, which at the age of 38, seemed like the end. However, he returned to the action signing a one-year deal with the Astros for the 2022 campaign and has been nothing short of sensational.

Verlander has achieved everything in the game during his time in the MLB with the Detroit Tigers and Astros, winning the AL MVP in 2011, the All-MLB First-Team in 2019, along with the most wins as a pitcher in three seasons, two Cy Young Awards and multiple All-Star berths. He did not need to return to the MLB after his injury, but he has excelled for the Astros in the 2022 season, and he has put them on course for another run at the World Series, with a bet on MLBworth +425 for the Astros to win the crown. It would be the icing on the cake of a true Hall of Fame career for Verlander.

Max Scherzer

Scherzer has punched his ticket to the Hall of Fame, producing elite performances throughout his various stops in the MLB. He got one over his former team-mate with the Tigers in the 2019 World Series to win the crown for the Washington Nationals, ensuring that both men would end their careers with title victories. Incredibly, the Tigers failed to win the World Series despite boasting both Verlander and Scherzer in their starting rotation.

Scherzer like Verlander was forced to leave the Tigers to secure the title, but he has maintained his standard of excellence. He has bettered Verlander, earning two All-MLB First-Team nods and three Cy Young Awards along with eight All-Star berths. Scherzer’s durability has been nothing short of sensational as he has avoided many of the injuries that have plagued his contemporaries, allowing him to stack up wins and achievements after not having a lost season. In the 2022 campaign he joined the New York Mets, and although he has been excellent and maintained his high standards to steer the club towards the playoffs, the Mets will need a special effort to allow him to win a second title.

When Justin Verlander stepped off a plane in Houston in the final minutes of August 2017, the trajectory of a franchise shifted instantly. Many across the league viewed the veteran as a spent force whose best days remained in the rearview mirror of a decorated Detroit tenure. Instead, Verlander treated the trade as a career rebirth, evolving from a Motown workhorse into the strategic cornerstone of a Houston dynasty. He arrived as a mercenary hired to hunt a ring and left as a statistical titan who orchestrated a dominant late-career arc in the history of the mound.

Verlander’s initial stay in Houston was a masterclass in high-leverage efficiency. He hit the ground running with a 5-0 record following the trade, but it was the 2017 postseason where he reached a historic apex. During the ALCS against the Yankees, he delivered a clinical performance to earn MVP honors, serving as the primary engine for a squad that finally secured the city’s first World Series title. He proved he was no "rent-a-player," following that triumph with a 2018 campaign where he led the league in strikeouts and WHIP, narrowly finishing as the Cy Young runner-up.

The most profound chapter of his first run unfolded in 2019, a season so far an outlier that it defied his age. Verlander captured the Cy Young Award by leading the American League in wins (21), innings (223), and a microscopic 0.803 WHIP. He possessed a specialized ability to maintain triple-digit velocity deep into games, providing the veteran-like poise required to lead the Astros back to the Fall Classic. Even after a significant elbow injury and Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the bulk of two years, he authored an "impossible" 2022 comeback. That summer, he didn't just return; he dominated, leading the circuit in wins (18) and a staggering 1.75 ERA to claim his third Cy Young and anchor the club to a second championship.

The second act of his Houston story began with a dramatic mid-season return in 2023. After a brief dalliance with the Mets, Verlander was traded back to the Astros to stabilize a rotation eyeing another deep October run. He stepped back into the clubhouse with a focused intensity, helping the club navigate a tight divisional race and secure another postseason berth.

His journey in Houston concluded with a scintillating 73-28 record, a winning percentage that borders on the mythical. He departed as a two-time champion and a two-time Cy Young winner in an Astros uniform, leaving behind a legacy of power pitching that redefined the expectations for a modern ace.

The arrival of Justin Verlander in 2005 was the first tremor of a seismic shift in Detroit baseball. While he debuted as a high-velocity prospect, he quickly matured into the undisputed titan of the American League, a right-hander whose combination of an elite fastball and a relentless competitive fire restored the Tigers to national relevance. Across two distinct eras in the Motor City, Verlander evolved from a fireballing Rookie of the Year into a sophisticated, first-ballot immortal, serving as the high-leverage anchor for a decade of championship aspirations.

Verlander’s rise was instantaneous, capturing the 2006 Rookie of the Year award and immediately leading the club to its first World Series in over twenty years. He established a standard of specialized durability that became his trademark, but the true ascension occurred in 2011. That summer remains a pillar of modern pitching history; he secured the rare Triple Crown—leading the league in wins (24), strikeouts (250), and ERA (2.40)—en route to a historic sweep of both the Cy Young and the American League MVP. He was a model of high-frequency dominance, utilizing a professional resilience to carry the staff through four consecutive postseason runs from 2011 to 2014.

The middle chapters of his Detroit tenure were defined by his tactical mastery of the "big game." Verlander was the primary engine of the 2012 pennant-winning rotation, famously out-dueling the league’s best in October to cement his status as a franchise icon. He possessed a specialized ability to maintain his velocity into the late innings, a craftsmanship that earned him six All-Star nods and two no-hitters in a Tigers uniform. Even as the team’s competitive window began to close in 2017, leading to a blockbuster trade to Houston, where he finally secured a World Series ring, his heartbeat remained tied to the city that raised him.

After a legendary journey through Houston, New York, and San Francisco, the narrative came full circle in February 2026. Following a resilient 2025 campaign with the Giants, where he proved his health by logging 152 innings, Verlander signed a one-year deal to return to Detroit for a final act.