I moved from Chicago to Houston in the summer of 2010. The Astros were already buried, 12 games back of Cincinnati in the old NL Central. By the end of the year, they’d finished 15 out.
No one knew how far the fall would go. Between 2011 and 2013, the Astros lost 324 games. Three straight seasons of misery. Baseball in Houston flatlined.
Then came April 16, 2014. Royals in town. A Wednesday night that should’ve meant nothing. Instead, it changed everything. George Springer got the call. He reached base on an infield hit. He roamed center field like he owned it. And for the first time in years, the Astros had juice. Altuve had a partner.
Moments of the homestand. #BuiltForThis x @Lexus pic.twitter.com/cbugxBVpxy
— Houston Astros (@astros) September 22, 2025
The next summer, Carlos Correa arrived on a road trip in Chicago. Just like that, the core was set. And then the winning started.
Astros TV play-by-play announcer Todd Kalas still shakes his head at the run. “This will never be seen again,” Kalas said. “Not with the Astros and probably not the next 50 years in baseball. Seven straight ALCS appearances is unheard of in today’s competitive environment. I’m just blessed to have a great seat to witness these accomplishments. Every night I get to sit in that booth and watch a team that rewrote the history of the franchise. It’s special.”
And yet, the math says Houston’s not done “I think they can do it,” Kalas said. “But they’ll need to take two games from the A’s and sweep the Angels. It’s a tall order, but this group has been counted out before and they’ve answered every challenge.”
Even if it ends this week, the story holds. From the depths of 324 losses to the golden age of Houston baseball. The Astros carved out a dynasty. And it’s going to echo for decades.
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