Some milestones to watch for in 2023
Amid team’s quest to become MLB’s first repeat champion since 2000, Baker and Altuve can put their names higher on some lists
There’s no reason the Astros shouldn’t bring confidence into the 2023 season. The defending World Series champs are, after all, on a roll.
How good have the Astros been over the last six years?
Consider: At the end of the 2016 campaign, their all-time record was 4,290-4,491, putting them 201 games under .500 since they began play as the Colt .45s in 1962. But they are 212 games over .500 (541-329) since then, making them the only team established in the expansion era (1961-on) with an all-time winning record (4,831-4,820).
More notably, of course, they won World Series titles in 2017 and 2022, along with American League pennants in 2019 and 2021.
They also became only the second team to appear in six consecutive League Championship Series, joining the Atlanta Braves, who made eight straight NLCS appearances from 1991-1999 (with no playoffs in 1994 due to a season-ending players strike).
For more perspective, the Astros are the first team to claim multiple championships in a sixyear span while posting a .620 winning percentage (.622) since the 1953-58 New Yankees, who won three titles while playing .635 ball.
In 2023, Houston is trying to become the first team since the 2000 Yankees to repeat as champions. New York’s title that year was its third in a row.
The Astros also could become the first team to win three consecutive pennants since the Yankees’ run of four straight from 1998-2001.
For those who can’t wait until October, the Astros could notch a memorable victory in their first game Thursday at Minute Maid Park. They’ve won 10 consecutive season openers, an MLB record they share with the Boston Bea
neaters of 1887-96. Beat the Chicago White Sox, and the Astros will have the mark to themselves.
Individual milestones are in sight as well this season, starting with the Astros’ skipper.
In 2022, Dusty Baker became the 12th manager to reach 2,000 career victories. By season’s end, he stood ninth on the all-time list with 2,093. Something would have to go horribly wrong for Baker not to pass Joe McCarthy (2,125) and Bucky Harris (2,158) for seventh. And if the Astros could win 101 — they’ve hit the century mark in four of the last five complete seasons, including a 106-win campaign a year ago — Baker could catch sixth-place Sparky Anderson (2,194).
While Jose Altuve’s quest for 2,000 hits will start later than expected because of the broken thumb he suffered in the World Baseball Classic, he still figures to get the 65 he needs and quite a few more.
A total of 292 players have reached 2,000 hits, and Freddie Freeman (1,903) could beat Altuve as the 293rd because of the thumb injury. But only 48 of those players spent their career with one team, and Altuve could join the Reds’ Joey Votto as the only active members of that club.
Among all active players, Altuve stands sixth in career hits, behind Miguel Cabrera (3,088), Votto (2,093), Nelson Cruz (2,018), Elvis Andrus (1,997) and Andrew McCutchen (1,948).
Altuve needs just three hits to pass Jose Cruz (1,937) for third place in Astros annals, behind only Craig Biggio (3,060) and Jeff Bagwell (2,314). Ten stolen bases would put Altuve third in that category as well. With 279, he trails Cruz (288), Biggio (414) and Cesar Cedeno (487).
Last year, Alex Bregman joined Astros top-10 lists in career home runs (140, ninth), doubles (207, 10th) and extra-base hits (359, ninth). As he moves up those charts this season, he also figures to crash the top 10 in RBIs, walks and perhaps runs.