This was the most fitting way for the Astros to win their second World Series championship in franchise history, and their first without the cloud of a cheating scandal hanging over it.
Slugger Yordan Alvarez clobbered the most breathtaking home run hit in Houston since the signature Albert Pujols shot in 2005. The three-run blast gave the Astros the lead—and traveled 450 feet over the batter’s eye in dead center field, a place in this ballpark where no ball has gone before.
Lefthander Framber Valdez, who set the record for consecutive quality starts this year, silenced the Phillies lineup for the second time in the World Series. The Astros won all four of Valdez’s playoff starts, and he finished the postseason with a 1.44 ERA.
Rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña, who had two more hits last night and scored the go-ahead run on Alvarez’s homer, was named World Series MVP just over a week after he won the same honors during the American League Championship Series. He is the only rookie in history to get at least one hit in his first six World Series games, slashing .400/.423/.600 across 26 plate appearances in the series. He also accounted for (both scoring and driving in) seven of Houston’s 22 runs in the series, with four of the seven giving his team the lead.
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These three players (Alvarez, Valdez and Peña) were not here the last time the Astros won the World Series, back in 2017. They represent the staying power of this modern-baseball dynasty, a franchise that has attained and sustained unparalleled success over these last six seasons. The true excellence of this organization comes through scouting and player development, coaching and communication, analytical information and managerial intuition. These components are why the Astros keep winning, year after year, with a mix of younger stars coming into their own and a core group of veterans who remain.
How many other teams would have gotten the most out of Chas McCormick and Martín Maldonado? How many other teams could have envisioned that a lanky 20-year-old outfielder who had yet to grow into his body or tap into his power would become this generation’s Willie McCovey? How many other teams should have recognized that a Dominican shortstop who spent his adolescence in Rhode Island and played college ball at the University of Maine would one day become a World Series MVP and the first rookie shortstop to win a Gold Glove?
The generous answer to each of these questions is not many; the more accurate response is none. The Astros are a step ahead of all the other organizations, and now they have the championship to show for it.
