The 2022 season has been a smooth ride for the AL West-leading Houston Astros so far.
They have a 41-25 record and are 10 games ahead of both the Los Angeles Angels and the Texas Rangers.
However, things may be starting to get a bit complicated in the next few days.
MLB insider Bob Nightengale tweeted some facts about the Astros’ upcoming schedule that will represent a test of their true skill level as a team.
“The Houston #Astros, who have a fat 10-game lead in the AL West, will play their next nine games against New York’s first-place teams beginning tonight against the #Mets at home before traveling to NY to play the #Yankees, then the Mets again, and back home for one more vs Yankees,” Nightengale tweeted.
The Houston #Astros, who have a fat 10-game lead in the AL West, will play their next nine games against New York’s first-place teams beginning tonight against the #Mets at home before traveling to NY to play the #Yankees, then the Mets again,and back home for one more vs Yankees
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 21, 2022
The Astros Are An Excellent Team, Just Like The Yankees and Mets
They may not have Carlos Correa anymore, but the 2022 Astros got incredible contributions from his replacement, Jeremy Pena, before he got hurt.
They also have an incredibly talented offense, with Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, Michael Brantley, Jose Altuve, Yuli Gurriel, and other excellent hitters.
They also have a good bullpen and a rotation with Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez as the leaders, and several other useful contributors.
Name by name, the Astros can compete with the Yankees and Mets in a short series.
Over the course of a long season, however, they may not be able to keep up, but in a short series, Houston can win some games against the very best teams in baseball.
These next couple of weeks will be a good thermometer not only for Houston, but also for both New York teams.
They have faced good teams, sure, but very few of them are as good as the Astros.
NEXT: The Astros Are Already Doing The Unexpected In 2022