Astros History | Timeline
1962
The Houston Colt .45s play their first Major League game on April 10, defeating the Chicago Cubs 11-2.
1963
Bob Bruce one-hits the Cincinnati Reds on April 26...Don Nottebart no-hits the Phillies on May 7.
1964
Ken Johnson becomes the first major leaguer to lose a nine-inning no-hitter on April 23 with a 1-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
1965
The Houston Colt .45s become the Houston Astros and inaugurate indoor baseball with a 2-1 exhibition win over the New York Yankees on April 9 in the Astrodome...rookie Joe Morgan sets club marks for at-bats, runs, hits and triples.
1966
Mike Cuellar sets a club mark with a 2.22 ERA...home attendance mark which stood for 22 years set on June 22 as 50,908 watch Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers down Houston 5-2.
1967
Don Wilson fires a no-hitter vs. the Atlanta Braves, 2-0 on June 18, striking out Hank Aaron for final out...Jimmy Wynn sets club records with 37 home runs and 107 RBI.
1968
Don Wilson strikes out 18 Cincinnati Reds in 6-1 win on July 14...four Houston hurlers win 10-or-more games: Don Wilson (13), Larry Dierker (12) Dave Guisti (11) and Denny LeMaster (10)...the Astros down the Mets 1-0 in 24 innings on April 15.
1969
Cincinnati's Jim Maloney no-hits the Astros on April 30 and the next night, May 1, Don Wilson returns the favor by no-hitting the Reds 4-0...Larry Dierker becomes Houston's first 20-game winner...the club records its first .500 season (81-81).
1970s
1975 was a good year for future Astros management. Former General Manager Bob Watson leads the Astros with a .324 average, 157 hits and 85 RBIs, while former manager Larry Dierker leads the staff with 14 wins.
1970
Fred Gladding appears in 63 games, setting a club mark for pitchers...three Astros hit over .300 (Cesar Cedeno, .310; Jesus Alou, .306; Denis Menke, .304).
1971
Cesar Cedeno leads the league with 40 doubles and Roger Metzger and Joe Morgan share the league lead with 11 triples each...during the 1971 winter meetings, Houston acquires Lee May, Tommy Helms and Jimmy Stewart from the Reds for Joe Morgan, Jack Billingham, Denis Menke, Cesar Geronimo and Ed Armbrister.
1972
Astros finish in second place with their best record ever (84-69)...Jerry Reuss and Larry Dierker hurl back-to-back one hitters on June 18 against Philadelphia and June 19 vs. New York, respectively...Cesar Cedeno hits for the cycle on August 2 vs. the Reds.
1973
Cesar Cedeno becomes the first player in history to steal 50 bases and hit 20 home runs in successive seasons...Roger Metzger leads the league with 14 triples...Lee May hits safely in a club record 21 straight games.
1974
Rookie Greg Gross leads the club with a .314 average, and sets club mark with 185 hits...Ken Forsch appears in a then-club record 70 games...Cliff Johnson has five pinch-hit home runs.
1975
A good year for future Astros management. Former General Manager Bob Watson leads the Astros with a .324 average, 157 hits and 85 RBI, while former manager Larry Dierker leads the staff with 14 wins.
1976
J.R. Richard becomes Houston's second 20-game winner...Cesar Cedeno sets a club mark with 58 stolen bases and earns his fifth-straight Gold Glove.
1977
Three Astros steal 40 bases (Cesar Cedeno, 61; Jose Cruz, 44; Enos Cabell, 42)...Watson sets a new club record with 110 RBI.
1978
J.R. Richard strikes out 303 to become the first National League righthander to strike out 300 batters in a season...Cabell sets club marks for at-bats (660), games (162) and hits (195).
1979
Houston finishes in second place, just a game-and-a-half behind the Reds...J.R. Richard improves upon his 1978 strikeout total by fanning 313...Joe Niekro sets a club mark with 21 wins...Ken Forsch no-hits the Braves on April 7...Bill Virdon is named Manager of the Year.
1980s
Houston claimed its first NL West title in 1980 with a 93-70 record after defeating Los Angeles in a one-game playoff in the 163rd game of the regular season.
1980
Houston claims its first title as the Astros win the NL West with a 93-70 record, defeating Los Angeles in a one-game playoff...Niekro wins 20 games again...Joe Morgan returns to Houston to add leadership in the Astros pennant drive.
1981
Houston gets off to a slow start, but takes advantage of the split season created by the player's strike to win the "second season" with a 33-20 mark, earning a spot in the playoffs...Nolan Ryan hurls his major league record fifth no-hitter, blanking the Dodgers on September 26...Ryan also leads the league with a 1.69 ERA...Art Howe establishes a club record with a 23-game hitting streak.
1982
Ray Knight, an off-season acquisition from Cincinnati for Cesar Cedeno, remains among the league leaders in hitting for most of the season, finishing with a .294 mark...Bob Lillis takes over as interim manager on August 10 and Astros finish 28-23 under Lillis.
1983
After struggling to an 0-9 start, the Astros rebound with one of their finest seasons...Houston finishes at 85-77, the third-highest win total in club history...Jose Cruz battles for NL batting title to last day and finishes third...Nolan Ryan surpasses Walter Johnson's all-time strikeout mark.
1984
The Astros bounce back from another slow start, finishing second in the NL West...1983 All-Star Dickie Thon is lost for the season in the fifth game after being hit in the head by a pitch from the Mets' Mike Torrez...Cruz repeats as the club MVP by posting a .312 average and a career-high 95 RBI.
1985
The Astros celebrate the Astrodome's 20th Anniversary with a 2-1 opening day victory over the Dodgers in front of 42,876 fans...Niekro becomes Houston's all-time winningest pitcher with his 5-0 shutout of San Francisco on June 9th...Ryan becomes first player to record 4,000 strikeouts in a career when he fans Danny Heep on July 11 at the Astrodome...Cruz reaches the 2,000 hit plateau on September 15.
1986
A Silver Anniversary season turns golden as the Astros win their second NL West title...Rookie skipper Hal Lanier guides the team to a club-record 96 regular season wins...Lanier earns Manager of the Year notice from four different press associations after the season...righthander Mike Scott becomes Houston's first ever Cy Young award winner, leading the league in ERA (2.22) and strikeouts (306), and winning 18 games for the second straight year.
1987
Houston finishes the season with the third-highest attendance total in baseball (1,909,902)...Nolan Ryan leads the majors in strikeouts with 270 and ties for the lead in ERA with a 2.76 mark...Mike Scott is named the NL starter for the All-Star game and throws two scoreless innings.
1988
Houston wins its 2,000th game 6-3 over San Diego on opening night...Mike Scott comes within one out of his second career no-hitter on June 12 vs. Atlanta...Bob Knepper tosses a one-hitter on September 21 vs. the Braves.
1989
Mike Scott becomes the fourth Houston pitcher to win 20 games and wins his second Astros MVP award...the Astros win 10 straight on the road from May 7-31 to set a club record...their 10-game winning streak from May 26 to June 4 tied another club mark...Glenn Davis hits a career-high 34 homers.
1990s
After winning their first ever National League Central crown in 1997, the Astros prepare to take the field against the Braves for their first postseason game in 11 years.
1990
Danny Darwin had a league-leading 2.21 ERA, becoming the third Houston pitcher in five years to lead the NL in ERA...Franklin Stubbs sets a club mark for lefthanders with 23 home runs...Houston ties a league record by playing in 27 extra-inning games...on May 17, Eric Anthony becomes the first Astros batter to hit an upper deck home run since 1970.
1991
Jeff Bagwell becomes the Astros' first BBWAA Rookie of the Year after hitting .294 with 15 homers and club rookie record of 82 RBI...Craig Biggio leads the club in hitting for the second straight year (.295) and joins Pete Harnisch on the NL All-Star team.
1992
Despite a grueling 26-day road trip made necessary when the Astrodome played host to the Republican National Convention, the Astros rallied in the second half to post the club's first non-losing season since 1989...Craig Biggio became the first player ever to make the All-Star team at both catcher (1991) and second base (1992)...Doug Jones was also named to the All-Star team and set the club single-season record with 36 saves.
1993
The Astros established franchise records in several offensive categories, including batting average (.267), home runs (138) and doubles (288)...paced by Craig Biggio's career-high 21 round-trippers, seven Houston players totaled double figures in homers for the first time in club history...Mark Portugal set a club record by winning his final 12 decisions...Darryl Kile posted a nine-game win streak, and tosses the ninth no-hitter in Astros history on September 8 against New York.
1994
Jeff Bagwell became the first Houston player ever to win the NL Most Valuable Player award...Bagwell was a unanimous selection for only the third time in league history after batting .368 and setting club records with 73 extra base hits, 39 homers and 116 RBI...Bagwell earns All-Star honors along with Craig Biggio, Ken Caminiti, Doug Drabek and rookie John Hudek...Rookie skipper Terry Collins guided the club to a 66-49 mark, one-half game behind Cincinnati, before a players' strike ended the season on August 12.
1995
The Astros took the the chase for the NL's first-ever Wild Card playoff berth to the final day of the season before finishing one game behind Colorado...Craig Biggio was voted the league's starting second baseman in the All-Star Game and slugged a solo home run...he was later voted team MVP and picked up his second consecutive Gold Glove award.
1996
A two-and-a-half game lead at the end of August slipped away and denied Houston a shot at the NL Central title...the Astros suffered through an 8-17 September, which included a nine-game losing streak, to fall out of the playoff chase...Jeff Bagwell slugged 31 homers and set single season record with 48 doubles and 120 RBI...Derek Bell knocked in 113 runs, marking the first time ever the club had two, 100-plus RBI players in the same season...Craig Biggio collected his third consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Award...Shane Reynolds won 16 games, while he and Darryl Kile each topped the 200-mark in strikeouts.
1997
The Astros captured their first-ever NL Central title and their first division title in 11 years...Jeff Bagwell banged 43 homers and swiped 31 bases to become Houston's first "30-30" man...Bagwell set new single-season club records in homers (43), RBI (135), total bases (335) and extra-base hits (85)...Craig Biggio became the first player in major league history to have not grounded into a double play in a 162-game season...fans selected Bagwell and Biggio to represent the Astros in the 1997 All-Star Game, marking the first time that two Astros position players were selected to start in the Mid-Summer classic...Darryl Kile won a team-high 19 games and was also selected to the All-Star Team...Larry Dierker became one of only six skippers in major league history who won a division title in his first year as manager.
1998
The Astros won their second consecutive NL Central title en route to a franchise-best 102-win season...the club drew a record 2.45 million fans and drew ten crowds of 50,000 or more ...Larry Dierker was voted NL Manager of the Year by the BBWAA and Baseball America...General Manager Gerry Hunsicker was voted The Sporting News Executive of the Year...Craig Biggio joined Tris Speaker as the only two players in the century who have hit 50 doubles and stolen 50 bases in the same season...Biggio and Moises Alou were selected to represent the Astros in the 1998 All-Star Game in Denver...Biggio broke Cesar Cedeno's record for the most runs scored by an Astro...he and Alou each received Silver Slugger Awards for their offensive contributions and both finished in the top five in NL MVP voting...five Astros starting pitchers, including Randy Johnson who was acquired just minutes before the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline, finished the season with double-figures in wins.
1999
The Astros bid adieu to the Astrodome in dramatic fashion, clinching their third straight NL Central title on the final day of the regular season before a sold out crowd... standing-room only crowds were commonplace during the last year of baseball in the Dome as a record 2.7 million fans flocked to the Eighth Wonder of the World...despite an injury-riddled year that landed 14 players on the DL and sidelined three members of the coaching staff for significant periods of time, Houston won 97 games, only five victories fewer than its record-setting 102-win season of 1998...the pitching staff produced two 20-game winners for the first time in club history in Mike Hampton (22-4) and Jose Lima (21-10)...Hampton and Jeff Bagwell were recognized as the best offensive players at their respective positions as each was a recipient of the Silver Slugger Award...four Astros were selected to represent the National League in the 70th annual All-Star Game (Bagwell, Hampton, Lima, Billy Wagner)...Wagner was the recipient of the 1999 Rolaids Relief Man Award.
2000s
Enron Field opens on March 30, 2000 before an exhibition game with the New York Yankees...a record 3,056,139 fans passed through the turnstiles during the Astros' inaugural season at this new ballpark.
2000
History was made as the doors of sparkling-new Enron Field opened for the first time on March 30 before an exhibition game with the New York Yankees...a record 3,056,139 fans passed through the turnstiles during the Astros' inaugural season at their new ballpark...Houston finished the season at 72-90 to mark the club's first sub-.500 season since 1991...Jeff Bagwell set single-season franchise records with 47 homers and 152 runs scored...Bagwell ended the 2000 season having logged 310 career homers and became only the 87th major leaguer to reach the 300-homer plateau...the Astros set franchise records with 249 homers, 900 RBI and 938 runs scored...Tony Eusebio set a franchise record with a 24-game hitting streak that lasted nearly two months...Shane Reynolds was named to the All-Star team, marking his first career selection to the Mid-Summer Classic.
2001
The 2001 season went right down to the wire as the Astros clinched their fourth division title in five years with a 9-2 win over the Cardinals on October 7 in St. Louis...Craig Biggio became the first player in franchise history to log 2,000 hits and enters the 2002 season with 2,149 hits during his 14-year career...after toiling around the .500 mark with a 33-33 record on June 17, went on to finish the year at a 59-36 (.621) clip to edge the Cardinals for the division title...Major League Baseball announced that the Astros were awarded the 2004 All-Star Game...Moises Alou, Billy Wagner and Lance Berkman represented the Astros at the 72nd Mid-Summer Classic...Jeff Bagwell became the sixth player in MLB history to have 30 homers, 100 RBI and 100 runs scored in six straight seasons...after being swept by Atlanta in the NLDS, manager Larry Dierker resigned and was replaced by former Red Sox skipper Jimy Williams...upon the conclusion of the season, utility infielder Bill Spiers announced his retirement...the Astros were named Organization of the Year by SportsTicker, Topps, Baseball America and Baseball Weekly...Brad Ausmus received a Gold Glove award for defensive excellence at his position.
2002
By Houston standards, the 2002 season was a disappointment after the Astros finished with an 84-78 record, good for only second place in the NL Central division, behind the St. Louis Cardinals. Despite staying in the division race until the final two weeks of the season, the Astros wound up 13 games behind the Cardinals. However, that season was anything but forgettable. The Wade Miller-Roy Oswalt arsenal combined to go 34-13 on the year while stringing together 12 and nine-game winning streaks, respectively. ...Astros hurlers threw 10 shutouts in Houston to contribute to a 47-34 home record. ...on April 8, Craig Biggio hit for the cyle in Colorado, becoming the fifth player in franchise history to accomplish the feat. ...in May, the Astros retired Larry Dierker's No. 49 in a pregame ceremony. ....Lance Berkman represented the Astros at the 2002 All-Star game. ...Houston 's downtown ballpark was renamed Minute Maid Park when the Astros announced an agreement with the local beverage giant for naming rights on June 5. ...Berkman finished third in MVP voting and led the NL in RBIs. ...Brad Ausmus won his second consecutive Gold Glove award.
2003
The Astros were favorites to win the NL Central title to start the season behind young aces Wade Miller and Roy Oswalt and new acquisition Jeff Kent. But injuries intervened and Houston ended the season in second place, one game behind the Chicago Cubs. ...Craig Biggio made his second career position move and served as the club's primary center fielder. ...on June 11 at Yankee Stadium, six Astros pitchers combined to no-hit the Yankees for the 8-0 win: Roy Oswalt, Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel and Billy Wanger. ...it was the first time in Major League history that a team used five or more pitchers in a no-hitter. ...Biggio recorded his club-record 500th double on July 10 ....Wagner recorded a careeer-high and franchise record 44 saves and represented the team at the All-Star Game. ...Jeriome Robertson set the franchise record for a rookie with 15 wins, the most of all ML rookies. ...Richard Hidalgo was named team MVP and led the Majors with 22 outfield assists.
2004
The 2004 campaign began and ended with great expectations, with plenty of trying times in between. A season that started with so much promise turned into a mediocre effort that resulted in a .500 record at the All-Star break, leading to the dismissal of manager Jimy Williams. Three weeks after Phil Garner took over the managerial duties, the Astros began an unprecedented 36-10 run that leapfrogged them over five teams en route to the National League Wild Card. The Astros won their first postseason series in franchise history when they topped the Atlanta Braves, three games to two, in the Division Series. Despite being decimated by injuries that left them with only two proven starters -- Roy Oswalt and Roger Clemens (who won his seventh Cy Young Award) -- the Astros received valiant efforts from a slew of players who helped lead the team to the seventh game of the National League Championship Series. The Astros' historic run ended with a 5-2 Game 7 loss to the Cardinals, one game shy of their first-ever World Series berth.
2005
The Astros began the year with a list of problems that suggested this was going to be a long, and likely unsuccessful, season. Lance Berkman was out for a month following offseason knee surgery. Jeff Bagwell struggled through a painful first month before deciding it was time to go on the disabled list. Nearly one-third of the roster was hit with everything from the flu to pneumonia to upper respiratory infections that swept through the Astros' clubhouse. But the Astros recovered from their abysmal start to go 74-43 the rest of the year -- a .632 winning percentage over four months.
The Astros advanced to the World Series for the first time in franchise history after defeating the Cardinals four games to two in a rematch of the 2004 NLCS. The White Sox went on to sweep the Astros in four games to claim their first World Series since 1917. The Astros won the Wild Card for the second season in a row, finishing in second place in the NL Central division with a record of 89-73. The club started the season with a 2-21 record on the road, and overcame a 15-30 start on May 24 to become the first team since the 1914 Boston Braves to make the postseason after falling to 15 games below .500.
2006
In a thrilling finish to the season, the Astros spent the final two weeks chasing first-place St. Louis by winning 10 of the last 12 games. The club finished 82-80, in second place, 1 1/2 games behind the eventual World Champions, giving Houston its sixth consecutive winning season. Trailing the Cardinals by 8 1/2 games on Sept. 20, the Astros picked up eight game in eight days and moved to within a half-game of first place with three to play. But Houston would lose two out of three in Atlanta and miss the playoffs for the first time since 2003. The end of the season was similar to the club's hot start n April. The Astros won 19 of the first 28 games, which represents the best start in franchise history.
Lance Berkman made his fourth All-Star appearance and set the single-season franchise record with 136 RBIs. Roger Clemens returned for a third season on June 22 and finished 7-6 with a 2.30 ERA. Willy Taveras logged a 30-game hitting streak from July 27-Aug. 27, eclipsing Jeff Kent's franchise-best 25-game hitting streak in 2004. Roy Oswalt won the ERA crown with a 2.98 mark, while winning 15 games. He was the runner-up in the NL Cy Young Award voting. Adam Everett recorded the fourth-best fielding percentage by a shortstop in Major League history, holding down a .990 mark at the position.
2007
The club finished 73-89, in fourth place in the NL Central, 12.0 games behind division-winning Chicago. The Astros ended the season winning their last two games, five of six, eight of 11 and 10 of 15. The Astros finished 42-39 at home, marking the seventh consecutive season for the club to finish with a winning record at Minute Maid Park.
On September 20, the Astros named Ed Wade the 11th general manager in franchise history. In Wade, the Astros hired a man with prior GM experience (1998-2005, Philadelphia). On September 28, Houston named five-time Major League All-Star Cecil Cooper manager of the team, removing the interim designation from his title. Cooper is the 16th manager in Astros franchise history.
Houston finished the season with two 30-homer sluggers for the first time since 2002 (Berkman, Lee). Lee, in his first year with the Astros, drove in a career-high 119 runs after signing a six-year contract with the club. Rookie outfielder Hunter Pence hit 17 home runs for Houston, the third highest rookie total in club history.
Craig Biggio became the 27th player in Major League history to join the 3000-hit club on June 28 against the Colorado Rockies. Biggio, the only player to ever earn All-Star status as a catcher and second baseman, retired with 3,060 hits, the 20th highest total in Major League history. Biggio also finished his career with 285 hit-by-pitches, the most of any player in modern baseball history.
2008
The club finished 86-75, in third place in the NL Central, 11.0 games behind division-champion Chicago. Houston finished 3.5 games behind Milwaukee in the NL Wild Card race and was not eliminated from playoff contention until the season's 159th game. Houston's 42-24 second-half record led National League teams and was the second best in the Majors (Angels, 43-24). At 208-153, the Astros own baseball's fourth-best second-half record since 2004. The club won 12 of their last 20 games, as well as 20 of 29. Houston won a season-best 21 games in August and enjoyed season-high winning streaks of eight games, twice (8/7-14, 8/27-9/3).
Jose Valverde, acquired from Arizona on December 14, 2007, led the National League with 44 saves and tied Billy Wagner's franchise single-season saves record, previously set in 2003. Roy Oswalt went 17-10 and set the franchise record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched (32.1). Oswalt won 10 of his last 12 starts and has compiled a career Post-All-Star Break winning percentage of .770 (67-20), second best in MLB history (min. 50 wins). Houston pitchers compiled 13 shutouts, leading National League staffs. LaTroy Hawkins compiled a 0.43 ERA (21.0IP) after being acquired from the Yankees on July 30.
Lance Berkman enjoyed a 50-at-bat span in which he batted .620 (31x50). Berkman led the league with a .345 average with runners in scoring position and tied for the league lead with 46 doubles.
The Astros committed 67 errors, the fewest errors for any team in National League history (non-strike season). Shortstop Miguel Tejada, acquired from Baltimore on December 12, 2007, anchored the infield defense and committed a career-low 11 errors.
2009
The Astros finished 74-88 and in fifth place in the National League Central for their lowest division finish since coming in sixth place in the NL West in 1991. Houston was 19-29 and in last place on May 30, but went on a 30-27 run to get within one game of first place after completing a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals on July 22. Cecil Cooper was dismissed as manager with 13 games remaining and replaced on an interim bases by third-base coach Dave Clark. The Astros named Boston Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills as their full-time manager on Oct. 27 and later overhauled their coaching staff. Houston went 44-37 at home, giving them nine consecutive winning seasons at Minute Maid Park, which celebrated its 10th season. They went 456-351 at home during those 10 seasons, which was the fifth-best home record in the NL over that span. In a fan poll conducted by the Astros, Craig Biggio’s 3,000th career hit on June 28, 2007, was voted as the greatest moment in Minute Maid Park history.
The Astros became the first team in Major League history to have three players hit their 300th home run in the same season – Ivan Rodriguez on May 17 at Wrigley Field, Lance Berkman on June 13 at Arizona and Carlos Lee on Aug. 8 at Minute Maid Park. Rodriguez also set a Major League record by catching his 2,227th career game on June 17 at Texas, and Tejada reached 2,000 hits on June 13. Center fielder Michael Bourn became the second Astros outfielder to win a Rawlings Gold Glove (Cesar Cedeno). He was named the team’s Most Valuable Player by the Houston Chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of American after leading the NL with 61 stolen bases and hitting .285 with a .354 on-base percentage and hitting .353 with runners in scoring position.
2010s
2010
Under first-year manager Brad Mills, the Astros finished 76-86 and in fourth place in the National League Central, one game behind third-place Milwaukee. Mills lost his first eight games as manager and had another eight-game losing streak early in the season before the Astros rallied to go 59-52 over the final four months, which was the second-best record in the NL Central in that span. The Astros went 42-39 at home, marking their 18th home winning record in their last 19 seasons. Houston called up youngsters Jason Castro (catcher) and Chris Johnson (third base) from the Minor Leagues on June 22 and thrust them into the starting lineup. The dramatic roster changing continued when icons Roy Oswalt (to the Phillies) and Lance Berkman (to the Yankees) were both traded in a span of 48 hours at the Trade Deadline, signifying the end of an era and beginning the youth movement in earnest. Hitting coach Sean Berry was let go at the All-Star break and replaced with slugger Jeff Bagwell.
Center fielder Michael Bourn was selected to his first All-Star team and became the first Houston player to lead the league in steals two years in a row despite missing the final 13 games with an oblique strain. Hunter Pence overcame a slow start to post team Most Valuable Player honors by hitting .282 with 25 homers and a team-high 91 RBIs. It was his third consecutive year with 25 homers. Newcomer Brett Myers threw at least six innings in his first 32 starts, setting a club record en route to team Pitcher of the Year honors. Johnson hit .316 with 11 homers and 44 RBIs after the All-Star break. Brandon Lyon (20 saves) and Matt Lindstrom (23) became the fifth set of teammates in Major League history to record at least 20 saves in the same year. Wandy Rodriguez went 8-2 with an NL-best 2.03 ERA in his final 18 starts. Bagwell declined an offer to remain hitting coach following the season, and the Astros promoted Mike Barnett to the job after he had served as Minor League hitting coordinator for two years.
2011
The 2011 season was a season of transition for the Astros, who continued in their rebuilding process and wound up finishing in sixth place in the National League Central. The team, which dealt away All-Star outfielders Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn at the Trade Deadline in exchange for prospects, finished with a club-record 106 losses but saw a whopping 20 rookies get playing time at some point. In the second half of the season, many of those youngsters were playing key roles.
Veteran outfielder Carlos Lee led the team with 94 RBIs and starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez posted an 11-11 record, but it was the newcomers who made the most memorable impact. Outfielder J.D. Martinez, second baseman Jose Altuve, third baseman Jimmy Paredes and pitcher Jordan Lyles came up from the Minor Leagues and settled into starting roles and showed promise for the future. Martinez drove in 28 runs in August, and Altuve got hits in his first seven big league games.
Former first-round pick Brian Bogusevic finally showed some promise as an outfielder, including a walk-off grand slam to beat the Cubs, and Matt Downs established himself as a threat off the bench with a Major League-leading 15 pinch-hit RBIs. And the transitions on the field gave way to transitions off the field, too, when the team was sold to Houston businessman Jim Crane in November -- with the announcement the 2012 season would be the Astros' last in the NL -- and Jeff Luhnow took over as general manager in December.
2012
The Astros celebrated their 50th anniversary by playing their final season in the National League, setting a franchise record with 107 losses despite a strong finish in the final month of the season. The Astros finished 15-15 in their final 30 games. In 51 seasons as a NL club, Houston posted a 3,999-4,134 (.492) record, which ranked 8th in NL in that span, while qualifying for the postseason nine times and winning the NL Pennant in 2005.
Bo Porter was named as the team’s 17th manager on Sept. 27, with Tony DeFrancesco serving as interim manager for the final 41 games of the regular season after Brad Mills was dismissed on Aug. 18. Porter, a Houston resident, had served as the third-base coach for the Nationals.
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve was the second-youngest member of the NL All-Star team at 22 years old. He was also the second-youngest All-Star in Astros history behind Cesar Cedeno and wound up being named the team’s Most Valuable Player after leading all NL second baseman in steals (33), ranking second in hits (166) and third in batting average (.290).
Right-hander Lucas Harrell came out of nowhere to win 11 games in his rookie season, leading the team. He ranked second among all Major League rookies with 193 2/3 innings pitched – the third-highest total ever for an Astros rookie. He was the only NL rookie to throw a shutout.
The Astros became just the second team since 1991 to throw three consecutive shutouts by blanking the Brewers on Sept. 30 and the Cubs on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2. They didn’t allow more than four hits in any of those three games.
For the majority of the 2012 season, the Astros had the youngest roster in the NL. They used a club-record 50 different players, including 25 pitchers.
2013
The Astros’ first season in the American League had its ups and downs for the Astros, who dropped their final 15 games of the season to finish with a club-record 111 losses. For the fourth year in a row, the Astros traded away veteran players in July – pitchers Jose Veras and Bud Norris – in exchange for prospects as they continued to build their Minor League system into one of the best in baseball.
First-year manager Bo Porter said much of 2013 was spent identifying players who could make an impact for the club down the road. No player had a bigger breakout season than catcher Jason Castro, who made the AL All-Star team and was twice named Player of the Week and wound up hitting .276 with 18 homers and 56 RBIs in only 120 games.
Second baseman Jose Altuve was again one of the team’s top offensive performers, hitting .284 with 52 RBIs while stealing 35 bases. The Astros got a big lift from third baseman Matt Dominguez, who was second on the team behind Chris Carter with 21 homers and 77 RBIs while playing a terrific defensive third base. Youngsters like L.J. Hoes (outfield), Brandon Barnes (outfield), Robbie Grossman (outfield) and Jonathan Villar (shortstop) got their feet wet.
By the end of the season, the Astros’ youth was very apparent in their starting rotation, where Dallas Keuchel (25), Jordan Lyles (22), Brad Peacock (25), Brett Oberholtzer (23), and Jarred Cosart (23) provided hope for the future. Young arms like Josh Zeid, Josh Fields, Kevin Chapman and Chia-Jen Lo made good impressions in the bullpen, too.
2014
The Astros took a huge step forward on the field by going 70-92 in their second year in the American League, which was a 19-game improvement from 2013. While the starting rotation showed promise, the Astros improved across the board offensively thanks to big seasons from second baseman Jose Altuve and designated hitter Chris Carter and the arrival of highly touted rookie George Springer.
Altuve made his second All-Star team in three years - first in the AL - and enjoyed a breakout season in which he led the Major Leagues in batting (.341) to become the first Astros player to win a batting title. He led the Majors with 225 hits, smashing Craig Biggio's previous team record of 210 set in 1998. Altuve also led the AL in stolen bases (56) and the Majors in multi-hit games.
Springer, one of the club's top prospects, made his debut in April and was named AL Rookie of the Month for May, during which he hit seven homers in a seven-game span. A quad injury cost him the final two months of the season, but he still hit 20 homers and drove in 51 runs in only 78 games.
Carter, meanwhile, finished tied for second in the Majors with 37 homers, 23 of which came in a 52-game span between July 4 and Sept. 5. He batted .296 and led the Majors in slugging (.678), homers and RBIs (55) in that stretch.
On the mound, rookie Collin McHugh, a waiver pickup, went 11-9 with a 2.74 ERA in 25 starts, falling 7 1/3 innings shy of qualifying for league leaders in ERA. Lefty Dallas Keuchel did finish seventh in the AL in ERA (2.93) and led the league in complete games (five) while going 12-9 in 200 innings. Keuchel also won a Gold Glove.
Tom Lawless, a Minor League instructor, managed the club in September after manager Bo Porter and bench coach Dave Trembley were dismissed.
2015
Under first-year manager A.J. Hinch and only two years removed from losing 111 games, the Astros broke through for their first playoff appearance in 10 years by winning the second American League Wild Card, going 86-76. The Astros surprised the baseball world and jumped out to an 18-7 start and wound up spending 139 days in first place in the AL West.
The Astros beat the Yankees behind a gem by starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel to win the AL Wild Card at Yankee Stadium before losing in five games to the eventual World Series champion Kansas City Royals in the AL Division Series. The Astros led in all five games and were six outs away from eliminating the Royals in Game 4 before squandering a four-run lead in the eighth inning.
Keuchel went 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA in 33 starts and became the third Astros pitcher to win the Cy Young Award. He also won the MLBPA Players Choice Award for the AL Most Outstanding Pitcher, the Warren Spahn Award, which is given to the top left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, and his second consecutive Gold Glove Award.
Top prospect, shortstop Carlos Correa, made his long-awaited debut on June 8 and wound up winning the AL Rookie of the Year award after hitting .279 with 22 homers and 68 RBIs, setting a club rookie record for homers and a team single-season record for homers by a shortstop. Meanwhile, Jose Altuve became the first Astros player in history to have multiple 200-hit seasons, hitting .313 with 15 homers, 66 RBIs and a league-high 38 steals in addition to winning his first Gold Glove.
The Astros finished second in the Major Leagues in home runs and had a Major League-record-tying 11 players reach double-digit homers, led by designated hitter Evan Gattis (27), third baseman Luis Valbuena (25), outfielder Colby Rasmus (25), first baseman Chris Carter (24) and Correa. They turned a rare triple play on May 23 against the Tigers and on Aug. 21 saw pitcher Mike Fiers throw the team's 11th no-hitter in franchise history, against the Dodgers.
2016
The Astros missed the playoffs but posted consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 2005-06. After going 7-17 in April, they went 77-61 in the final 138 games, but still finished five games out of the postseason. José Altuve won his second batting title and finished third in the AL MVP voting after hitting .338 with 42 doubles, 24 homers and 96 RBIs. Lefty Dallas Keuchel won his third consecutive Gold Glove, and relief pitcher Will Harris joined Altuve in the All-Star Game. Lefty Dallas Keuchel won his third consecutive Gold Glove, while George Springer played in 162 games and hit 29 homers.
2017
The Astros won their first World Series title, beating the Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series, 5-1, at Dodger Stadium. The Astros beat two other iconic franchises – the Red Sox in the ALDS and the Yankees in the ALCS – en route to the championship. Outfielder George Springer was named World Series MVP, shaking off an 0-for-4/four-strikeout performance in Game 1 to hit five homers, including one in four consecutive games.
The city of Houston was ravaged Hurricane Harvey in August 2017 and rallied behind the Astros, who pulled off a last-second trade to get Justin Verlander from the Tigers on Aug. 31. The Astros surged in September and won their AL West by 21 games en route to a franchise-record 101 wins. They led the Majors in runs (896) for the first time and the most hits (1,581) and highest OPS (.823).
The Astros had six players in the All-Star Game, which was the most in franchise history – second baseman José Altuve, shortstop Carlos Correa, outfielder George Springer and pitchers Chris Devenski, Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers Jr. Altuve was named the AL MVP, joining Jeff Bagwell as the only MVP winners in club history. Altuve won his third batting title and posted his fourth 200-hit season.
2018
Coming off their first World Series championship, the Astros posted a club-record 103 wins – including a 12-game winning streak in June – and won their second consecutive AL West division title before losing to the eventual champion Red Sox in five games in the ALCS. The Astros finished the regular season with the best run differential in the Majors at plus-263, which was a franchise record, and they went 57-24 on the road, which was the second-best record on the road in the Majors since 1961.
The Astros had six All-Stars for the second year in a row – Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Gerrit Cole, Charlie Morton, George Springer and Justin Verlander. Bregman, who was the All-Star Game MVP, finished fifth in the AL MVP voting after becoming the first player in history to have 50 doubles and 30 homers while playing the majority of the season at third base. Verlander had his third runner-up finish in the AL Cy Young voting after going 16-9 with a 2.52 ERA and a career-high 290 strikeouts in 34 starts.
The Astros also set a MLB record for most strikeouts by a pitching staff (1,687) and allowed only 534 runs, which was the second-fewest by an AL team in a non-strike season since the DH started in 1973. They also committed only 63 errors, which is a franchise record for fewest in a season. Verlander, Morton and Cole each reached 200 strikeouts, and Verlander, Cole and Dallas Keuchel topped 200 innings pitched.
2019
The Astros roared to a club-record 107 wins – their third consecutive years of winning at least 100 games – and won the AL West for the third year in a row. The Astros beat the Rays in the Division Series, got a walk-off homer from José Altuve in Game 6 to eliminate the Yankees in the Championship Series before losing in seven games in the World Series to the Nationals. The home team lost every game in a best-of-seven series for the first time.
For the third year in a row, the Astros had six All-Stars -- outfielders Michael Brantley and George Springer, right-handers Ryan Pressly, Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander and third baseman Alex Bregman. Verlander reached 3,000 career strikeouts, threw his third no-hitter on Sept. 1 and won his second AL Cy Young Award. Verlander went 21-6 with a 2.58 ERA and edged out teammate Gerrit Cole (20-5, 2.50 ERA), who finished the season with a 16-game winning streak and led the majors with 326 strikeouts. Slugger Yordan Alvarez made his debut in June and won the AL Rookie of the Year. Alex Bregman hit .296 with 41 homers, 119 walks and 112 RBIs to finish a close second to Mike Trout in the AL MVP race.
At the plate, the Astros set a Major League record with a .495 slugging percentage and led the Majors in walks (645), batting average (.274) and on-base percentage (.352). They also allowed the second-fewest runs (640) in the Majors while ranking second in field percentage (.988). What’s more, Astros hitters led the league with fewest strikeouts (1,166) while their pitchers had the most (1,671).
2020
One of the most tumultuous offseasons in team history gave way to a strange regular season, in which the Astros went 29-31 in a 60-game regular season and still made the playoffs. They then came within a game of reaching the World Series for the third time in four years. About a month before the start of Spring Training, James Click was hired as general manager and Dusty Baker as manager to replace Jeff Luhnow and AJ Hinch, who were fired by owner Jim Crane on Jan. 13 in the wake of the sign-stealing scandal that rocked the sport.
After losing Gerrit Cole to the Yankees for the ‘20 season, the Astros got just one start out of 2019 Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, who injured his arm on Opening Day and eventually had Tommy John surgery. That was a sign of things to come as the Astros were rocked by injuries. Yordan Alvarez, the 2019 AL Rookie of the Year, played in only two games and eventually had surgery on both knees. The team also lost closer Roberto Osuna and relievers Chris Devenski, Brad Peacock and Austin Pruitt for all or most of the season and veteran reliever Joe Smith decided not to play.
Still, the Astros started 21-15 and were two games out of the lead in the AL West in early September. Houston’s offense faltered in the final month, though, and went 8-16 to close the season and saw their streak of AL West titles end at three in a row with the A’s winning the division. Because of injuries, 15 rookie pitchers were used, including 10 who made their Major League debuts. That included Cristian Javier, who finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.
The Astros came alive in the playoffs, sweeping the Twins in two games in the Wild Card round, beating the A’s in the Division Series in four games before losing in seven games to the Rays in the ALCS -- Houston’s fourth consecutive appearance in the ALCS. The Astros fell behind, 3-0, in the ALCS before rallying to force a seventh game, which they lost. George Springer, who was named team MVP by the Houston chapter of the BBWAA, hit four homers this postseason, giving him 19 in his postseason career, which ranks tied for fourth in MLB history. Jose Altuve had five postseason homers, giving him 18 in his career. Carlos Correa hit .362 and led the club in homers (six) and RBI (17) the postseason. A breakout season by lefty starter Framber Valdez (5-3, 3.57 ERA) earned him a down ballot Cy Young vote.
2021
The Astros went 95-67 and won their fourth AL West title in five seasons and advanced to the World Series for the third time in five years, losing in six games to the Braves in the Fall Classic. Astros manager Dusty Baker became the only manager to win five division titles. The Astros became the third team in MLB history to play in five consecutive LCS, beating the Red Sox in the ALCS by outscoring them 23-3 in the final three games of the series. Houston was an MLB-best 45-32 against teams finished above .500 and 49-27 against the AL West.
The Astros swept defending AL West champs Oakland in four games to start the season and went 21-5 during a 26-game stretch from May 30-June 26, winning 11 consecutive games during one stretch. They outscored opponents, 175-77, during those 26 games and took over first place for good when they beat the Orioles in Baltimore on June 21. They led the AL in runs, allowed the third-fewest runs in the AL and had the best fielding percentage in the Major Leagues.
First baseman Yuli Gurriel won the AL batting title and won his first Gold Glove, and shortstop Carlos Correa won the AL Gold Glove at shortstop and the AL Platinum Glove. In his first full season, DH Yordan Alvarez led the team in homers (33) and RBIs (104) while Kyle Tucker ranked third in the AL in OPS (.917) while hitting 30 homers with 92 RBIs. He led all players with 15 postseason RBIs. Rookie starting pitcher Luis Garcia finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting, while Lance McCullers Jr. reached career highs in wins (13), innings (162 ⅓) and strikeouts (185).
2022
The Astros won their second World Series title in six years, beating the Phillies in six games to polish off a dominant 11-2 run in the postseason that came on the heels of a 106-win regular season. The Astros won their fifth AL West title in six years, advanced to their sixth consecutive ALCS and won their fourth AL pennant since 2017.
Prior to beating the Phillies in the Fall Classic, the Astros swept the Mariners in the ALDS and the Yankees in the ALCS. Astros rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña was named MVP of the ALCS and World Series and even sealed Houston’s ALDS sweep over the Mariners with an 18th-inning homer for an epic 1-0 win in Game 3 in Seattle. Slugger Yordan Alvarez hit three go-ahead homers in the playoffs, including a 450-foot shot in the sixth inning of Game 6 of the Fall Classic and a stunning three-run, two-out, walk-off winner in Game 1 of the ALDS against Seattle.
In Game 4 of the World Series, the Astros threw the third no-hitter in postseason history, with Cristian Javier combining with three relievers to no-hit the Phillies. Astros manager Dusty Baker, in his 25th season, became the oldest manager to win a World Series after surpassing 2,000 career wins in May to move into ninth place on the all-time wins list.
After missing the 2021 season following Tommy John surgery, Justin Verlander went 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA to win his third AL Cy Young, leading an Astros pitching staff that topped the AL in ERA, strikeouts, opponents’ average and WHIP. Lefty starter Framber Valdez set a Major League record by throwing 25 consecutive quality starts, was the winning pitcher in the All-Star Game and finished fifth in the AL Cy Young race.
Jose Altuve (.300, 28 homers, 57 RBIs, 18 steals) made his eighth All-Star team and Alvarez (37 homers, 97 RBIs) and Kyle Tucker (30 homers, 25 steals, 107 RBIs) were first-time All-Stars for the Astros, while a healthy Alex Bregman had a rebound season that included 23 homers, 93 RBIs, 93 runs and 87 walks.