Are the Houston Astros contenders or pretenders in the battle for the 2022 World Series title?

As we approach the end of the 2022 regular season, the Houston Astros have asserted themselves as one of the top teams in the MLB. This season has seen highs and lows for many teams, but the Astros have remained consistently great. With a wealth of experienced players and young talent, it would be difficult to bet against the Astros.

Yordan Alvarez has played like an MVP candidate, and he may even have been the frontrunner, if not for Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman have been their usual great selves and bring their veteran leadership to the team. Rookie Jeremey Pena has been an absolute sensation and is a contender for Rookie of the Year.

Even their trade deadline acquisition from the Baltimore Orioles, Trey Mancini, has been brilliant.

"Trey Mancini had 10 home runs in 92 games with the Orioles this season. Trey Mancini already has 6 home runs through his first at bat in his 18th game with the Houston Astros" - RJ Ochoa

With the top record in the American League and the second-best record overall, they are bonefide contenders. Not only that, but they also a team peaking at the ideal time. With the American League West crown all but secured, the Astros are a team that nobody wants to face in the postseason.

The Houston Astros could be the favorites to win the American League

With a winning record against the AL East-leading New York Yankees, there are few teams with a better resume than the Astros. Pairing their immense talent with postseason experience makes them extremely dangerous.

Since it has been five years since the last Astros World Series championship, the veterans are hungry to win again. Especially since some would argue that the 2017 championship victory has an asterisk attached.

At this point in the season, the Astros have the best record in the history of their franchise.

This has been a tremendous season for the Houston Astros, who hope to cap it off with a championship.

The Astros have a chance to write their own history without being mired in any controversy. They have all the tools needed to win the World Series in 2022, the only question is how they'll play in October. If history is anything to go off of, they'll be able to keep this very high level of play going till the last game of the season.