Astros fans mock ESPN for suggesting that other teams are tired of their club: "That's gotta be the greatest compliment"

The Houston Astros are set to make another deep run toward the World Series. After the Minnesota Twins defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Wild Card Series, the Astros will be welcoming former teammate Carlos Correa and the Twins to Minute Maid Park, with the first game set to kick off on Saturday.

Even though the Astros are the reigning World Series champions, they have a long way to go before garnering fans' support across the league. The team has been involved in several controversial incidents, which certain fanbases may never forgive.

While there are some obvious reasons why some would actively be cheering against Houston, ESPN writer David Schoenfield has presented another reason why fans should cheer against the Astros.

In a recent article, Schoenfield suggested that fans across the MLB have grown tired of the Astros' success. In a similar way to the New England Patriots of the NFL, Schoenfield has said that fans should route for a new team to stand atop the MLB landscape.

Although this is discouraged among sports fans, Schoenfield has suggested that supporters of teams that have already been eliminated should consider the dreaded word "bandwagon." He mentioned cheering for teams such as the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, and Minnesota Twins, who have either never won a title or it has been some time since their last World Series victory.

Naturally, fans of the team have jumped all over this piece, not only saying that these are the words and sentiments of haters but also the ultimate compliment to a team that has enjoyed so much success in recent years.

A look at the Houston Astros' run of success over the last decade

After a stretch from 2011 to 2014, when the club was among the worst teams in all of baseball, the franchise completely turned things around. Aside from the shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Houston has not finished below .500 since 2014, reaching the World Series four times during that span.

In those four appearances, Houston won the title twice (2017 and 2022) while also finishing with 100 more wins four times in the past six full seasons (excluding 2020). Houston will enter their ALDS matchup against Minnesota as the betting favorites, so we may not have seen the last of the club just yet.