Many fans and analysts predicted before the start of the season that the Houston Astros would be in the hunt for the postseason and were true contenders. Clearly they weren’t that far off. The Astros beat the Dodgers in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series to take home their first ever championship. Back in 2014, an issue of Sports Illustrated predicted that the Astros, who were one of baseball’s struggling franchises, would win the World Series this year. At the time, that was considered ridiculous and a huge long shot. In those three years, Houston went from worst to first. How could a team rebuild and win a World Series in such a short span?

The answer to that is quite simple. Second baseman José Altuve was blossoming into the MVP candidate and All-Star that he’s proven to be now. A young ace had emerged on the mound in the form of Dallas Keuchel. Outfielder George Springer made his MLB debut and set the league ablaze quickly. The buzz continued to grow each year until they finally pushed past the Los Angeles Dodgers to capture that elusive title this year. Will Houston remain victorious next year? That may not be as out of reach as it seems.