It's mid June and the Houston Astros maintain a 2.5-game lead over the Texas Rangers for first place in the 2015 American League West. I expect the division standings to remain competitive all year along with the Angels who are only 4.5 games back. The Mariners and Athletics are a little further out at the moment (8.5 and 10.5 games back). That will allow me to cheer for the Mariners and Athletics to win when they play the Rangers and Angels a lot more times this season. The Astros still play all of those teams a lot more times as well. So to say the division will be settled anytime soon would be wrong of me to do.

It would be nice if the Astros could build a bigger lead. Their biggest lead in the division this year was a whopping seven games back in late April when they had won a season high ten games in a row. A couple of long winning streaks had fueled their first place status this season but they don't have much room for error at this time. A recent seven-game losing streak cost them a lot of ground. Since then they have won three out of four games to remain in first place.

The Astros, currently 10 games over .500 at 38-28, have been an interesting team to watch so far this season. I've been enjoying every game and for the first time since at least 2008, I can honestly say that Major League Baseball is fun for me to watch again. The Astros have arguably the most talented young team in the entire Major Leagues. Perhaps fans of the Chicago Cubs would disagree but I stand by my opinion.

They are receiving big contributions from several rookies this year, including highly touted shortstop Carlos Correa who's only 20 years old and he's already showcasing his amazing defense, strong hitting and excellent speed. 21-year-old Lance McCullers Jr. is looking like the best Astros' rookie starting pitcher since Roy Oswalt back in 2001. He can clock in the high 90's with his fastball and throws a superb slider to go along with a solid curve and changeup. Those two rookies are the most impressive and certainly it wouldn't shock anybody if they both become superstars, much less all-star players, for many years to come. Just the fact they are both so young and already showing some sensational play is amazing.

Second year player George Springer got off to a slow start this year but ever since manager A.J. Hinch inserted him into the lead-off spot in the batting order he's been amazing. Raising his batting average from .190 to .267, after he started leading off, and an on-base percentage of .369 for the season. As a lead-off hitter alone his numbers are even better (hitting over .320 and OBP over .400). He has hit 10 home runs and stolen 13 bases this year.

Dallas Keuchel (8-2, 2.02 ERA) continues to dazzle as one of the best starting pitchers in all of baseball. His 2.02 ERA is excellent and that's despite his recent struggles. He could very easily have 12 wins total right now (4 tough luck no decisions), but the bullpen, mostly Chad Qualls, blew three of his late-inning leads and another one he lost himself. Keuchel has a chance to start for the American League in the 2015 all-star game.

I don't know if the Houston Astros will win the 2015 American League West but I certainly think they'll have a good chance as long as they stay healthy. Who knows, they may even win a wild-card spot even if they lose their first place division lead. If nothing else this has been a fun year and for the first time in several years I'll go into the NFL season not just thinking about the Houston Texans. I may actually have playoff baseball to look forward to this September and October.

The trading deadline is on July 31. Still a long way to go until then. I expect the Houston Astros to make a big trade that will put them over the top as a legitimate playoff team. They could clearly use another veteran starting pitcher. Whether it's Cole Hamels from the Phillies, Johnny Cueto from the Reds, Scott Kazmir from the Athletics or even Jeff Samardzija from the White Sox, I think they'll end up landing one of those guys before it's all said and done. My preference of which one of those guys I'd want would probably be in that order as well.

Carlos Correa is hitting .359 with 3 home runs and 7 RBIs in the 9 games he has played in the Major Leagues so far. His OPS is 1.016. It's only a sample size and you don't expect a 20-year-old rookie to just tear the cover off the ball (young players tend to struggle) but he's clearly a special talent. Not just his offensive abilities but his defense at shortstop has been sensational to watch. He makes a great play to rob a hit every game it seems like. All the routine plays he makes with ease. His speed on the bases is as good as any on the team.

George Springer and Carlos Correa are hitting 1 and 2 in the lineup and both of them are carrying the team. In last night's 8-4 road win over the Colorado Rockies they both combined to go 6-for-10 (3-5 each) with a home run and 4 RBIs. That offensive production is essential, especially with Jose Altuve missing more games with a hamstring injury. The Astros are trying to win their fifth game in a row today. Struggling starter Collin McHugh (6-3, 5.08 ERA) is on the mound.. Despite his decent record he's been the Astros' worst starting pitcher due to his recent struggles. Hopefully he can pitch a good game today.

Houston pushed its lead over the third-place Angels to 5.5 games but the Texas Rangers remain only 2.5 games out in second place. The Rangers have the best record in all of baseball since May 1, but with a win today the Astros can improve to an American League best in wins with a 40-28 record. All the Astros can do is try and win their own games. We can't worry too much about what the Rangers are doing. Too much baseball is left to be played this year.

Ultimately, I think two teams from the AL West will make the playoffs this year. One as a wild-card team. But the Houston Astros haven't won a division championship since 2001 when they used to play in the National League Central. It's been way too long (14 years) since that happened. When they reached the 2005 World Series and 2004 NLCS it was as a wild-card team. So I'd like to see them win the 2015 American League West.

The Astros lead all of baseball with 95 home runs hit as a team so far this year. The next closest team only has 84. They may have six guys hit 20 or more home runs this year. The long ball is definitely their bread and butter. They hit four more home runs last night: Carlos Correa, Preston Tucker, Chris Carter and Jake Marisnick. When the Astros hit two home runs or more in a game they rarely lose, 27-6 record.

But in order to have long-term success it's going to be the starting pitching, fueled by Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers, that carries them to a potential postseason run. Their bullpen has been pretty good all year long. 4th best bullpen ERA in all of baseball with a 2.61 ERA. Like I mentioned before they'll likely try to acquire a veteran starting pitcher before the July 31 trading deadline to further boost their playoff hopes.

Another 8-4 road win against the Rockies. I'll certainly take it even if it felt like a Groundhog Day stemming from last night. That's now five wins in a row for the Astros and a 40-28 record. Domingo Santana's three-run homer put the game away in the top of the 8th. Preston Tucker added a solo shot, along with an RBI double and RBI groundout, earlier in the ballgame.

Domingo Santana, 22-year-old outfielder who was just called up a few games ago, is another rookie making some nice contributions in his brief time up in the big leagues. He's hitting .500 with 1 HR and 4 RBIs in his two games played this year. That three-run homer was the first of his career. George Springer increased his hitting streak to eleven games and Carlos Correa, five-game hitting streak, doubled and stole another base. He also scored two runs. He's been living up to the hype as a highly touted rookie shortstop. I'm yet to see any weaknesses in his game.

The first place Astros are full of rookies and second-year players that all possess a lot of talent. They also have several more good prospects in the minor leagues. This bodes well for the future. Their best player, Jose Altuve, isn't even playing right now with a sore hamstring and they are still winning plenty of games without him.

Collin McHugh struggled early in the game after giving three runs in the first inning but he settled down to produce a quality start. He only allowed one hit over the next five innings to pitch six strong frames for the win. He's now 7-3 on the year with a 5.04 ERA. He definitely is a feast or famine pitcher but when he's in command of his breaking pitches he's more than capable of pitching well.

The Astros aim for six wins in a row tomorrow night at Seattle. Rookie sensation Lance McCullers (3-1, 2.00 ERA) will be making the start. Hopefully the Dodgers can beat the Rangers tonight so the Astros can increase their first place lead to 3 5 games. But either way the Astros are starting to get on another one of those rolls and there's plenty of young talent to fuel them for the long haul. This is a young Astros team that will be a force to be reckoned with for a long time.

Win or lose, I go into every game having a lot of fun watching this 2015 Houston Astros team. It's been a very long time, since at least 2008 and likely 2006 and 2005 (when they reached the World Series as a wild-card team), since I could say that. But in terms of young talent this is definitely the best Astros team of all-time.

Their 40-28 record is the second best start in franchise history. The 1998 Astros started off 40-24 and won a franchise best 102 games. But that 1998 team was full of experienced veterans including a couple of Hall of Famers like Craig Biggio and Randy Johnson. Jeff Bagwell should become a third Hall of Famer that played on that 1998 team.. This 2015 Astros team has several rookies and second-year players. Four of them are 22 years old or younger. So that is why I say this is the best young team in franchise history. Key word being "young."

The Houston Texans reached a two-year contract extension worth $22 million dollars (roughly half of that guaranteed) with former all pro cornerback Johnathan Joseph. While I like the move it's a bit surprising to me after they had drafted cornerback Kevin Johnson in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. They had already re-signed their other starting cornerback Kareem Jackson to a four-year deal.

When they drafted Kevin Johnson, who is looking good in off-season workouts already, I had assumed they were going to lose either Joseph or Jackson, or both. For now they're loading up on secondary help which I guess is a good move considering the Indianapolis Colts have a great passing attack and added future hall of fame wide receiver Andre Johnson in free agency (slap in the face to the Texans), to go along with T.Y. Hilton and Phillip Dorsett.

It's going to be a challenge to slow down superstar quarterback Andrew Luck and all of his wide receiver weapons in 2015 but the Houston Texans are building as much depth as possible on the defensive side of the ball. Not only will they have a talented secondary but J.J. Watt and Vince Wilfork will anchor what I believe is the best defensive line in the NFL. Jadeveon Clowney and Brian Cushing are expected to contribute big things this year, at linebacker, coming off their serious injuries last year.

If things go well in 2015 the Texans may have the best defense in the NFL. Whether or not they can make the playoffs, be it a wild card berth or perhaps even take down the Indianapolis Colts for the AFC South title, will largely depend on their young offense and question marks at the quarterback position. Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer will battle it out for the starting job this training camp and preseason.

It should be an interesting time to follow the Houston Texans as HBO will feature them on the reality series "Hard Knocks" which premiers on August 11. Also the Texans first preseason game is on August 15 against the San Francisco 49ers at NRG Stadium. That just so happens to be on my birthday so I would expect the Texans to win that game even though the game will not count in the standings.

Through all the injuries last year and inconsistencies from the quarterback position the 2014 Houston Texans still finished 9-7 and barely missed the playoffs. The Baltimore Ravens had to win their final game against the Cleveland Browns otherwise the Texans would have made the playoffs as a wild-card team with so many good players on IR (injured reserve).

So there is at least some optimism heading into the 2015 season. This was a pretty competitive team last year with so many weaknesses at several positions. J.J. Watt, the one man army, aka Mr. Chuck Norris on the football field, won a lot of games by himself with his dominating defensive play as well as Touchdown catches playing a little tight end inside the red zone. It's a shame he finished a distant second to Aaron Rodgers in the MVP voting for 2014. Maybe he'll actually win it in 2015. Well, not really, as I don't believe a defensive player will ever win the NFL MVP ever again. Lawrence Taylor was the last to do so back in 1986. It's a quarterback's league now a days and quite frankly it's been that way for the past three decades. Andrew Luck of the Colts is more likely to win the NFL MVP award before J.J. Watt does.

This post was edited by Madmartigan on Jun 19 2015 01:45am

What a strange turn of events last night but that's the way baseball goes sometimes. The Rangers were trailing 1-0 going to the top of the ninth at Chicago against the White Sox. Starting pitcher Chris Sale was mowing down Texas hitters all game long, to the tune of 14 strikeouts and only two hits allowed, but White Sox manager Robin Ventura, decided to take him out after 111 pitches despite the fact he threw 125 pitches in his last start. Naturally their closer David Robertson gives up two runs in the ninth inning and they lose the game 2-1. Chicago fans were booing Robin Ventura's decision and naturally so. You could probably hear Houston fans booing that decision as well.

Meanwhile, at the exact same time the White Sox took a 1-0 lead going to the ninth inning against the Rangers the Astros took a 1-0 lead at Seattle on a leadoff home run by George Springer. He laced the first pitch he saw over the left field wall. It looked like the Astros had a chance to increase their division lead to 4.5 games, especially with rookie phenom Lance McCullers on the mound. But strangely despite having excellent stuff (97 MPH fastball) his command was off and he threw too many balls. The Mariners took advantage of his wildness, including loading the bases with no outs in the first inning, on their way to a 5-2 win.

Needless to say that lady luck isn't on the Astros side right now, at least not like it has been for the Texas Rangers, even though they put together a five-game winning streak prior to that loss last night. When you come off a seven-game losing streak just a few weeks ago it doesn't really do much. You need about a ten-game winning streak just to feel good again.

The Astros' division lead in the American League West is back to only 2.5 games over the Rangers. Let's see what happens at Seattle tonight in another 9:10 PM start time. Houston's best starter, Dallas Keuchel (8-2, 2.04 ERA), is on the mound so you have to like their chances to put last night behind them. Also the White Sox have a 3-0 lead in the top of the 5th over the Rangers as they play this afternoon. If things go well the Astros will have a chance to be back to 3.5 games over the Rangers but after what happened last night I'm not counting on that until it actually happens. As I write this the Rangers have two runners on base and no outs with the tying run at the plate. So the White Sox may be on the verge of blowing another lead.

This post was edited by Madmartigan on Jun 20 2015 01:46pm

The Astros should feel fortunate to still be 2.5 games ahead in first place. Another tough loss last night at the hands of the Mariners. Thankfully the Rangers and Angels both lost otherwise their division lead would only be 1.5 games. I guess they really do need Jose Altuve back in the lineup. He should return in a couple more days from that sore hamstring. Their offense has been inconsistent to say the least, on pace to shatter the record for most strikeouts in a season, and the pitching has been particularly wild during the past two road trips. Walking too many batters and trying to nibble around the corners of the strike zone way too much.

Dallas Keuchel walked a season high four batters, gave up five hits and five earned runs, over six laboring innings last night in the 6-3 loss at Seattle. He now falls to an 8-3 record on the season. His ERA is still a formidable 2.35 but he hasn't pitched well, especially on the road, over his last handful of starts. This recent slump will likely cost Dallas Keuchel the starting nod for the American League in the all-star game. The entire team has been "pretty average at best" for the entire past month as well.

I don't know how much longer the Astros will remain in first place. They've been in first place since April 19 and we're getting close to July which is usually the time we can tell who the contenders and pretenders are. They're literally limping their way around the field at times, but other times they look like a solid ball club and they'll go on a nice little winning streak to stay afloat.

As of now they're only 2.5 games ahead of the Rangers, 4.5 games ahead of the Angels and 7.5 games ahead of the Mariners, who after these past two wins over the Astros, are inching back into contention themselves. We'll see what happens over the next few weeks. I'd be surprised if the Astros reach the all-star break still in first place the way things have been going lately.

Hopefully once Jose Altuve, last year's batting champion, returns to the lineup the Astros will start to get hot again. George Springer and Carlos Correa have been carrying the offense but two good hitters isn't enough especially when one or both have a tough night. At least with three consistently solid hitters you are more likely to sustain better production at the plate.

Every day provides a new game. A new chance to win. Being in first place is still first place regardless of how you got there.

A much needed 6-2 Astros win at Seattle to avoid the sweep. Colby Rasmus hit a two-run homer and George Springer added a solo shot. Evan Gattis and Luis Valbuena also provided RBI singles. The Rangers and Angels both lost so the Astros increased their AL West division lead to 3.5 games over the Rangers, 5.5 games over the Angels and 8.5 games over the Mariners.

At 41-30 the first place Astros continue to do just enough to stay on top even when they seem to struggle and go through a little funk. Hopefully the return of Jose Altuve will spark them to new heights on the season and they can start to run away with this division. Altuve is expected to return tomorrow night as the Astros start a three-game series on the road against the Los Angeles Angels at Anaheim.

The Texas Rangers have Monday off so an Astros win tomorrow night against the Angels would increase their division lead to 4 games over the Rangers and 6.5 games over the Angels. It's a big opportunity to create some decent space again. Brett Oberholtzer (2-1, 2.73 ERA) is on the mound for the Astros. The left-hander has been quite effective since returning from the disabled list.

It's nice to see Jose Altuve back in the Astros starting lineup tonight. He's hitting third after the red hot Springer and Correa.

1. George Springer (R) CF
2. Carlos Correa (R) SS
3. Jose Altuve (R) 2B
4. Evan Gattis (R) DH
5. Colby Rasmus (L) LF
6. Chris Carter (R) 1B
7. Domingo Santana (R) RF
8. Marwin Gonzalez (S) 3B
9. Jason Castro (L) C

Tonight's game against the Angels on the road is a big one. It would be nice to win this three-game series. Brett Oberholtzer will likely have his hands full trying to slow down superstars Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, but I'm feeling confident the Astros will find a way to win. This is a big division game and a chance to gain some ground on second place Texas and third place Los Angeles is on the line.

Angels starting pitcher, left hander Hector Santiago, has good number this year but he's failed to pitch into the sixth inning and is winless during his last four starts. Hopefully that trend will continue. The Astros have a good bench tonight with Luis Valbuena and Preston Tucker, two guys with power, available as a pinch hitter since neither is starting.

The Astros followed a frustrating 4-3 loss on Monday Night, a game that slipped away in the late innings with a couple of costly errors in the field, with a convincing 13-3 rout of the Angels last night. The sensational 20-year-old rookie phenom, Carlos Correa (.308 BA, 4 HRs with 11 RBIs in his 15 games), smashed a three-run homer and dazzled in the field like he does every game at shortstop. Luis Valbuena hit two home runs to increase his season total to 19 home runs which is tied for second best in the American League. Collin McHugh improved his record to 8-3 and actually lowered his ERA to 4.80. Despite an inconsistent year, in which he's had a couple of awful starts, he's still on pact to win 18 games this year which would be pretty good for a guy no other team but the Astros wanted a little over a year ago.

That's the type of resiliency this team has shown all year long. Every time they have a setback, and their worst funk of the year has been a seven-game losing streak, they always respond with an impressive win and stay in first place by a handful of games. Surprisingly the Rangers have lost three games in a row so the Astros are now 4 games ahead of the Rangers, 5.5 games ahead of the Angels and 8.5 games ahead of the Mariners.

Today's rubber game at Anaheim at 2:30 PM in the afternoon will feature Lance McCullers (3-2, 2.45) going up against Matt Shoemaker (4-5, 5.20 ERA). This is definitely a game the Astros have to win. Lance McCullers has ace-like stuff and a dominating fastball (he has to learn how to mix in his breaking balls), but as a rookie he's been having some tough luck lately. Hopefully he can pick up his 4th win of the year and the bats can back him up.

The July 31 trading deadline is still far away. The Astros just need to remain in first place and keep grinding out wins. The closer the deadline approaches the more urgency they'll have to acquire a big name starting pitcher. One more reliable starter would put this team over the top as a dangerous playoff contender that clinches the 2015 American League West title with a strong second half of the season.

For now the only thing that can be done is winning games and watching the young players shine. A 42-31 record is certainly "pretty good" at this point in the season. Most people predicted the Astros to only win 75 games this year. I'd like to see the Astros reach 50 wins before 34 losses. The all-star break isn't that far away. At some point the Astros have to reach 15 or 20 games over .500 and really take control of this division. They certainly should be aiming for bigger goals instead of worrying about what the other teams in this division is doing. When you rest on your success that is when it all falls apart. You have to stay hungry and motivated every game.

Houston Astros: I'm proud of the resiliency they continue to show this year. They lost two out of three at Anaheim, nearly swept the three-game series, but two of the losses were by one run (a 13-inning heartbreaker included), but they didn't panic or feel down on themselves like some young teams would do.

They came back to Houston to start a four-game series with a good Yankees team and won 4-0 behind Dallas Keuchel's masterful complete game shutout. He had a career high 12 strikeouts and Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees said after the game, "Keuchel was as good as any pitcher I've faced. Complete domination." Dallas Keuchel is pretty much unbeatable at home this season, 7-0 record and 1.39 ERA. 0 home runs allowed at Minute Maid Park.

The Astros are 5 games ahead of both the Rangers and Angels, and 9 games ahead of both the Mariners and Athletics. All four teams directly behind them are pretty bunched up in the standings. If only the Astros had swept the Angels or won two out of three, rather than lose two of the games by one run, they could have already ran away with this AL West division but they are still in pretty good shape with a 43-32 record.

Houston Rockets: Sam Dekker (6'9, 230 small forward) was selected at pick #18 by the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft. 21-year-old Sam Dekker decided to forgo his senior season with the Wisconsin Badgers to enter the NBA Draft. This, after the Badgers finished second in the NCAA Tournament — losing to Duke in the NCAA Championship game. With the 32nd pick, the Rockets selected Montrezl Harrell (6'8, 240 power forward) from the University of Louisville. He won the Karl Malone award for being recognized as the nation's best power forward this past season.

While the Rockets have a logjam at power forward and small forward on their current roster it's safe to say they have a future trade in the works. They have been rumored to be shopping the likes of Terrence Jones and Trevor Ariza, possibly to lure a bigger name free agent, via a sign-and-trade deal. The Rockets still need a point guard upgrade and are trying to sign Sergio Llull from Real Madrid's championship team in Europe.

The Rockets lost to the eventual NBA Champion Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals this past year without having their starting power forward Donatas Motiejunas and starting point guard Patrick Beverley. Both players missed the entire playoffs with season-ending injuries. But the Rockets aren't going to count on both players moving forward. They may lose Beverley in free agency and D-Mo has always been a tradeable asset. I wouldn't be shocked if neither player is back next season although D-Mo has shown amazing progress as a legitimate post scorer at the power forward position.

The Houston Rockets aren't far away from having an NBA championship team which makes free agency starting next week critical.

Houston Texans: J.J. Watt is hungry for an NFL record third straight 20-sack season. In fact, he sees himself shattering the single season record with 30 sacks in 2015. It's crazy to think about but I wouldn't doubt him having 25 sacks. I don't know about 30, that's video game stuff, but we'll see. The Texans defense is looking dominating on paper. J.J. Watt is the best defensive player in the NFL. Vince Wilfork is a veteran beast at nose tackle and their defensive line will likely be the best 3-4 defensive line you can put together.

Brian Cushing and Jadeveon Clowney both are progressing well after coming off major injuries last year. Cushing says he's feeling the best he has since he last made the all pro team back in 2011. Jadeveon Clowney will be ready to participate in training camp starting in late July. The secondary is talented with veterans and youth alike. The Texans have a defense capable of being something special to watch this year.

Offensively, rookie wide receiver Jaelen Strong (6'2, 217) out of Arizona State, who they drafted in the third round, is eager to make a big splash as a rookie this year. Trying to fill the shoes of Andre Johnson won't be easy but this kid isn't overwhelmed with high expectations. I watched him in practice a couple times already and he has all the tools to become a very good player. Brian Hoyer likely has a leg up on Ryan Mallett for the starting quarterback job, due to his experience, but that won't be determined until after the preseason. The Texans will need better quarterback play than what they got last year if they expect to make the playoffs. Even though Arian Foster figures to carry the load in the running game.

If you are a hardcore Houston sports fan like me you should feel excited about all three of the major sports. The Astros have a good chance to reach the MLB postseason for the first time since 2005. The Rockets are looking to take that next step and reach the 2016 NBA Finals next June after losing in the 2015 Western Conference Finals this past year (2nd best team in West). And the Texans, while they may have some question marks on offense, are looking to have one of the best defenses in the entire league for 2015. They could become a playoff team this season. Certainly that shouldn't shock anybody.

This is the first time, at least since the Houston Texans entered the NFL as an expansion team in 2002, that the Astros, Rockets and Texans all have competitively strong and good teams at the same time. All three of them are producing winning records. All three of them could make the playoffs in the same year as well. That obviously has never happened before and it's going to likely be up to the Texans to complete that task in 2015. I'm extremely confident in the Astros clinching the 2015 American League West division and playing some playoff baseball this October.