In June 2014, Sports Illustrated predicted the Houston Astros would win the 2017 World Series. They finished with 92 losses that season, which came on the heels of three straight years with at least 106 losses.
In August 2017, the publication infamously wondered if the Los Angeles Dodgers were the best team ever. A historic losing streak — 16 of 17 — came soon after. Yet, the Astros and Dodgers take the field Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium for Game 1 of the World Series.
It’s a 19th trip to the Fall Classic for the Dodgers, and just the second for the Astros. Houston has so much to win a World Series game in their franchise history.
Nonetheless, the teams share plenty of similarities. Even some hiccups, Houston and Los Angeles more times than not were regarded as the top team in their respective leagues.
“From the first week of April to the end of September I felt top to bottom we were the best team,” Dallas Keuchel said on the eve of his Game 1 start. “I give tremendous credit to Cleveland for winning 22 straight. But it took a 22-game winning streak to even catch us in the standings. When you take a step back and look at that, that means we were playing really well.
“Personally I thought we were the best team from start to finish, and I thought the Dodgers were the best team in the National League start to finish. So this is going to be a great matchup.”
The Astros were a remarkable 42-16 through June 5. They boasted the best record in baseball until the Dodgers went on a 43-7 run, the first such stretch since 1912. Los Angeles improved to a season-best 55 games over .500 on Aug. 25.
The World Series matchup is only the eighth in MLB history between two teams that each won at least 100 games during the regular season. It’s the first since the Baltimore Orioles and Cincinnati Reds met for the title in 1970.
Regardless of the outcome, Sports Illustrated could lay some claim to being expert prognosticators within the next week or so. “I wouldn’t have predicted that,” Keuchel said of the 2014 cover.
“And I was seeing some quality players. But kudos to SI. It’s almost come full circle. We’ve still got four wins yet, but that cover, if we do win, it’s going to make somebody really, really famous.”
