The Houston Astros and Texas Rangers entered this season two of the top title contenders in the American League, if not all of MLB. Their thrilling seven-game ALCS last October might as well have been the World Series. But they enter this weekend on opposite ends of the AL West standings, and in the midst of inauspicious stretches of baseball.
The Rangers have lost four of five, including dropping a series to Oakland, while the Astros were just swept by Kansas City. In other words, they both really need to win this weekend.
As the intrastate rivals prepare to meet three times at Minute Maid Park, including Saturday on FS1 at 4:05 p.m. ET, check out some pregame reading courtesy of FOXSports.com!
MLB Roundtable: Do the Rangers really have a better roster than the Astros? Who has the better lineup? The more clutch hitter? Rowan Kavner and Deesha Thosar answer five burning questions ahead of this weekend’s showdown in Houston.
MLB Buy or Sell? Kavner examines 10 popular MLB takes from the first two weeks of the season — and declares whether he’s buying or selling them.
What’s wrong with the Astros? Houston has had some recent slow starts, but its 4-10 mark is the franchise’s worst since 2013. Is there a real cause for concern? Thosar identifies three reasons why the Astros are falling — and might have a tough time getting back up.
The UCL epidemic: An uncanny number of pitchers have suffered serious elbow injuries of late, and Ben Verlander says the cause for this is clear.
How did Blake Snell end up in San Francisco? The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner was expected to sign a long-term deal for somewhere in the range of $200 million this winter. So, why did Snell settle for a deal with the Giants in which he’ll likely opt out after this season? Kavner spoke with Snell 1-on-1 about his curious free-agent odyssey.
Juan Soto loves New York. And if his brief tenure with his new team is any indication, he also loves playing for the Yankees. Thosar has the inside story on how Soto has made himself right at home in pinstripes.
Players of the week: Who were baseball’s best at each position? Verlander reveals his latest choices.
Power rankings: Who’s the best team in baseball? That’s debatable, with a few clubs having a solid case to make that claim. Naturally, there’s been a bit of a shakeup in Verlander’s weekly top 10.
Want more betting angles? Check out the FOX Sports gambling crew’s best World Series futures bets here, and check out our betting hub for all the latest MLB odds!
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