The New York Yankees could be looking at another familiar October obstacle if they make it through the American League bracket. They have met the Houston Astros in four different playoffs, and every time, the latter has come out on top. The current season looks quite different, with the Yankees having 90+ wins and Houston’s playoff fate hanging by a thread. Yet, former MLB players offer a stern warning to the most successful franchise in the league’s history.

“They have to beat them sometime. They can’t keep losing to Jose Altuve’s Astros,” Erik Kratz said in a recent Foul Territory podcast. “Like, they have to get over that hump.”

The first time the Yankees encountered the Astros in a postseason fixture was in the 2015 Wild Card Series. MLB still had the 1-game decider back then, and Houston won it with a 3-0 score. The remaining three were the ALCS. The Astros won 4-3 in 2017 and 4-2 in 2019. Their most recent playoff encounter came in 2022, and the Astros dominated the Yankees to extend their World Series drought. 

That’s why A.J. Pierzynski asked, “If they can’t get over this year, when are they going to get over it?”

Houston currently leads the AL West with an 80-81 record. New York, on the other hand, has claimed the top spot in the Wild Card standings with a 10.0-game cushion. With a 93-68 record, they are 5.0 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays, who are atop the AL East. 

Although the Astros have dominated the Yankees in each of their previous October encounters, this regular season tells a different story. The two teams met 6 times over the year, splitting the results. Each of them won the away series 2-1, with the overall score of 55-39 (regular season) in favor of the Yankees. 

This makes the Bronx Bombers appear as a dominant team, and that is not completely false given their standings. The New York Rotation has also been the best in the league with a 3.24 ERA this season. 

Their lineup, on the other hand, has not been so impressive. In fact, they have one of the worst batting averages in MLB. Several of the big hitters have spent significant time on the injured list. Aaron Judge returned from a stress fracture in his rib only to be placed on the IL again with a moderate strain on his right calf. 

Foul Territory co-host Scott Braun highlighted that the Yankees’ pitching is good. Cam Schlittler has a 1.95 ERA with 239 strikeouts and a 14-6 record this season. Carlos Rodon is also hot with a 2.67 ERA and a 7-3 record, but Braun weighed in on the Astros’ arms like Hunter Brown, Peter Lambert, and Hayden Wesneski. 

Given how the New York batters have struggled this season, a strong pitching side may pose the biggest test for them in the postseason. Kratz mentioned that “they’re not afraid of the uniform,” but the sheer fact that the Yankees have been eliminated by the Astros every time they faced off isn’t working as a boost.

Besides, they have to beat the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card Series and then triumph over the Rays in the ALDS to meet Houston in the ALCS. So, they have a little margin for error. 

But the Astros have their fair share of challenges as well. They are currently tied with the Texas Rangers and are ahead in the tiebreaker on head-to-head count, but both have one game remaining in the regular season. If they lose the final game and the Rangers win, Houston won’t even secure a Wild Card spot. That means the Astros have to win at all costs to reach the postseason. 

Considering Houston makes it to the ALCS, the New York Yankees will have to “get over the hump” to break the Astros curse.