The Houston Astros rewound the clock this week, with standout performances from veterans Carlos Correa and Lance McCullers Jr. leading to a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox. Houston’s early-season surge—the Astros sit 5–2 entering the weekend—has many in the Bayou City feeling like it’s 2017 again, when Correa and McCullers were All-Stars and then World Series champions. But one popular media outlet doesn’t see the Astros capturing the Commissioner’s Trophy this season or even coming close.
ESPN released its first collection of power rankings of the 2026 season on Thursday, and its ranking appears at least a bit conspicuous after the three-game beatdown at Daikin Park. The Astros held the Red Sox to two runs or fewer in all three contests. Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez pummeled Boston pitching, and Houston ace Hunter Brown followed McCullers’ nine-strikeout start Monday with a one-run, eight-strikeout effort on Tuesday. Watch the last three games, and one would assume Houston is currently a better club than Boston, right? Not exactly, per ESPN.
The first power rankings of the season placed Houston at No. 14 in its power rankings and No. 8 among all American League clubs. Boston is slated at No. 12. Why is Boston ahead of Houston? ESPN didn’t explicitly say so, though a blurb from ESPN’s Buster Olney suggests an expected bump from Boston in the coming weeks after apparent roster mismanagement during the series at Daikin Park.
“Boston manager Alex Cora has said he will handle the glut of outfielders/DHs he has, but it won’t be easy,” Olney wrote. “Masataka Yoshida started at DH on Tuesday but has just eight at-bats and is still hitless through five games. When Yoshida was in the starting lineup, Jarren Duran did not play. Roman Anthony, who might be Boston’s best offensive player, has appeared in every game, as has Wilyer Abreu—a star in this year’s World Baseball Classic—and Ceddanne Rafaela, regarded as perhaps the best defensive center fielder in the game.
“So long as this group stays healthy, hard choices will have to be made by Cora.”
Olney’s explanation is reasonable enough. It’s still not enough to satisfy peeved Astros fans, one of whom took a playful potshot at the four-letter empire Thursday morning.
We’re firmly in the small-sample-size-theatre portion of the MLB season, and we shouldn’t expect ESPN, or any outlet, to totally throw out their preseason priors after just a week of games. But for Astros’ fans perpetually with a chip on their shoulder, Thursday provided perfect fodder.
ESPN doesn’t respect the Astros, at least quite yet. The slight fired up Houston fans, who hope to circle back and mock the spring rankings throughout the summer and fall.