The 2017 year was one for the books for the Houston Astros. They won their first World Series Championship in franchise history.

It wasn’t just the fact that they were the champs, it was the fact that they did so under such dire circumstances that brought so much pride for not only Houston but Astros fans everywhere. With the impact of hurricane Harvey, many Houstonians were left to sift through the rubble of what remained of their homes and the havoc in the flooded streets of their beloved town. The category four storm made landfall and at its peak engulfed 1/3 Houston under water.

Houston Strong. Those two words would become an echoing call for the rest of the Astros’ 2017 season and they stood true to Houston Strong. They finished the year with a record of 101-61, the second highest win total in their history, and advanced on to the Postseason.

Their path to being World Champs was no easy feat. First, they had to make their way past a young fast-paced team in the Boston Red Sox, then past the “Bronx Bombs” of the New York Yankees, then in the World Series they faced off with a dynamic offense and stacked pitching rotation of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the end, the Astros were victorious. The many losing seasons and periods of havoc had come to an end as them ballclub brought Houston a long-awaited championship and a bright future.

As the team heads into the 2018 Postseason, they hope to have a similar championship run. With a new franchise record of 109-52 and a clinched first place spot in the AL West, the ‘Stros are gearing up for their first-round matchup with the Cleveland Indians, a team who reached the World Series in 2016.

Houston, though, has a premiere rotation with star-studded veterans such as Gerrit Cole, Dallas Keuchel, Justin Verlander and Lance McCullers Jr. to dominate on the mound.

To complement their pitching, the Astros have one of the better middle infields in the game being manned by MVP caliber players Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve.

Manning the hot corner is the young, yet, promising third baseman Alex Bregman. The second overall draft pick has gone on to polish many aspects of his game ever since his debut in 2017. He has gone on to not only collect a World Series ring but the MVP of 2018 All-Star Game.

With a versatile and power hungry team, the Houston Astros are looking to hoist the World Series title once more through the streets of Houston, but by no means will it be an easy feat. Should they be able to get past the Indians, they must still prepare for battle against teams such as the Yankees and the Red Sox: two teams on hot streaks that could possibly threaten the Astros.