For the second time in franchise history, the Houston Astros won the World Series over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 at their own stadium Minute Maid Park. In doing so, the Houston Astros are now undoubtedly a baseball dynasty.

The big moment in Game 6 came when Yordan Álavarez delivered a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning, smashing a 450-foot blast into the deepest part of the ballpark. The crowd erupted in joy as Álvarez effectively sealed a 4-1 victory for the Astros. His bat was later announced by MLB to go into the Hall of Fame.

After the Astros crowded the pitcher’s mound to celebrate their second title in six seasons, Jeremy Peña was named the 2022 World Series MVP. The rookie shortstop had already earned the title of ALCS MVP, and his performance in all six games was spectacular. Peña recorded a hit in each of the six WS games, becoming the first rookie in MLB history to do so, and also became the first rookie shortstop in history to hit a home run in the World Series. In place of former Astros iconic SS Carlos Correa, he unfolded a new legacy through a memorable rookie postseason.

Whether the Astros should be called a “dynasty” is certainly an interesting question, since a “dynasty” is usually measured by utter dominance and championships, which is modeled perfectly by the Jeter-era New York Yankees around the turn of the 21st century. However, there are several reasons that make today’s Astros a dynasty. 

For starters, the Astros have marked a six-year period of dominance, winning five divisional titles and making it to the playoffs yearly. Additionally, the Astros have an average of 98.4 wins over a 162-game regular season, while also racking up 52 playoff wins. On top of this dynastic supremacy in terms of regular season wins and divisional championships, the Astros have evolved since their 2017 winning team. Only five players from the 2017 championship roster remain, yet the Astros were able to develop new strengths, adapt to new styles, and create new key decision makers. Ultimately, it’s the fact that the 2022 Astros are so different from the 2017 version but still won the World Series that makes the Houston Astros a true modern-day dynasty.