2020 Houston Astros | ||
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American League West 2nd Place | ||
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League | American League | |
Division | West | |
Ballpark | Minute Maid Park | |
City | Houston, Texas | |
Record | 29–31 (.483) | |
Divisional place | 2nd | |
Owners | Jim Crane | |
General managers | James Click | |
Managers | Dusty Baker | |
Television | AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Todd Kalas, Geoff Blum) | |
Radio | KTRH 740 Weekday Night Games Sportstalk 790 Houston Astros Radio Network (Robert Ford, Steve Sparks, Geoff Blum) KLAT (Spanish) (Francisco Romero, Alex Treviño) | |
Stats | ESPN.com BB-reference | |
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The 2020 Houston Astros season was the 59th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in Houston, Texas, their 56th as the Astros, eighth in the American League West, and 21st at Minute Maid Park. The team entered the season as both the defending champions of the American League and the American League West; and runner-ups of the World Series.
The season was shortened to a 60-game schedule due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[1] The 2020 All-Star Game was also canceled due to the delayed start to the season.
On September 25, by virtue of a loss by the Los Angeles Angels, the Astros clinched a playoff berth, making it their fourth consecutive postseason appearance, as well as their fifth in the last six years. The Astros finished the regular season 29–31, becoming the second American League team to reach the playoffs with a losing record, the first being the 1981 Kansas City Royals. They received the No. 6 seed in the newly expanded playoffs. On September 30, the Astros became the first sub-.500 team to win a playoff series, eliminating the Minnesota Twins in a two-game sweep in the ALWCS, becoming the first sub-.500 team to win a playoff game the day before (as of 2023, they remain the only sub-.500 team to ever win a playoff game or series). The Astros advanced to the ALDS where they defeated the Oakland Athletics three games to one, batting in a historic 33 runs (and 12 home runs) across 35 innings. They then advanced to their fourth consecutive ALCS, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Rays in seven games despite nearly completing a dramatic comeback in forcing a Game 7 after trailing three games to none.
After the season, pitcher Cristian Javier was named a finalist for the 2020 AL Rookie of the Year Award, finishing third in voting.