Astros reflect on positives despite postseason elimination
The clock struck midnight on the Cinderella Houston Astros, but there's still plenty to look forward to for one of the majors' most surprising teams.
The doormat of the league for the past half-decade, the Astros rattled off 86 regular-season wins in 2015 and beat the New York Yankees in the Bronx to advance from the wild-card game.
Things came to an abrupt end Wednesday, however, as the Kansas City Royals advanced to the ALCS with their 7-3 win in Game 5.
"We congratulate the Royals. It was a hard fought series. But it doesn't feel good," Astros rookie manager A.J. Hinch said.
Armed with a starting lineup with an average age of 25, the Astros were picked by many to be a team on the rise, but no one pegged them to battle for a postseason position - something the team embraced.
"This 2015 team was a team that wasn't really expected to do much," Cy Young candidate Dallas Keuchel said. "Kinda bridge the gab between now and a couple of years when some of the younger guys come up."
One of Houston's biggest surprises was the development of 2012 first overall pick Carlos Correa. Called up in early June, the 21-year-old emerged as one of the top shortstops in baseball.
"We're proud of what we accomplished," Correa told reporters. "Nobody expected us to be here except us."
The Astros head into the offseason with their core intact, though left-hander Scott Kazmir, outfielder Colby Rasmus, relievers Tony Sipp, Oliver Perez, and Joe Thatcher are all free agents.
"It was an honor to be an Astro," Rasmus said. "I had a blast. I tried to lay everything out there that I could and play hard as I could."