The Houston Astros won the AL West division title despite finishing the regular season with a losing record of 81-81, according to Yahoo Sports. The Astros had at one point dropped 11 games under .500 during the season.
Houston secured the division when the Texas Rangers lost at Minnesota, according to Yahoo Sports. Nick Allen had doubled leading off the eighth inning with the Astros leading by eight runs at the time Texas's loss was finalized.
The win assures Houston of its ninth postseason appearance in the past 10 years, having missed the playoffs in 2025, according to Yahoo Sports. The Astros will host the Chicago White Sox in a best-of-three Wild Card Series starting Tuesday.
CBS Sports noted that the AL West division race, alongside the Philadelphia Phillies' situation, was among the notable storylines from MLB's final day of the regular season, known as Game 162.
How each side covered it
Left
- Time emphasized the unusual possibility that either the Astros or Rangers could win the AL West despite a losing record.
“Astros or Rangers Could Win AL West With a Losing Record” — Time
Center
- Axios reported simply that the Astros advanced to the MLB playoffs.
- Yahoo Sports detailed how Houston rebounded from being 11 games under .500 to finish 81-81 and win the division.
- Yahoo Sports reported the Astros clinched after Texas lost at Minnesota, with Nick Allen doubling in the eighth inning.
- CBS Sports and Forbes both noted the weak state of the AL West race and assessed playoff probabilities between the Astros and Rangers.
“Astros rebound from 11 games under .500, win AL West despite finishing 81-81” — Yahoo Sports
Questions readers ask
How did the Houston Astros win the AL West with a losing record?
The Houston Astros finished the regular season 81-81, a losing record, but still won the AL West division title after the Texas Rangers lost at Minnesota on the final day, according to Yahoo Sports.
Who will the Astros play in the playoffs?
The Houston Astros will host the Chicago White Sox in a best-of-three Wild Card Series starting Tuesday, according to Yahoo Sports.
How many times have the Astros made the playoffs recently?
This is the Houston Astros' ninth postseason appearance in the last 10 years, after having missed the playoffs in 2025, according to Yahoo Sports.
What made this AL West finish unusual?
Time reported that either the Astros or the Rangers could win the AL West with a losing record, and CBS Sports described the division as making 'a mockery of the sport' due to the weak overall records at the top.
Sources · 7 outlet reports
- TimeLeft-leaningAstros or Rangers Could Win AL West With a Losing Record
- AxiosCenterAstros advance to the MLB playoffs
- CBS SportsCenterAL West officially the worst full-season division in MLB history as Astros, Rangers duel for playoff berth
- ForbesCenterWhy The Astros Have The MLB Playoffs Probability Edge Over The Rangers
- Yahoo SportsCenterThe AL Worst: Astros and Rangers both lose, guaranteeing MLB's first division champ without a winning record
- Fox NewsRight-leaningHouston Astros secure the most embarrassing kind of Major League Baseball history with AL West win
- Fox SportsRight-leaningAstros win AL West with 81-81 record, worst for first-place team, beat A's 9-0