1998 Houston Astros

While the 2004-2005 seasons may stand out as the most successful in Astros history because of the late playoff runs those teams made, the 1998 Astros stands out as the best overall team. In the midst of prime Bagwell-Biggio seasons, with Moises Alou, Carl Everett, and Derek Bell forming a lethal outfield, the Astros offense was potent. And in 1998, after trading for eventual Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, the Astros starting rotation was incredibly lethal as well. Johnson would go 10-1 with a 1.28 ERA in his 11 starts for Houston, leading a Houston pitching staff that had a remarkable 3.50 team ERA while playing in the same division as HR titans Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa!

Houston won a franchise record 102 games and the NL Central by 12 games. Unfortunately, they were unceremoniously bounced by an inferior (and soon coming) Padres team in the NLDS. They would lose Randy Johnson to the upstart Diamondbacks during the offseason and (despite making the '99 playoffs) would never be quite as lethal as that 98 team again.

Lineup: Houston had plenty of slugging in their lineup, with Jeff Bagwell and Moises Alou providing All-Star quality pop. Craig Biggio is an ideal lead-off or #2 hitter, giving high on-base, speed, and plenty of extra base potential. Derek Bell brings some excellent hitting to the table as well, and Carl Everett, remembered fondly by many Showdown fans for his 00 and 00> cards, turned in another stellar season. Bill Spiers is a solid enough contact hitter, and Brad Ausmus has a good arm to lock down the catcher slot. Sean Berry turned in an excellent hitting season off the bench, and if you're going to play with DH rules for the 'Stros, should definitely move up in their lineup. Really, it's amazing to think of the stats this team COULD have put up if Houston used a more modern lineup (with Alou hitting second and Bagwell third).

Rotation: Before adding Randy, the Astros had a plethora of Tier 3 starters, with Mike Hampton just breaking into Tier 2. After adding Johnson, the Astros had an elite Tier 2 starting pitcher, another Ace in the 2 slot, and a very solid tandem of Tier 3 pitchers in the 3-4 slots. This depth gives them an excellent rotation, and Randy Johnson is essentially the exact same card as his original MLB Showdown 00 holographic, but w/PU and K swapped around.

Bullpen: Due to the HIGH IP totals of the Astros rotation, the bullpen should stay consistently well rested and ready to roll. Billy Wagner is the stud closer we all remember, bringing a huge K range. He's backed by three decent players, including two control 4 pitchers that do not allow doubles. A solid bullpen, Houston should not have to worry about blowing leads.