The Houston Astros have been one of the most successful teams in Major League Baseball over the past few years. They’ve remained competitive after winning the World Series in 2017, winning the AL West division four out of the past five years, and making the playoffs every time. However, with a number of key players set to hit free agency in the coming years and questions about the team’s ability to sustain their success, many are wondering if the Astros dynasty is just getting started—or about to end.

To understand the future of the Houston Astros, it’s important to first look at their recent past. The team’s success in recent years has been driven by a powerhouse offense led by stars like José Altuve, Carlos Correa, and Alex Bregman, as well as a strong pitching staff that included big-name veterans like Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke. However, the Astros have also been embroiled in controversy in recent years because of their involvement in a sign-stealing scandal during the 2017 season. The scandal led to the firing of the team manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow, as well as fines and draft picks being taken away from the team. Astros players were forced to publicly apologize, and some wondered if their reputations would be ruined forever. Despite the scandal, the Astros have remained one of the top teams in the American League. They have made the playoffs ever since, won the American League pennant in 2019 and 2021, and won the World Series just this past year.

Looking ahead, the Astros will face a number of challenges in maintaining their dominance in the American League. Over the past couple of years, some of their star players, such as Carlos Correa and Justin Verlander, have gone to different teams: Correa went to the Twins [Ed. Note—Giants Carlos Correa isn’t real, he can’t hurt you] and Verlander heading to the Money Laundering (Not Actually) Mets. Meanwhile, Altuve, Bregman, and others are set to hit free agency in the coming years. Attempting to keep these players will be key to the Astros’ continued success. However, the team will face stiff competition for their services on the open market. Other teams with lots of money, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, could make strong bids for these players, which could potentially increase their market value and land them with bigger contracts.

In addition to the challenge of retaining their star players, the Astros will also need to continue developing their young talent. The team has a number of promising prospects in their minor league system, and they also have vast potential playing for them currently in the big leagues. With young stars and players in their primes such as Jeremy Peña, Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, Framber Valdez, and Cristian Javier, they look like a team that is on track to win another World Series.

However, the Astros will still need to continue addressing the fallout from the sign-stealing scandal. While the team has tried to put the scandal behind them, it’s likely that they will face ongoing criticism from fans and other teams, especially the Yankees and Dodgers.

So is the Houston Astros dynasty starting or ending? The answer is far from clear. On one hand, the team has been one of the most successful in the league over the past few years and has a number of talented players on their roster. On the other hand, the team faces significant challenges in retaining their star players, developing young talent, and dealing with the fallout from the sign-stealing scandal.

Ultimately, the future of the Astros will depend on how well the team is able to navigate and overcome these challenges. If they are able to retain their key players and continue developing young talent, they could remain one of the top teams in the league for years to come. However, if they struggle to do so, they could find themselves slipping down the standings and struggling to remain competitive with the growing concerns for the Astros in the AL West such as the Rangers, Mariners, and even the Angels, who somehow still can’t pull off a playoff appearance with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.

It is hard to tell what the future holds for the Houston Astros. Regardless of what happens, it’s clear that the team has been a dominant force in the league in recent years and has left a lasting impact on the sport.