Alex Bregman is one of baseball’s loudest smack-talkers. His mocking has only gotten more defiant while the Astros have become the sport’s villains since 2017’s sign-stealing scandal. He loves playing the villain.
So it shouldn’t be a surprise that Houston’s third baseman had words for doubters and critics as the team celebrated winning the AL West division on Sunday.
“A lot of people were wondering what it was gonna be like if the ‘Stros didn’t win the division,” Bregman said to his teammates. “I guess we’ll never know.”
"People were wondering what it was gonna be like if the 'Stros didn't win the division…
I guess we'll never know" 😎🍾
(via @astros)
pic.twitter.com/hxfIroWZOd— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 1, 2023
Those comments must not have been directed at Sports Illustrated‘s staff because the Astros were projected to win the AL West with 96 wins. However, the Mariners were a trendy pick by many.
This division championship might be particularly sweet for Houston, coming on the final day of the regular season. The Astros finished the campaign with 90 wins, tied with the Rangers. But Houston earned a tiebreaker by winning the season series with Texas, 9–4. It’s the third consecutive first-place finish for the Astros, and their sixth in the past seven seasons.
Up next for the Astros will be a divisional series with the winner of the AL wild-card matchup between the Twins and Blue Jays.
