The Astros are coming off a regular season with what can legitimately be called one of the best pitching staffs in decades, a lofty title that is in no way hyperbolic. Houston's 3.11 ERA wasn't just the best in baseball, it was (on a park-adjusted basis) 24 percent better than the rest of the American League. Dating back to World War II, that's tied with the 2016 Cubs, 1997 Braves, and the '54 Giants for the third-best pitching performance against that year's league average.
But when it came time to set their American League Division Series roster to face Cleveland, something interesting became clear.