One year after winning the NL Central but getting swept out of the division series by the Braves, the Houston Astros were having their best ever season. They were on their way to another division title, but the biggest thing they lacked was a true ace atop their rotation. Enter the future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson.
The Astros had a solid offense with a lineup anchored by Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Moises Alou and Derek Bell, all of whom hit 20-plus homers despite playing half their games in the Astrodome.