Astros Make History as .500 Division Winner, Face White Sox in Sparse Playoff Crowd

The Houston Astros became the first team in MLB history to win a division with a .500 or worse record, finishing the 2026 regular season at 81-81 before clinching the AL West. They host the Chicago White Sox in their Wild Card Series opener at Daikin Park, with right-hander AJ Blubaugh serving as the starter in a bullpen game format.

The Astros' path to the postseason marks an unprecedented achievement in baseball history. No team with a .500 record or below had previously reached the playoffs in a full-length season. Houston clinched the division by winning three of their final four games, including a 9-0 victory over Oakland on Sunday. The Astros' regular season included an injury-plagued campaign and a disastrous April, yet they recovered to reach the postseason for the ninth time in ten years. The team finished September with an 11-13 record, limping into October.

The White Sox, returning to the postseason for the first time since 2021 after three consecutive 100-loss seasons, finished 84-78 in the AL Central. Chicago lost a record 121 games in 2024 before their turnaround this year, leading the division for much of the season until faltering recently. The White Sox will use a bullpen game approach, starting with reliever Hagen Smith, who compiled a 1.29 ERA in 18 appearances with 41 strikeouts in 28 innings after his early August call-up, though his road ERA reached 3.38.

Despite the historic nature of the Astros' division title, their playoff opener drew sparse attendance at Daikin Park. The announced crowd was 34,011 in a stadium with 40,963 capacity, with large sections of the upper deck sitting empty and notable vacant seats throughout the lower levels. The Houston Astros averaged 30,519 fans per game during the regular season, ranking 14th in MLB. The low turnout is notable given that postseason games typically draw full houses; sources from previous years show lower afternoon wild-card games have struggled to fill seats, with Cleveland-Detroit drawing 26,186 and Tampa Bay attracting 19,704 in prior years.

The Astros' historic season was powered partly by an MVP-caliber performance from Yordan Alvarez and reflects the broader mediocrity across the AL West division. Starting pitcher Peter Lambert provided stability with a 3.87 ERA in 153 2/3 innings, as Houston's starting staff ranked fourth-worst in ERA. Off-field turmoil included owner Jim Crane removing GM Dana Brown from his duties in August, with expectations that manager Joe Espada may not return next season.