“Jose Altuve Is the Yankees’ Daddy”: Justin Verlander’s Brother Proves He Has 0 Baseball IQ With His Horrible Take On Astros vs. Yankees

“Jose Altuve is the Yankees’ daddy,” Ben Verlander said to complete silence in his show. The rivalry between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros has slowly heated up in recent years. Though the two teams are the powerhouses of the American League, the Astros’ successes in recent years have led them to sit on the throne. However, with the Yankees obliterating the Astronauts this season, the pendulum may have swung, but Verlander disagrees with this sentiment.

On Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander, his co-host Alex Curry noted that with the Yankees winning the season series against the Astros for two years in a row, they might be on top in this rivalry. This idea didn’t impress Verlander, who was adamant in his belief that the Astros still hold the power in this rivalry. His reason for it? Their postseason success against the Yankees.

“The postseason is the only thing that matters; that’s it,” Ben Verlander said. “Over the last five years, the Astros have dominated the Yankees. Dare I say, the Astros own the Yankees? Jose Altuve is the Yankees’ daddy. The Houston Astros own the Yankees and until that changes in October, I have nothing left to talk about nothing.”

While one can understand the logic of Verlander, the Astros have played in every ALCS since 2018. They’ve beaten the Bronx Bombers three times in those series, which explains their dominance. However, it cannot be denied that right now the Yankees look in far better shape than the Astronauts. 

So can one really say that the Astros own the Yankees right now? That’s a tough ask. Especially because the Bronx Bombers have created a winning record against the Astros.

How does the dominance oscillate between the New York Yankees and the Astros?

While the Yankees couldn’t qualify for the playoffs in 2023, they had a 5-2 record against the Astronauts. Though, as Verlander says, the postseason is more important, a record like this does show that there’s some parity between the two teams. However, 2024 has made things even more interesting for the Pinstripes. 

The Yankees have a 6-1 record against the Astros this season. They were quite close to completing a season sweep on their dreaded rivals but couldn’t finish the job in the last game. So does it mean that the Yankees “own” the Astros? In the regular season, they certainly do. But can they continue this form in the postseason? That’s a giant ask. Especially because the bigger question is: can the Astros make it to the postseason this season? With a 14-24 record, things look bleak for them at the moment.