Ben Verlander continues to be a prominent figure on social media, with his most recent post siding with the Houston Astros. Verlander was able to back up his claim, as the Astros have a three-game lead in the AL West. Seeing as his brother, Justin Verlander, now plays for the San Francisco Giants, Ben’s take on the Astros remains the same as they enjoy first place in the division.
The Houston Astros Lead the AL West by Three Games, and Ben Verlander is Loving It
“The Rangers stink,” Verlander said in his latest social media post as he’s loving his prediction for the Astros to once again win the AL West. It’s a division that has been won by the Astros in seven of the last eight years, with the lone exception being in the modified 2020 season. Other than that, the Astros might not always be successful in the postseason, but at least they’re getting there.
Year after year the Astros run the AL West. Now they’re back on top. Where they always are.
Then: “yOu OnLY piCk tHEm bC oF yOUr bRoTheR”
Astros win division.
Now: “HoW cAn yOu piCK tHe aSStrOs oVeR thE rAnGeRS”
The Rangers stink.
Full convo here: https://t.co/KSSOe1sJFI pic.twitter.com/mmi6uGeudw
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) June 10, 2025
No team in the AL West has won more than six of their last ten games. It’s a division that is very competitive, but not nearly as competitive as the NL West with the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and the team Ben’s brother plays on, the Giants. Justin Verlander has had a pretty rough year, but the Giants are still just half a game back on the reigning World Series Champions.
While Verlander claims that the Rangers stink, no other fourth-place team is only four and a half games back of first. The Rangers have a two-game lead on the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks, the two fourth-place teams that are six and a half games behind their respective division leaders.
One of the glaring issues to go with Verlander’s take is that the Rangers cannot find a way to win on the road. With 20 of their 32 wins at home, Texas needs to figure out how to win crucial road games consistently. Sure, they’ve won three games in a row, all on the road, but they’ve only played three road games against the Astros, Mariners, and Angels combined. Those three road games were in Seattle, where the Rangers got swept.
The Houston Astros have lost two games in a row, both with a score of 4-2. Having lost the series opener to the Chicago White Sox, at home no less, Verlander clearly isn’t worried about the team’s success long-term. Each team is going to slip up from time to time, with the Astros knowing how to get the job done when the lights shine the brightest.