The Houston Astros won the 2017 World Series. Honestly, even saying that out loud today feels different than it did on that humid night in November when Charlie Morton squeezed the final out. It was a seven-game thriller against the Los Angeles Dodgers that, on paper, looked like one of the greatest Fall Classics ever played.
You probably remember the images. José Altuve jumping into Carlos Correa’s arms. The "Earn It" jerseys. A city still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey finally having something to scream about. But history isn't just about who hoisted the trophy; it’s about what we found out later. When you look back at who won the World Series in 2017, you aren't just looking at a box score. You’re looking at a turning point for Major League Baseball that eventually led to a massive sign-stealing scandal, fired managers, and a lingering "asterisk" debate that still fires up fans at every ballpark in America.
The Pure Chaos of Game 5
If you want to understand how the Astros won, you have to talk about Game 5. It was absurd. It was basically a video game played on real grass.
The game lasted over five hours. The final score was 13-12. Both teams kept trading haymakers like heavyweight boxers who forgot how to block. Clayton Kershaw, arguably the best pitcher of his generation, blew multiple leads. The Astros kept clawing back. Every time the Dodgers thought they had it salted away, George Springer or Yuli Gurriel would launch a ball into the Crawford Boxes. It was the kind of game that makes you love baseball and hate your blood pressure simultaneously.
That single night defined the momentum. When Alex Bregman hit the walk-off single in the 10th inning, the series shifted. It felt like destiny. Of course, years later, Mike Fiers would tell The Athletic that there was more than just "destiny" happening in that dugout. But at the time? It was pure, unadulterated sports magic.
How the "Process" Actually Worked
The Astros didn't just stumble into a ring. They were the poster children for "tanking" before it became a dirty word in MLB front offices.
From 2011 to 2013, Houston was terrible. Not just "bad," but historically awful. They lost 106, 107, and 111 games respectively. They were a laughingstock. But Jeff Luhnow, the GM at the time, had a plan. He stripped the team to the studs. He gathered draft picks. He used data in ways that traditional scouts thought was blasphemy.
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By 2017, that plan—often called "The Process"—bore fruit. They had a core of young talent that was undeniable:
- George Springer: The powerhouse at the top of the lineup who ended up as the World Series MVP.
- Carlos Correa: A vacuum at shortstop with a cannon for an arm.
- Alex Bregman: The cocky, high-IQ third baseman who seemed to live for the big moment.
- Jose Altuve: The heart of the team. The guy who was told he was too short to play but ended up winning the AL MVP that same year.
They also made the move of the decade by trading for Justin Verlander at the literal last second of the August waiver deadline. Verlander went 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA in his first five starts for Houston. Without him, they don't get past the Yankees in the ALCS, let alone beat the Dodgers.
Why the 2017 Title is Still Controversial
We have to address the elephant in the room. In 2019, the world found out the Astros used a center-field camera to decode opposing catchers' signs in real-time. They’d bang on a trash can to let the hitter know what was coming—usually a breaking ball.
It changed everything.
Fans of the Dodgers (and the Yankees) feel robbed. They look at the 2017 World Series and see a heist. Major League Baseball’s investigation confirmed that the system was used during the 2017 regular season and postseason. Commissioner Rob Manfred issued a report, suspended Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch (who were both subsequently fired), and stripped the team of draft picks.
But he didn’t take the trophy.
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This is where the nuance comes in. Some players, like Carlos Beltrán, were heavily implicated. Others claimed they didn't use the "bangs." The data guys over at Sign Stealing Scandal actually went back and listened to every pitch of the 2017 season to log the bangs. It’s fascinating stuff. It showed that while the cheating was real, the Astros were also an incredibly talented team that might have won anyway. That’s the tragedy of it. We’ll never know for sure if they were the best team or just the best-equipped team.
The Dodgers Side of the Story
Spare a thought for the 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers. They won 104 games. They had a pitching staff led by Kershaw and Kenley Jansen that felt unbeatable.
In Game 7, they started Yu Darvish. He got rocked. He didn't even make it out of the second inning. For years, Darvish carried the shame of that performance, thinking he was "tipping" his pitches. He changed his entire delivery because of it. It wasn't until the scandal broke that he realized he might have been a victim of something else entirely.
The Dodgers eventually got their "redemption" in 2020, but for many fans in LA, the 2017 loss is a wound that won't ever fully heal. You can't get back the parade you didn't have.
The Numbers That Mattered
Let's look at the cold, hard stats from that seven-game stretch.
George Springer was a monster. After going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in Game 1, he turned into Babe Ruth. He hit five home runs in the series, tying a record held by Reggie Jackson and Chase Utley. He hit a home run in each of the final four games. That's insane. No one does that.
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On the pitching side, the Astros used a "tandem" approach that broke the traditional starter-reliever mold. In Game 7, they brought in Charlie Morton for the final four innings. A starter coming out of the pen to close a championship. He gave up one run and looked like a cold-blooded assassin.
The Dodgers' bullpen, which had been a fortress all year, crumbled at the worst times. Kenley Jansen, who was nearly perfect in the regular season, blew a crucial save in Game 2. That game went 11 innings and featured eight home runs between the two teams. It was the first sign that this series was going to be a slugfest where no lead was safe.
A City Reborn
You can't talk about who won the World Series in 2017 without mentioning Hurricane Harvey. In August of that year, Houston was underwater. People lost everything.
The Astros became a rallying point. "Houston Strong" wasn't just a marketing slogan; it was a genuine mood. When the team returned to Minute Maid Park after the floods, the energy was electric. There’s a psychological element to sports that we often overlook. That team felt like they were carrying the weight of a city. Whether you like them or not now, in that moment, the connection between the fans and the players was as real as it gets.
What You Should Take Away From This
If you're looking for a simple answer, the Houston Astros are the 2017 World Series Champions. It's in the record books. It's on the ring.
But if you’re a student of the game, the lesson is more complex. The 2017 season taught us about the limits of "win at all costs" culture. It taught us that technology in the dugout can be a double-edged sword. And it reminded us that in a seven-game series, anything—literally anything—can happen.
If you want to dive deeper into this era of baseball, here is what you should do next:
- Watch the "Sign Stealing" Documentaries: There are several deep-dive videos on YouTube and streaming platforms that break down the acoustics of the trash can bangs. It’s wild to hear it once you know what to listen for.
- Read "Astroball" by Ben Reiter: This book was written before the scandal broke. It explains the scouting and data revolution in Houston. It’s a great look at how they built the roster, even if the ending of the story changed later.
- Check Out the 2017 Game 5 Highlights: Seriously. Even if you aren't an Astros fan, it is arguably the most entertaining game of baseball ever played.
The 2017 World Series remains a masterpiece with a tear in the canvas. It was a high-water mark for talent, a low-point for sportsmanship, and a permanent fixture in the debate over what it means to be a champion in the modern age.