The Houston Astros’ cheating scandal in 2017 still looms large over Major League Baseball, especially for the teams that feel robbed of their rightful victories. Both the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers were directly impacted by the scandal. The Astros were found to have used an elaborate sign-stealing system, which gave them an unfair advantage during their postseason games, including the 2017 World Series.
For the Yankees and Dodgers, who lost critical games to Houston, the sting of that scandal has yet to fade, and it’s still a sore topic for players and executives alike. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has been particularly vocal about his frustration. The Yankees haven’t won a World Series since 2009, and many critics are quick to point out the 15-year title drought.
But Cashman isn’t having it. In a recent interview on MLB Network’s High Heat, he took aim at the Astros’ role in their 2017 postseason defeat, saying, “I hate the 15-year thing because it completely forgets and discounts that some other organization cheated us when we were all the way in the end.” He added, “If you knew what was going on, I don’t think they would be advancing, I think we would’ve been advancing.”
That year, the Yankees were on the brink of a World Series appearance, battling Houston in the American League Championship Series (ALCS). The series went to seven games, with the home team winning all seven. Houston’s performance at home, boosted by their sign-stealing tactics at Minute Maid Park, is what stings the most for New York. While the Astros’ offensive stats weren’t stellar in the series, hitting just .187 with a .271 on-base percentage, their ability to predict pitches likely made the difference in those tight games.
Yankees still haunted by Astros’ cheating in 2017 playoffs
For the Dodgers, the pain is equally real. Los Angeles reached the World Series that year, only to lose to the Astros in seven games. The thought of what could have been lingers for both teams. As Cashman put it, the scandal “doesn’t accurately reflect history.”
The Yankees may have made it to the World Series between 2009 and 2024, and the Dodgers might have claimed a second championship in four years, had Houston not cheated.
While the Astros players escaped punishment, the legacy of their actions continues to haunt those they defeated. For the Yankees and Dodgers, 2017 will always remain a case of “what if?”