Alex Bregman sees parallels in current Astros, young Rockets

It’s easy to forget, but before the Houston Astros were four-time American League champions and two-time World Series winners over a six-season span from 2017 until present, they were among Major League Baseball’s worst teams during the early 2010s.

That all changed, of course, when top prospects like Alex Bregman started to arrive in Houston in the middle of last decade.

Could that be what’s happening now with the NBA’s Rockets, who entered Thursday with five consecutive home wins and a 6-4 mark over their last 10 games? With young prospects like Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. leading the way, the hope is that Houston’s basketball franchise will soon be on its own upward trajectory in the 2020s.

Bregman, who often attends Rockets games during MLB’s offseason, was on hand at Thursday’s Rockets-Heat game to take the game’s ceremonial first shot for charity. Though he missed the shot, Bregman made it clear that he was happy to be at Toyota Center, and he’s hopeful of what the Rockets are building these days. His comments:

I love being out here, we come to a lot of Rockets games. It’s a blast. I’m thankful they had my wife and I out tonight. Too bad I bricked it. I’ll never question why somebody doesn’t make a free throw ever again.

It’s been awesome. This is an exciting team. I think everyone here in Houston remembers when another team was young and made their rise to the top. Hopefully the Rockets do the same thing.

Two-time World Series champ Alex Bregman, wearing a Jalen Green jersey, on the Rockets:

“It’s been awesome. This is an exciting team. I think everyone here in Houston remembers when another team was young and made their rise to the top. Hopefully the #Rockets do the same thing.” pic.twitter.com/fY2O4KOYzA

— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) December 16, 2022

Bregman, who played his college baseball at Louisiana State University (LSU), was also thrilled to see an LSU product on the court in the form of Rockets rookie forward Tari Eason.

“It’s awesome,” said Bregman, wearing Green’s Rockets jersey in the same City Blue edition worn by the team that night. “Eason, [Derek] Stingley with the Texans, it’s so cool. I think it’s mandatory each year that one of the Houston franchises has to draft an LSU guy.”

Two-time World Series champ Alex Bregman on #Rockets rookie Tari Eason, an LSU product:

“It’s awesome. Eason, [Derek] Stingley with the Texans, it’s so cool. I think it’s mandatory each year that one of the Houston franchises has to draft an LSU guy.” ???????? pic.twitter.com/ZHXQOBaDtm

— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) December 16, 2022

Alex Bregman (@ABREG_1): “I love being out here, we come to a lot of #Rockets games. It’s a blast. I’m thankful they had my wife and I out tonight. Too bad I bricked it.”

“I’ll never question why somebody doesn’t make a free throw ever again.” ???????? pic.twitter.com/jykT0v8Aku

— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) December 16, 2022