The Houston Astros are still waiting to find out their opponent for the ALCS as the Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees finish up their ALDS series. Houston took care of business against the Seattle Mariners over the weekend. Meanwhile, Cleveland and New York's series will be decided in game 5. Astros' star pitcher Justin Verlander compared the Astros' current situation to “a cram session for a test the next day,” per Danielle Lerner.

Scouting one's opponent is a crucial aspect of the MLB playoffs. But the Astros currently have to prepare for both the Yankees and the Guardians until a winner is finally decided. It should be noted that the ALDS would have been decided on Monday had the game not been postponed due to rain.

Justin Verlander did not pitch well in Game 1 against the Mariners of their ALDS series. But Houston's powerful offense stormed back to defeat Seattle. The Astros did not look back after that victory and earned a 3-game sweep.

There are pros and cons for Houston's current waiting period. One one hand, Justin Verlander and the Astros will be fully rested and ready to roll for the ALCS. Their opponent, whether it be the Guardians or Yankees, will only have one day of rest following a grueling 5-game series.

But the main con is that extended periods of rest in baseball can cause teams to lose their rhythm. The MLB season is a 162 game grind that lacks much in the way of time off. It will be interesting to see how Justin Verlander and the Astros fare in the ALCS as a result.