It looks like the AL West is bound to be a battle between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers, as both are within inches of each other in the standings. The come-from-behind victory Monday night against the San Francisco Giants gave Houston a two-game lead over the .500 mark, but they still need to pick it up. Going into game two in San Francisco, the Astros hold a 61-59 record and sit atop the AL West standings. For a division that has been highly competitive over the last few seasons, it's still up in the air, but it's starting to show signs that Houston might be back in the playoffs after all. Current Playoff Odds for the 'StrosHouston Astros manager Joe Espada (19) walks to the dugout after being ejected. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectAccording to FanGraphs, the Astros hold a 58% chance of making the playoffs, with the Rangers right behind them at 55.6%. For how Houston will make the playoffs, FanGraphs gives the franchise a 42.7% chance of winning the AL West, a 23.8% chance of getting a first-round bye, and a 15.3% chance of being an AL Wild Card team. The best way for the Astros to make it into the playoffs is by winning their division. Although the American League is relatively weak, there's a possibility they could secure a Wild Card spot if necessary. However, other teams are also starting to close the gap in the standings.Houston's playoff chances will only increase if the Rangers go on a losing streak or if the Astros go on a winning streak. Being 0.5 games ahead of Texas in the AL West still means that things could go south for Houston, but they also have the best offensive player in Major League Baseball this season. Yordan to the RescueHouston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) bats. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectIn the driver's seat to become the first player to win the Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera in 2012 with the Detroit Tigers, Yordan Alvarez might single-handedly get the Astros back to the playoffs. If Alvarez continues his dominance at the plate, while staying healthy and getting contributions from players like Jeremy Pena, who snapped a hitless drought on Monday night against the Giants, the Astros should be the team to beat in the divisional race. If they make the playoffs, the pitching staff and other offensive contributors would have to come through to give the franchise a chance at bringing in their third World Series championship. But for right now, they need those playoff odds to increase above 65% before anything is set in stone. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow