Astros Reportedly Stole Signs Electronically During 2017 World Series Season

It's largely understood within the MLB landscape that the Houston Astros are the trendsetters when it comes to stealing signs.

Whether that came from sheer intuition or studying other teams was left for interpretation, but a piece by The Athletic suggests that the Astros previously hijacked signs electronically.

Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich report that four individuals who were with the Astros in 2017, which includes pitcher Mike Fiers, claimed that Houston stole signs during games at Minute Maid Park via a camera that was positioned in an undisclosed location in the outfield.

The Astros declined to comment on the allegations at this time, but the MLB did provide a statement to The Athletic.

“Beginning in the 2017 season, numerous Clubs expressed general concerns that other Clubs were stealing their signs,” read MLB's statement. “As a result of those concerns, and after receiving extensive input from the General Managers, we issued a revised policy on sign stealing prior to the 2019 season. We also put in place detailed protocols and procedures to provide comfort to Clubs that other Clubs were not using video during the game to decode and steal signs. After we review this new information we will determine any necessary next steps.”

"That’s not playing the game the right way," said Mike Fiers, who wasn't brought back to the Astros after they won the World Series in 2017. "They were advanced and willing to go above and beyond to win."

It's quite apparent that a few well-informed individuals thoroughly believe that the Astros are guilty of illegally stealing signs, but it remains to be seen if MLB has enough evidence to conduct an investigation. One thing is for certain, however, and it's that these allegations serve as yet another example that the Astros are one of the most shady organizations in sports.

This storyline will likely gain momentum in the near future, so stay tuned for further updates.