Carlos Beltran is 38 years old, more than a decade removed from his early career with the Royals and the Astros, who meet in an American League division series starting Thursday at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Naturally, when asked Tuesday what most impressed him about the Astros, who had just vanquished his Yankees in the A.L. wild-card game, Beltran cited their youth.
“Young team,” he said. “They play hard, they have speed, they have three good outfielders playing out there.”
The same could be said of the Royals, who swept through the A.