The funny thing is "peaking" is a relative term. The 2004 Astros were a really good team but a little weak in starting pitching. The 2005 team wasn't as good as the 2004 team, even though they went further. The 2006 team is worse than the 2005 team but they may just eek their way in anyway because the rest of the league is so bad. And if they make it, who knows? Maybe they get on a roll.
What is true is that they all seem to get hot when summer ends.
The Stros must be channeling Houdini, with their great escapes over the past few years.