and yes, I think they got extra help from cheating. Even at that, they were still a good team of players, and so in one sense they were legit.
The big thing for me is that they did cheat in the World Series, and for that, that title should have been taken from them. I think the powers that be in the MLB wanted to sweep it, and its PR fallout, under the rug, and I think the MLB successfully accomplished what they wanted on that regard; however, it was a chicken move, and not the right one. Consequently, my position is that that title is NOT legit for the Astros, and so I do not accept them as the 2017 World Series champions.