From inevitable to doubtful, the Houston Astros were not crowned AL West champions for the first time in a full season since 2016. With a year that could have had many different outcomes heading into the season, the Astros may be facing the worst possible outcome: missing the 2025 playoffs.
The Astros had several tough decisions to make last offseason, with multiple stars becoming free agents and another big star or two facing the same situation the following year. The Astros ultimately let lifelong Astro Alex Bregman and newly acquired pitcher Yusei Kikuchi leave the team in free agency. General Manager Dana Brown chose to trade all-star Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs, knowing that they needed to fill different holes and not let him walk for free.
The Astros had it harder than anyone this year, with a total of 30 players hitting the injured list, a historic number. Despite that, they still competed and managed to finish above .500. A very impressive job by second-year manager Joe Espada, who had many different guys in and out of his rotation and lineup.
Despite being down multiple offensive starters, pitchers, and watching a few guys have down seasons, the Astros were looking like one of the best teams in all of baseball in the first half. In July, they swept the Los Angeles Dodgers and had one of the best records.
Since then, they went on and played at a pace of 32-39, which forced their lead on the AL West to disappear and allowed the Mariners to come in and take the spot at the top of the division.
Injuries hurt the Astros, and they never stopped, but the Astros’ inability to hit with runners in scoring position is what ultimately cost them their playoff chances. The Astros have struggled with this for the last three seasons, which begs the question of what changes are needed and how the team moves forward.
The Astros have four games remaining and will likely have to win three, or all four, to have a chance at making the postseason.
