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Concerning Pitching Causes Astros to Fall in Latest MLB Power Rankings

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI
By Kyle Morton | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 2:30 PM ET

Last week delivered mixed results for the Houston Astros, who suffered a sweep at the hands of the Detroit Tigers in a measuring-stick type of series before taking three of four from a depleted Baltimore Orioles squad over the weekend.

The series against the Tigers exposed some possible flaws on the offensive side of things for the Astros, while even the wins during the games against the Orioles highlighted the concerning state of Houston's pitching staff.

The Astros could muster only two runs in three games against a Tigers team that looks like the class of the American League, getting shut out twice. Meanwhile, Friday and Saturday's wins over Baltimore came despite allowing 15 total runs.

All in all, a 3-4 week showcased areas of concern for Houston fans as the postseason draws closer. And this showing resulted in a drop of one spot in the latest MLB.com power rankings, going from No. 8 down to No. 9.

Faltering Starting Pitching Fuels Astros' Drop in MLB Power Rankings

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Starting pitcher Framber Valdez took the ball for Houston's game against Detroit on Wednesday a day after the Tigers eked out a 1-0 win in a pitching duel for the ages between AL Cy Young favorites Hunter Brown and Tarik Skubal.

The Astros needed an ace-like performance from Valdez to avoid a sweep, and instead they got the opposite. The southpaw nearly got chased in the first inning when six Tigers touched home plate, but Valdez was able to make it through five innings to help preserve the bullpen.

That proved valuable, as the starting pitching stayed shaky through the weekend in Baltimore. Lance McCullers Jr. lasted only four innings as he works his way back from injury, and he was not particularly effective in doing so. Cristian Javier was also crushed in Saturday's win to the tune of five runs (three earned) in just two innings.

The team's path to playoff success has largely hinged upon the ability of Javier and McCullers to get back to their usual effective selves by the time October arrives, but if they don't manage to do it and Valdez does not round back into form, it could be another short playoff run for Houston.

As for the offense, though, the Astros are set to get a big boost soon in the form of Yordan Alvarez's return from injury, and that might be why their fall in the power rankings was not more severe.

"The Yordan Alvarez wait may finally be over," Will Leitch wrote after listing their ranking. "Just to remind you: This is one of the best hitters in baseball, and has been for a half decade now, and he’s coming back to the Astros when they may need him the most."