Mar 29, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Isaac Paredes (15) reacts after hitting a leadoff double during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Astros Are Becoming MLB’s Most Unexpected Story

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Apr 14, 2026 8:34 PM ET

There may not be a team in Major League Baseball right now more surprising than the Houston Astros.

Houston entered the day on Tuesday tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the most runs scored in baseball so far this season with 95. The Astros and Dodgers entered the day with wildly different records, though. Los Angeles' 95 runs have led to a 12-4 record. The Astros' 95 runs have led to a 6-11 record and an eight-game losing streak. Two different outcomes, to say the least.

That's not even all. Houston was tied with Los Angeles, which had the best record in baseball, in runs scored. And yet the Astros had the worst record in baseball entering the day on Tuesday. Statistically, that is shocking. No other team in baseball had a 6-11 record entering the day on Tuesday. There were a few with a 6-10 record, but none at 6-11.

Houston Is One Of Baseball's Biggest Surprises

The explanation for the Astros' struggles is simple, though. Bad pitching. The Astros are having a brutal season from a pitching perspective. Houston has the worst team ERA in the league at 6.50. In comparison, the Dodgers have a 3.40 ERA as a team. The Astros' rotation ERA is at 6.43. The bullpen is even worse at 6.57. Simply put, you're not going to win baseball games with pitching that bad, even if you can score a lot of runs.

The American League West as a whole certainly doesn't look like how you'd expect heading into the campaign. The Seattle Mariners came up just short of making the World Series in 2025. Right now, they are 8-9 and in fourth place in the division. The Astros should be a contender. Instead, they are in last place. The Texas Rangers are in first place at 9-7 followed by the Athletics in second place at 8-8. The Los Angeles Angels are in third place at 8-9.

If you asked someone to project the AL West standings before the season, the vast majority of baseball fans out there would've put the Mariners and Astros at the top with the Athletics and Angels at the bottom. There aren't many people out there who can make the claim that they thought the Astros would be the worst team in baseball roughly 10 percent of the way through the season. But here we are.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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