Astros Are in Desperate Need of Return and Rebound From Their Superstar

Despite adversity, the Houston Astros have found ways to be competitive this season.

During the winter, the Astros saw a massive roster overhaul, which resulted in a lot of uncertainty about what this year could hold for the team.

However, despite losing key players, Houston has found ways to win and has been hovering around the .500 mark. Compared to last campaign, the Astros are off to a better start record-wise.

Even though they might be exceeding what were low expectations after losing key players, Houston is still a team that has a championship mindset.

While the starting rotation has been a little up and down, their bullpen has been electric for them, led by Josh Hader.

Furthermore, the biggest concern for the team is going to be the lineup. So far, the results haven’t been good for the team.

One reason has been the ineffectiveness of their star slugger, Yordan Alvarez. Now, with injury to go on top of a slow start, there is good reason to be concerned.

Will Yordan Alvarez Turn It Around?

Andy McCullough of The Athletic recently wrote about the ineffectiveness and absence of Yordan Alvarez as something the team needs to change quickly.

“The Houston lineup already features several dead spots, due to underperformance from Jose Altuve, Christian Walker, and Yainer Diaz. The team can scarcely afford an extended absence from its most prolific hitter.”

It has been quite impressive that Houston has been able to fare as well as they have so far despite a number of key members of the lineup struggling.

As one of the best hitters in the league the last several years, Alvarez's getting off to a slow start was certainly not something that the Astros likely thought would happen.

So far in 2025, he has slashed .210/.306/.340 with three home runs and 18 RBI in 29 games. These numbers are drastically different from what he normally is capable of, and being on the injured list now with a hand issue isn’t ideal.

While Alvarez has been a big reason for the struggles of the offense overall, he isn’t the only player struggling.

A couple of expected key contributors like Jose Altuve, Christian Walker, and Yainer Diaz are all underperforming, resulting in the team only having two starters with an OPS above .800. Only Jeremy Pena and Isaac Paredes have been able to eclipse that number so far.

Despite these struggles, there is reason to be optimistic. Most of the batters that have underperformed, like Alvarez, are proven talents in the Majors. Eventually, they should get going, and this Houston team might be able to take off.