Astros Are Right Where Everyone Thought They'd Be Despite Twisty-Turvy Path

The Houston Astros entered the 2025 MLB regular season with expectations as low as they have been in several years.

While still expected to be competitive, no one would be surprised if they took a few steps back based on the amount of talent that was lost during the offseason.

Third baseman Alex Bregman and starting pitchers Justin Verlander and Yusei Kikuchi all departed in free agency. Right fielder Kyle Tucker and relief pitcher Ryan Pressly were both traded to the Chicago Cubs in separate deals.

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That is a lot of production and championship experience that left the franchise this winter, leaving more than a few questions about how the team would look.

Who would step up and replace the production of Bregman and Tucker, two All-Stars, in the lineup? Was there enough depth on the pitching staff to survive multiple departures?

The offense has not been as consistent as hoped, especially with established stars like Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve not performing up to their lofty standard.

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But, to help offset that, shortstop Jeremy Pena has taken his game to another level.

On the mound, the depth has been tested with injury after injury. Spencer Arrighetti broke his hand. Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco are both out with elbow injuries. Lance McCullers Jr., after triumphantly making his return, is sidelined again.

Their major free agent addition, first baseman Christian Walker, has not been impactful. His production at the plate is underwhelming and the three-time reigning Gold Glove award winner isn’t getting it done defensively either.

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Despite all of those obstacles, the Astros are in familiar territory in the standings: atop the American League West with a 41-31 record.

“While Houston remains in the rankings about where we expected coming into the season, the path has endured a few twists, and what’s beyond the horizon is unclear,” wrote Tim Britton of The Athletic (subscription required) in this week’s edition of their MLB power rankings.

This week’s theme was taking a look at where teams were in the preseason, comparing to how things look now.

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The Astros were No. 8 a few months ago and are now No. 9, meeting the expectations placed on them.

Will they be able to hold that spot in the rankings?

Receiving some better injury luck would certainly help. Walker and catcher Yainer Diaz finding their footing would be great for the lineup and Alvarez won’t be sidelined the entire season, hopefully, after his injury was misdiagnosed.

With Pena and Hunter Brown anchoring the lineup and pitching staff with their star-level production, optimism remains high in Houston despite so many obstacles to overcome.

For more Astros news, head over to Astros On SI.