Astros Could Regret Passing on Tyler Mahle This Offseason

Braves starting pitcher Tyler Mahle (54) delivers a pitch against the Astros at Daikin Park. Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Astros Could Regret Passing on Tyler Mahle This Offseason

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI
By Maddy Dickens | Last updated Nov 15, 2026 3:30 PM ET

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The 2026 season was somewhat of an embarrassment for the Houston Astros, who boasted the American League MVP, Yordan Alvarez, who led the most explosive offense in baseball, to then be swept in the Wild Card round by the Chicago White Sox.

Ultimately, it is hard to point the finger at anything but the starting rotation, as they were limited, to say the least, which was lowlighted by the fact that the team's "ace" Hunter Brown was booed off the field in the first inning of the win-or-go-home game in the Wild Card.

Truly, the front office didn't help the Astros at all at the trade deadline, as they not only dealt away Spencer Arrighetti, who was definitely struggling, but then didn't add a single arm to help out an already inconsistent rotation.

The Dodgers' 3-4-5 hitters were no problem for Tyler Mahle ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/1d7DDlWcXd
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 7, 2026

If Houston wants to make it further into October, then they have to be aggressive this winter, which entails signing free agents to the pitching staff, and Tyler Mahle should be drawing a lot of attention after what he accomplished in the second half.

Mahle posted a sub-2.00 ERA in his final 15 starts of the season and then went into his first postseason. The 32-year-old faced both the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers and handled them masterfully as he logged a pair of quality starts, allowing one earned run in both.

At the end of the day, Mahle can't be the only answer for the Astros, but it would be a good start.

What Astros Rotation Would Look Like With Mahle

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On paper, it might seem like the Astros would have a solid rotation when Opening Day comes around if Mahle turns into their No.1. However, the highs and lows for Brown were more than concerning, and Tatsuya Imai had his fair share of struggles.

Tyler Mahle
Hunter Brown
Peter Lambert
Tatsuya Imai
Hayden Wesneski
Ethan Pecko

There is also the problem with how inexperienced both Hayden Wesneski and Ethan Pecko are, as the two rookies were thrown to the wolves in the final months of the year simply because Houston had no other options.

One thing is for certain: this ballclub has to acquire at least one arm for the pitching staff, but it would be in their best interests to look at two, because they desperately need experience and a proven player to keep runs off the board.

The Astros have a long way to go before they can be considered a dynasty again, but that starts now, and it should include a pitcher like Mahle.

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

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