The 2024 Houston Astros were one of the greater comeback stories in the history of Major League Baseball, taking home yet another American League West division title. However, the season ultimately still ended as a bitter disappointment.
WHAT HAPPENED IN 2024?
Win-Loss Record: 88-73
American League West position: 1st
Joe Espada took over the reins in the dugout from Dusty Baker, Hall of Fame-bound legendary manager and Houston Astros World Series Champion, for his managerial debut season in MLB. For over two months, Espada must have wondered what kind of nightmare he had walked into, as a catastrophically atrocious start to the season saw the team fall to lows not seen during the decade-long golden age of Astros baseball.
A four-game sweep loss at home to the New York Yankees in the opening series of the year set the tone for a disastrous stumble out of the blocks, with the Astros lurching to twin nadirs of 7-19 (25 April 2024) and 12-24 (8 May 2024). If Espada had pondered what trials faced those in the managerial hotseat of an MLB team, he was finding out via an unenviable baptism of fire.
To make matters worse, the Astros were hobbled by an alarming array of pitching injuries which decimated what had looked like a strong starting rotation. The losses of Cristian Javier, Justin Verlander, Jose Urquidy and impressive 2023 newcomer J.P. France, all to significant long-term injuries, added to the lengthy absences of Luis Garcia and perennially-hurt Lance McCullers Jr., presenting Espada with a major conundrum to solve.
The Astros were forced to be creative and ended up using 12 starting pitchers over the course of the season and a disorientating 32 pitchers overall.
However, the Astros performed at their best with their backs right up against the wall and seemingly staring into the abyss. With superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker also sidelined for several months after fouling a ball off his right shin, the team responded to a 10-game deficit behind the Seattle Mariners with their best baseball of the season.
The Astros’ fabled pitching lab transformed young talents Hunter Brown and debutant Spencer Arrighetti over the course of the season from deer in the headlights to dominant starters, before a mid-season trade with the Toronto Blue Jays brought in lefty veteran Yusei Kikuchi for a spectacular rental stint.
The Astros went on a tear over the latter two-thirds of the season to emerge with their fourth consecutive American League West crown and their seventh in eight years. Alas, familiar failings were to prove their undoing in October though, as the team’s bizarre inability to win postseason games at home combined with the infuriating habit of failing to capitalise fully in clutch moments with runners in scoring position.
Thoughts of making a record-equalling eighth straight ALCS appearance were snubbed out pretty much before they could even begin, with a chastening, listless two-game sweep defeat in Houston against a red-hot Detroit Tigers team in the Wild Card round putting paid to the season.
BIG OFFSEASON NEWS
Over the past five years, one of the most remarkable traits of the Astros juggernaut has been the ability to shake off the departures of integral players and superstars whilst remaining a force. This offseason was not only a continuation of this theme, but a rapid escalation and the headlines were plentiful.
Firstly, there was the finality of the legendary Justin Verlander’s Astros departure (again). Sad as it was for the fans to see him leave, it certainly did seem as if Father Time had belatedly got his man in his last season as an Astro. Greater winter blows were yet to arrive.
Much has been made by Astros fans over the club’s inability/unwillingness – depending on your viewpoint – to extend and re-sign the club’s stars in recent years, with George Springer, Carlos Correa and Gerrit Cole all leaving the nest.
Astros general manager Dana Brown took the somewhat unprecedented step for Houston in trading much-loved and unquestionably elite right fielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs with one year remaining on his contract. It was a move that hurt but was absolutely the correct decision. With Astros owner Jim Crane very unlikely to offer Tucker the type of contract for over six years and – in the post-Juan Soto New York Mets deal world – potentially in excess of $400m, cashing in now was the only option.
Brown brought back a coup of third baseman and long-term target Isaac Paredes, Houston’s own in the shape of pitcher Hayden Wesneski and, most intriguingly, highly-touted infield prospect Cam Smith, who instantly slotted into the Astros farm as the number one prospect.
With Paredes relishing the opportunity to translate his pull-heavy swing into home runs in Houston over the short porch of the Crawford Boxes in left field. History will likely view this trade well in the Astros’ favour due to the volume of team control with the players gained.
The arrival of Paredes generated further intrigue in the major ‘will he/won’t he’ saga of the winter, that of whether long-time Astros third base legend Alex Bregman would re-sign. Bregman gambled heavily on himself via super-agent Scott Boras, something which looked as if it would backfire as the months ticked away. However, despite a very reasonable offer of reportedly six years for $156m from the Astros, Bregman eventually accepted a shorter-term deal from the Boston Red Sox at an eye-watering $120m over just three years. It was a protracted affair which sadly left a sour taste in the mouths of many Astros fans after the incredible career Bregman had at the club.
Others to depart this winter were injured Astros World Series wins leader José Urquidy and postseason legend Ryan Pressly, who struggled at times to adapt to life back to being a setup man out of the bullpen rather than the closer, joining Tucker at the Cubs after waiving his no-trade clause.
In more positive news, Brown was also able to secure the signing of free agent former Arizona D-backs first baseman, Christian Walker, on a $60m deal for three years. Ever since the departure of the ageing Cuban icon Yuli Gurriel following the 2022 championship, the Astros have found first base to be a substantial problem position to fill.
In 2024, there was a rotating cast at first base, the platoon consisting of an ancient José Abreu, lovable Jon Singleton, plus catchers Yainer Díaz and Victor Caratini. Walker’s arrival brings not only multiple gold glove-winning defensive prowess but also the promise of a powerful bat in the lineup to finally held provide some consistency at first base.
The major non-trade, non-acquisition Astros headline of 2025 in the offseason was the sudden decision by the powers-that-be in Houston to move living legend and heartbeat of the club, José Altuve, out of second base and into left field.
Veteran Venezuelan superstar Altuve has played his entire MLB career at second base and the prospect of seeing his diminutive frame, plus questionable throwing arm, in left field is one which may fill many Astros fans with trepidation.
It was a curious move as, whilst Altuve’s advanced defensive statistics at second base of -13 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and -9 Outs Above Average (OAA) in 2024 signal defensive deficiencies, ‘The Little Boss’ made only one throwing error all season and only five errors overall.
There appears to be the revisionist view in recent weeks that Altuve has been hurting the Astros by playing at second base in the last few years, however despite his lack of range and aforementioned throwing issues with in-between distances, this simply is not the case.
Concerns were raised in some quarters over how Altuve would cope behind groundball-machine pitchers such as Framber Valdez, but as he was involved in turning 86 double plays in 2024, third-most in the American League, this is not a viable concern either. When contrasted with the 19 errors Jeremy Peña made at shortstop last year, it seems an unusual focus for the club.
Altuve himself, as arguably the most selfless sportsman and athlete one could ever wish to see, has unsurprisingly embraced the move. It seems unwise, however, to believe a purported defensive liability can be ‘hidden’ in left field, as while he will see a lot less of the baseball there, the likelihood of one singular mis-play in the position costing the Astros dearly in a critical moment would appear to be higher.
In addition, Altuve is the heart and soul of the Houston Astros, thus to relegate him to left field does not seem like the best move to give him the best chance to be the leader he has been on the field for so long.
The suspicion is actually that the Astros front office is seeking to be clever in the wake of losing Kyle Tucker’s offensive numbers from the outfield, attempting to plug the gap at least partially by slotting Altuve’s bat there to avoid the prospect of a regular Chas McCormick, Jake Meyers and Mauricio Dubón outfield and Yordan Álvarez and his fragile knees seemingly being moved to a more permanent DH position.
Dubón instead looks to be one of the main candidates to replace Altuve as the main man at second base, although acquisition of former Colorado Rockies infielder Brendan Rodgers on a minor league deal could yet see him take that role as the former remains a highly-useful utility player. Luis Guillorme was picked up during the winter but later let go by the Astros. It will be very odd to see anyone other than Altuve manning second base for the Astros indeed.
In other news, Minute Maid Park was announced this off-season to be no more as the Astros revealed a new sponsorship deal with air-conditioning manufacturer Daikin, renaming the ballpark as Daikin Park. What will the massive artificial oranges in hype man Bobby Dynamite’s train be replaced by, one wonders, as the ‘Juice Box’ becomes the ‘Ice Box’? Air-conditioning units? We shall find out very soon.
ONE TO WATCH
Several worthy candidates would deservingly take this spot, with strong spring showings from pitchers Logan VanWey and lefty Steven Okert, plus impressive offensive prowess shown by the versatile Zach Dezenzo and established major league shortstop Peña, however the talk of the spring has centred around one man only: Cam Smith.
Blasting four home runs, two of those off MLB pitchers, Astros fans are salivating over the prospect that the club might have a really good one on their hands here. The question has understandably been raised by many over whether Smith may even crack the Astros Opening Day roster, something which he is certainly still in the running for at present.
Espada has been giving him opportunities to play in right field, but the prospect of Altuve playing in left field and Smith in right field – neither of whom has played a single MLB inning in the outfield – would surely be a substantial gamble to take.
Service time shenanigans aside, it may be more prudent to start Smith at Triple-A in Sugar Land with the Space Cowboys to begin the season, possibly even the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks. Smith is athletic, talented and a physical powerhouse, there would not seem to be a need to rush him ahead of schedule.
REASONS FOR OPTIMISM
- Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes’ bats are going to light up Daikin Park and revitalise the Astros’ bats.
- The Astros’ pitching lab retains its magic and will deliver again off the back of the miraculous 2024 display.
- Whisper it, but Lance McCullers Jr seems closer than ever to his long-awaited return to a major league mound.
- This is a sneakily good Astros team with many potent talents with both bat and ball, watch out.
- Cam Smith. It is never a bad time to be excited by how a prospect may launch themselves into the MLB consciousness.
2025 Season Prediction
12 months ago this was a somewhat ambitious regular season record of 98-64, however if not for the disastrous first six weeks of the season, this was actually achievable as the team showed what they could do thereafter.
This year’s prediction is for the Astros to have a regular season record of 91-71 and, once again, win the American League West, before going all the way to the World Series but falling short against the galactico-esque Los Angeles Dodgers. Should that World Series come to pass, the prediction will undoubtedly transform into an Astros triumph.
A successful year for the Astros in 2025 would be to reach at least the ALCS, although no one wants to get that far only to go home.
The 2025 Astros are going to surprise many onlookers, as this team is still loaded with a versatile array of talent capable of going deep into October. Any team with Yordan Álvarez alone in it should never be discounted. Rumours of their demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Featured image of José Altuve by Rich Storry/Getty Images
Article by George Martin. George is one of the dynamic forces behind MLB UK Clubhouse, which brings baseball fans in the UK together. Look out for their new MLB EUROPE FAN NETWORK partnership with Bat Flips & Nerds. You can follow George on social media @AstrosFansUK
