Astros Never Rebuild, Always Reload
HOUSTON – Coming out of the All-Star break, the Houston Astros are charging into the second half of the season determined to widen the gap between themselves and the rest of the league. Despite a roster battered by injuries and some underperforming players, the Astros have defied expectations, holding a five-game lead atop the AL West and boasting one of the best home records in baseball (56-40 and 33-19 at home).
Once again, Jose Altuve is proving why he’s arguably the best Astro of all time, leading a lineup that has four of MLB’s top hitters by batting average: Jeremy Peña, Jake Meyers, Altuve, and rookie Cam Smith. Smith, who arrived in Houston as part of the Kyle Tucker trade, has been a revelation, surging into the Rookie of the Year conversation with the second-best odds in Vegas.
Meanwhile, Isaac Paredes has stepped up as a strong replacement for former Astro Alex Bregman. He’s been loving the Crawford Boxes at Daikan Park, with all but two of his 19 home runs landing there, and he’s seen improvements in his batting stats compared to last season. His WAR (Wins Above Replacement) numbers remain close to Bregman’s, making the transition remarkably smooth.
Pitching has also been a bright spot, particularly the Astros’ bullpen. Houston owns the third-lowest opponent batting average in the league and ranks second in saves. But it’s not just the relievers carrying the load—Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez have anchored the starting rotation. Brown holds the seventh-lowest ERA in MLB and is tied for eighth in wins, while Valdez ranks 17th in ERA and is tied for third in wins.
Remarkably, the Astros have achieved all this without their best hitter, Yordan Alvarez, who has been sidelined for more than two months. They’ve also lost Peña to the injured list with a rib fracture and Meyers to a right calf strain, adding to the 13 other players already out.
However, there’s hope on the horizon. Peña is expected back in the coming weeks, and breakout pitcher Spencer Arrighetti is slated to return in August alongside Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia, and possibly J.P. France before season’s end. The impending surplus of healthy arms could provide valuable trade chips as the Astros look to bolster their lineup, ideally targeting another outfielder or a left-handed bat.
Offensively, Houston ranks 15th in runs scored with 418 (averaging 4.4 per game) and sits 13th in MLB with 110 home runs, or 1.1 per game. Despite that, they boast the best team batting average in baseball and strike out just 7.8 times per game—the sixth-best rate in the league. Their pitching staff is equally impressive, ranking fifth in MLB with a 3.61 team ERA.
The Astros also made headlines in the recent MLB Draft. With their first-round pick, they selected Xavier Neyens, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound 18-year-old out of Mount Vernon High School in Washington. Neyens, who was committed to Oregon State, has stated his intention to sign with Houston, becoming the first high schooler drafted by the Astros since Kyle Tucker. Astros fans have already embraced him, partly due to past social media posts where he took playful jabs at the Yankees.
Considered one of the top prospects in his class, Neyens draws offensive comparisons to Bryce Harper and defensive parallels to Corey Seager. This season, he led his high school team to a state title, batting .456 with eight home runs, 10 doubles, 27 RBIs, and 49 runs in 28 games.
Astros scouting director Cam Pendino spoke highly of Neyens’ potential, saying, “We think he’s got a chance to be a decent outfielder. He actually worked out for us at Daikan Park about 10 days ago or so, and he’s a better athlete than he’s given credit for. We’re going to give him every chance to roam around there in the outfield.”
Astros GM Dana Brown also snagged LSU slugger Ethan Frey in the third round—a player known as one of the biggest power threats from the Tigers’ College World Series championship team.
With reinforcements on the way and a front office never shy about pulling the trigger on deals, the Astros remain firmly in “reload” mode—not rebuild—and look poised for another deep postseason run.