The Streak Is Over: Houston Astros Eliminated From 2025 Playoff Contention
For the first time since 2016, the Houston Astros will be watching the MLB postseason from their couches. I know, I’m just as shocked as you are. The dynasty that seemed eternally destined for October baseball has finally been eliminated from contention. Wins by the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians on Saturday officially slammed the door shut.
The Streak Is Over
It feels strange, doesn’t it? For nearly a decade, the Astros have been a constant in the MLB playoffs. They gave us two World Series titles, seven division crowns, and more controversy than a season of reality television. Remember the sign-stealing scandal that tainted the dynasty? The magic finally ran out, and while the team was clearly on life support for playoffs it was too late. The Astros have been eliminated after 8 straight seasons.
What Finally Took Down the Astros’ Empire?
So what was the final nail in the coffin? Was it the departure of key executives? Managers? All-star players like Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman? Nope. The thing that finally brought the mighty Astros to their knees wasn’t front-office drama or a weak farm system. It was something far more mundane, common, yet utterly devastating: the injury bug.
According to Baseball Prospectus, no team in baseball lost more projected Wins Above Replacement (WAR) to injuries than the Astros. We’re talking nearly 13 WAR just vanishing into thin air. To put that in perspective, only the Baltimore Orioles even came close. The Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers were the only teams to lose over 2,000 individual player days to the injured list. It’s a miracle they were even in contention this late in the season.
The pitching staff was a ghost town. They were without what amounted to a full starting rotation, including Spencer Arrighetti, Ronel Blanco, and Luis Garcia. The bullpen wasn’t spared either, with closer Josh Hader and Lance McCullers Jr. watching from the sidelines. It’s hard to win games when your pitching depth chart looks like a list of M.I.A. soldiers.
A Battered Roster and Disappointing Performances
The position players didn’t fare much better. Yordan Alvarez, the team’s slugging heart, played in just 48 games. The left side of the infield was a revolving door, with Isaac Paredes and Jeremy Peña both missing significant time. The outfield was constantly patched together with duct tape and hope.
Sure, injuries were the main story, but let’s not pretend everything else was perfect. Free-agent signing Christian Walker had a debut season in Houston he’d probably like to forget, especially offensively. Jose Altuve, the face of the franchise, had his worst full season since 2013 and who knows if he will rebound. The front office’s trade deadline moves were a mixed bag at best. Carlos Correa’s return was a nice story, but the other additions fizzled out.
Despite all this chaos, the Astros were somehow in first place as recently as September 17th. It’s a testament to the talent that was left standing, but it was a house of cards waiting to collapse. And collapse it did.
Final Questions Regarding The Astros Future
Now, as the Astros are officially eliminated, the front office faces a long, cold winter full of questions. How do they prevent another injury apocalypse? What happens with ace Framber Valdez, who is set to hit free agency? Do the Astros blow it up in the offseason and start a rebuild? It’s one thing to have a down year; it’s another to let it become a trend. For a team and a city so accustomed to October baseball, missing the playoffs two years in a row would be the start of a streak nobody wants.
