The Astros won the AL West yet again in 2023, but it turned out to be a nail-biter. But at the end of the season, Houston could not repeat as World Series champions after the Astros fell to the Rangers in the ALCS. Here’s our recap of the Astros’ 2023 season.
Related: 2023 MLB Season Recap: Arizona Diamondbacks
The Offense
| Stat | Figure | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Scored | 827 | 5th |
| Home Runs | 222 | 7th |
| OPS | .768 | 5th |
| Whiff% | 23.8% | 5th |
| Hard Hit% | 38.8% | 20th |
The Pitching
| Stat | Figure | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Starters’ ERA | 4.17 | 12th |
| Relievers’ ERA | 3.56 | 6th |
| Strikeouts | 1,460 | 7th |
| Whiff% | 27.5% | 3rd |
| Chase% | 28.8% | 17th |
The Good
The Astros won it all in 2022 thanks to an elite lineup. Yet again, Houston’s offense was impressive, as the Astros finished the regular season fifth in runs scored.
Third baseman Alex Bregman overcame a slow start to post a .804 OPS and his fourth 20+ home run campaign. Kyle Tucker hit .284/.369/.517 with 29 home runs and 112 RBI, and Jose Altuve hit .311 with 17 home runs and 40 extra-base hits over 90 games.
Yordan Alvarez had his third 30+ home run campaign in 2023, one that saw him hit .293/.407/.583 with 31 home runs and 97 RBI.
Those four were expected to be reliable bats for Houston. However, the emergence of Chas McCormick and Yainer Diaz — both of whom are controllable and 28 and 25 years old, respectively — helped make the ‘Stros one of the game’s most dangerous lineups.
Pitching-wise, Justin Verlander (3.31 ERA, 63 K in 68 IP) pitched well upon his return to Houston. The Astros bullpen was also one of the better ones in the game, thanks to Hector Neris, Bryan Abreu, and closer Ryan Pressly.
The Bad
The Astros rotation had its holes. Luis Garcia went down in May due to Tommy John surgery, a huge blow early on. That left a pretty substantial hole in Houston’s rotation, especially given the struggles of Hunter Brown and Jose Urquidy.
Urquidy owned an ERA of 5.29, while Brown owned a 5.09 ERA despite 178 strikeouts over 155.2 IP. The rookie’s second half, in particular, was a struggle. Brown’s 6.68 ERA after the All-Star break was fifth-worst in the MLB (min. 50 IP).
Then, there was Framber Valdez. Valdez was one of the league’s best starters in the first half (2.51 ERA, 116 K in 111 IP) but flattened out in the second. The lefty then followed that up with a rough postseason, one that saw Valdez surrender 12 runs over 12 innings.
Offensively, Jose Abreu salvaged his 2023 in the second half and postseason. However, his .237/.296/.383 slash line (.680 OPS) was not a strong first season for Abreu in Houston.
What to Look For in 2024
Houston’s in a good position for 2024, as all of the team’s key pieces will be under control through at least the end of next season. However, the Astros have a number of issues to contend with before the start of Spring Training.
Aside from finding a new manager for Dusty Baker, Houston’s bullpen is set to look different. Ryne Stanek, and Hector Neris are free agents, as is Phil Maton.
Stanek was a valuable asset against lefties, as those hitters only hit .209/.289/.326 off the righty. Houston only had one left-hander — Framber Valdez — on their playoff roster so adding a left-hander or someone who can attack them might be a priority.
Aside from the bullpen upheaval, the Astros will also need to sort out how the roster will look beyond 2024. Both Altuve and Bregman can be free agents after 2024.