The Houston Astros locked up a birth in the 2024 MLB Postseason after the team clinched the AL West. It marked the Astros’ fourth consecutive AL West title and seventh in eight years, dating back to 2017. It’s incredible, given Houston was nine games back of first on June 19. Yes, the Astros succeeded thanks to their stars. But, some newer faces emerged as legitimate building blocks for Houston’s future.
The Good
And yet again, the Astros’ pitching staff was a dominant force. Houston ended the 2024 campaign with the sixth-best team ERA (3.74) and third-most strikeouts (1,479). Their rotation truly rounded into form later on in the year.
Rookie Spencer Arrighetti posted a 5.63 ERA in the second half and opposing batters posted a .802 OPS off him in the first half. He settled down in the second half (.697 opp. OPS, 3.18 ERA, 78 K over 65 IP) and solidified himself as a key asset of the Astros’ future.
Then, there’s Hunter Brown. Brown had an abysmal April, as he went 0-4 with an 11.84 ERA but he turned things around in a big way after that. The 26-year-old began to leverage his sinker significantly more, leading to incredible success. Brown posted one of the league’s best Hard Hit% (30.3%) and from May 1 through the end of the season, his 2.51 ERA was sixth-best in the league (min. 100 IP).
Those two will be key to Houston’s future. But as for their present, Brown will line up alongside Yusei Kikuchi, Ronel Blanco, and Framber Valdez in terms of rotation options this October. Blanco struck out 166 over 167.1 IP in a breakthrough campaign for the 30-year-old. Kikuchi struck out 76 over 60 and walked just 14 (2.1 BB/9) after he was traded to the Astros by Toronto.
Offensively, the Astros were among the league’s best again. Houston finished the year with the eighth-best team OPS (.741) and 11th-most runs scored (740). Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve both had 20+ home run campaigns, while Kyle Tucker was on an MVP-caliber pace before he missed three months on the IL. Yordan Alvarez (35 HR, .959 OPS in 147 GP) was, yet again, phenomenal.
Houston’s pitching and bats helped lead the Astros out of the cellar of the AL West and back into the postseason.
The Bad
It’s probably not a good idea to bring up Jose Abreu, who was released in June after he slashed .124/.167/.195 over 37 games. It ended Abreu’s run with the Astros, one marred by subpar production. His 2023 campaign wasn’t terrible, especially when he blasted four home runs last October. This year, though, was a different story.
Abreu wasn’t the only Astro who saw a steep decline in offensive production. Chas McCormick only played 94 games but posted a .576 OPS in 2024, down considerably from 2023 (.842 OPS) when he hit 22 home runs.
Pitching-wise, it wasn’t a good year for Justin Verlander. It’s not hyperbole to see 2024 was Verlander’s worst season as an MLB pitcher. Verlander’s 5.48 ERA was his worst in a full MLB season and the advanced analytics weren’t kind to him, either. His Whiff% rate dropped down to 21.3%.
What to Expect from the Astros in October
This isn’t a “Last Dance”-like season for the Astros, although it feels that way in a sense. Alex Bregman is set to hit free agency this winter, as will Justin Verlander. Verlander may not even be on the postseason roster, given his 2024 struggles. Houston will also need to sort out what to do with Kyle Tucker, a free agent after the 2025 campaign.
However, none of that matters yet. All that matters right now is whether Houston can get past the Tigers in the AL Wild Card Round and whether their guns can produce.
Framber Valdez had a nightmarish October last fall, as he surrendered 12 runs over 12 innings between the ALDS and ALCS, and his stuff looked out of sorts. Also, Yordan Alvarez has a sprained knee and is ’50-50′ for the Wild Card Round.
Nonetheless, Houston does have the advantage on paper against the Tigers. And if Alvarez and Valdez can produce like they have in the past, there’s no reason why Houston can’t compete for a World Series title.