It’s genuinely wild that a team sitting at 78-80, two games below .500, is still fighting to win the AL West and clinch an automatic ALDS spot. This Houston Astros squad is in a borderline miracle situation, and honestly, it just paints a stark picture of the whole AL West, with the Texas Rangers also at 78-80. If Houston had made a few more offensive additions at the trade deadline, they might be in full control of the division right now with less than a handful of games remaining.
Yordan Alvarez Is Pulling Off The Impossible
Dude, Yordan Alvarez is having an absolutely insane season. He’s making a serious challenge for the AL Triple Crown, putting up a .314 average, 41 homers, and 102 RBI. Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter isn’t kidding when he says Alvarez is the heavy favorite for AL MVP honors, even with his team battling for their playoff lives. His 191 OPS+ isn’t just good, it’s the highest in the entire lineup by a mile. The next best? Third baseman Isaac Paredes, way down at 126 OPS+. That gap is just ridiculous.
The Missing Bats Are Hurting This Team
Seriously, the biggest problem here is the complete lack of offensive consistency around Alvarez. Reuter put it perfectly: “A .687 OPS from the rest of the team tells the story.” You can’t just expect Jose Altuve to carry the offense for weeks at a time like the old days. And Daulton Varsho, after coming over from the Toronto Blue Jays, has been a major disappointment with a brutal .535 OPS in his 41 games. These guys are still hovering around the .500 mark because of this complete lack of offensive production.
This team’s roster has a glaring need heading into the offseason. We’re talking bats, more bats, and honestly, even more bats. With their playoff lives on the line right now, they’re going to have to dig deep to pull off this incredible AL West win, but man, they need some serious help for 2027 if they want to build around their MVP.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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