Astros get brutal reality check from ESPN's Jeff Passan on 2026 season
This is a brutal and simple proclamation for Jeff Passan to make on the Astros.
Astros get brutal reality check from ESPN's Jeff Passan on 2026 season originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Houston Astros are off to a very poor start to the 2026 MLB season, as they're 11-19, the worst record in the American League, and third-worst in all of baseball.
If it weren't for the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets ' struggles, the Astros might be the biggest disappointment of the season so far. While the offense is elite (154 runs scored through 30 games), their pitching staff is horrendous (179 runs allowed). With ESPN's Jeff Passan analyzing the Astros odds to turn things around this season, he gave the Astros a brutal reality check, simply stating that "No," the Astros cannot fix their issues this season.
Astros cannot fix their issues in 2026, per Jeff Passan "Can they fix it? No," Passan writes. "Even if Hunter Brown, Josh Hader, and Christian Javier return from arm injuries, it won't be until late May at the earliest, and by then the Astros will have suffered through two months of rough pitching.
It's one thing to dig a hole. It's another to bury yourself. " Houston's offense, led by Yordan Alvarez, is elite this season.