Houston Astros Confident They'll Become 'Dangerous Team' Despite Slow Start

The Houston Astros have confidence they'll become one of the top teams in Major League Baseball despite their slow start.

Apr 27, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (21) reacts after hitting a home run during the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros aren't strangers to slow starts.

They had an ice-cold stretch to begin last season that made it seem like their domination over the rest of the AL West was finally going to end. But they eventually found their groove and finished the 162-game campaign on top of the division.

Could that happen once again?

It's hard to tell right now.

The Astros had one of the wildest offseasons out of any team in Major League Baseball, trading away their superstar Kyle Tucker and high-end reliever Ryan Pressly, while also allowing Alex Bregman, Justin Verlander and Yusei Kikuchi to walk in free agency

Because of that, it was hard to get a gauge on how Houston might perform.

So far, the doubters of how the Astros went about things have proven to be correct.

Entering Monday's action, they have a 14-13 record that puts them third in the division. They are 25th in runs scored (99), tied for 27th in homers (27), 21st in batting average (.231), 24th in on-base percentage (.302) and 26th in slugging percentage (.345).

This is a far cry from what Houston has shown in the past.

But, the slow start can always be turned around like they've previously displayed, and when that happens, it could get scary for the rest of the American League, let alone their own division.

"When we all start clicking, we're going to be a dangerous team," Chas McCormick said after Sunday's game, per Robert Falkoff of MLB.com.

Getting to that point is going to be the challenge.

Without Tucker and Bregman on this roster, more burden has fallen on the shoulders of Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve.

While the franchise legend and seemingly ageless wonder Altuve has carried his weight, Alvarez has not so far, one of the main reasons why the Astros have had a hard time getting things going.

The hope is he'll heat up on his own without the protection that Bregman and Tucker provided. That would at least create a potent attack in this lineup while Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes also try to get going at the plate.

If that all happens, then McCormick is correct; they will be a dangerous team.

But that's not a given, especially with so many new faces littered throughout the lineup.