Should Astros Franchise Legend Get Lion's Share of Blame for Team's Collapse?

The Houston Astros have had a poor close to the season, and their franchise legend has been a major reason why.

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The Houston Astros are no longer in control of their own destiny when it comes to playing in the postseason.

With the AL West already secured by the Seattle Mariners -- a result that sees the Astros not finish in first place for the first time since 2020 -- Houston has also slid to the point where they are no longer in one of the Wild Card spots.

And with the Cleveland Guardians getting red-hot and the Detroit Tigers owning the tiebreaker over the Astros, the former American League dynasty is going to need a lot of help if they are going to keep their playoff streak alive.

If Houston does miss the postseason, there will be a lot of finger pointing to go around. But who deserves the lion's share of the blame when it comes to this collapse?

Jose Altuve Has Crumbed At the Wrong Time

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Someone who has not stepped up when the team has needed him the most is Jose Altuve, the team's franchise legend and current longest-tenured player on the roster. While it's hard to fully blame the aging 35-year-old since he should not be carrying the team at this stage of his career, he also has not been great down the stretch.

That's why Zachary Rotman of FanSided has listed Altuve as player who should get the second-most blame of the Astros' collapse.

"Jose Altuve has a reputation for being among the most clutch position players of his generation, so watching him struggle when the Astros have needed him most has been weird. Yet, that's the reality.
Altuve has slashed .216/.289/.392 with three home runs and 12 RBI this month. After beginning the month with a multi-hit game, Altuve went just 2-for-33 over nine games, setting the stage for what was going to come. The Astros, unsurprisingly, lost six of those nine games," he wrote.

While that might seem harsh, Houston also is relying on Altuve to be one of their best offensive players based on the contract they are paying him. And while it's clear he might be running out of gas a bit, what they have gotten from him in September has been brutal.

If the Astros are going to make a push for the postseason, they need a vintage version of Altuve for the final series of the year. If they don't get that, then there's a good chance Houston will be watching October baseball for the first time since 2016.