Houston’ Power Wasn’t Enough to Overcome a Bigger Offensive Problem

The Houston Astros led Major League Baseball with 226 home runs, and that power was key to producing runs throughout the season, despite 34% coming with the bases empty, ranking 16th in all of baseball.

The power of the lineup was also present in the postseason, but only one of the four home runs they hit could find runners on base, Nelson Velazquez’s two-run home run with Lucas Spence on first during the bottom of the fifth inning in Game 1.

Houston finished 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, unable to take advantage of its power, and that is precisely the big problem with a lineup built around an offensive foundation that can do little when its main hitters do not hit extra-base hits.

Having the possibility of generating an offensive explosion based on power is what organizations are increasingly looking for. However, time has shown that teams that differ from that trend, which employ “small ball” and take advantage of what power can provide them, like the Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians, and Chicago White Sox, can also be successful.

Chicago demonstrated it with a version that combined everything, from speed and plate discipline to the ability to take advantage of the key moment to produce big swings. In contrast, Houston’s power version could never even provide a lead on the scoreboard during the 18 innings they played in the Wild Card Series.

Should Astros Change Their Mentality and Build Different Offense?

Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44). Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

You are not going to ask Jose Altuve to be the same baserunner he was at 36 years old. You cannot expect Yordan Alvarez to be the man who can make the difference on the bases. Isaac Paredes has two stolen bases in 721 MLB games, and Yainer Diaz has three in 499 games. Christian Walker? About 27 stolen bases in 1,142 games, but only two since he became an Astro in 2025.

Of course, Houston does not expect any stolen bases from these players, because what is expected from them is that they can produce extra bases, drive in runs and get on base consistently.

But the problem here is that the core and the majority of the players who had more opportunities to play for the 2026 Astros were among the worst baserunners in all of baseball. In fact, Houston finished in the worst spot in MLB in Baserunning Runs with –9, well below teams like the Los Angeles Angels (-6), the Athletics (-6), the Los Angeles Dodgers (-5) and the New York Mets (-5).

To make matters worse, the Astros were the worst in SB (2B) Advances vs Avg with –32, and finished seventh-worst in Holds, even while being the seventh team with the most opportunities to turn singles into extra bases. The opportunities to reach an additional base were above average, but Houston did not have many players who could consistently add value on the bases.

Astros - Team and Players Baserunning Run Value Leaderboard | Baseball Savant.

Only four of the 16 qualified runners with at least 10 opportunities finished with a positive Baserunning Runs, and only Jeremy Peña and Cam Smith accumulated a mark above +1, both contributing +3.

I do not think you were surprised to see Yordan in the worst spot with –5, or an aging Altuve with –3. Nor Paredes, Walker and Christian Vazquez, but there are players like Jake Meyers, Brice Matthews and LaMonte Wade Jr. who posted negative totals not because they are slow, but because they lacked the instincts and efficiency to take advantage of defensive mistakes and explosiveness to make the difference.

As long as Houston does not build a team that can have better baserunners around its strong power offensive equation, the results in moments when it needs to build runs without having to wait for a single swing will continue to be negative.

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