Astros All-Stars Share Positive Thoughts After Disappointing Season

HOUSTON, Texas — One thing the Houston Astros organization is known for is giving back to its fans. Daikin Park hosted its annual Astros Fan Fest on Saturday on a cold and muggy afternoon.

Despite a historic snowstorm expected to impact Houston and continue eastward across the United States, many Houstonians still made their way out. As residents prepared for possible snow and rain, they took time to attend the fan festivities.

Activities included free autographs and Q&A with rotating Astros players, a bullpen game to test the accuracy and velocity for adults of all ages, playing catch in the outfield, activities on a bouncy house, and touring the entire facility that is Daikin Park.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Carlos Correa and Hunter Brown Talk

The most important highlight of the day was the interaction and talk back with Hunter Brown and Carlos Correa. Here are some key takeaways on what was discussed.

Carlos Correa smiling as he interacts with fans. | Jeremy Gretzer-Sports Illustrated

Steve Sparks, former Astros player and current color commentator for SportsTalk 790, asked Correa what is it about this group that's been able to continue what they've been able to do, given the injuries. The Astros third baseman confidently responded, but first acknowledged the fans in the stands being thankful that it's good to be back for a full Astros season.

"There's nobody in that club that is selfish," he said. "Everybody's looking out for each other. Everyone's pushing each other to get better every single day. When you have a group of guys that genuinely love each other, takes care of the ones next to him. Every day we're trying to become the best version of ourselves you get a good product on the field thats what you see with the Houston Astros."

The Astros Mentality

Since his Astros debut in 2015, he's been very familiar with how resilient Houston's ballclub has been during his time and even when he was briefly an opponent. Even when there are injuries that sideline major pieces, it's always the next man up mentality. One that embraces the challenge and doesn't shy away from the opportunities that are given.

Correa knows what it means for players to become the best version of themselves. That approach paid off in 2020 and 2021, when the Astros battled numerous injuries to both the pitching staff and starting lineup, yet still reached the ALCS in 2020 and the Fall Classic in 2021. Teammates who weren't heavily relied on now all of a sudden were thrown into the wolves.

Correa Believes The Astros Will Be Great Again

It's what happened this past season where yes, the Astros missed the playoffs, but battled enough to put themselves in a position to make another playoff appearance. Correa believed it was a possibly and while it didn't end up happening, the Astros weren't too far off.

"It's a welcoming culture, Correa added. "We care about knowning everybody on a personal level. not just about how good you are at baseball or how much money you're making. It's more about who you are as a person and how much you care about everybody in the clubhouse in order for us to go out there and fight next to each other to win games....when you love you're teammates like family you play like it."

Brown Chimes In

Hunter Brown, Astros — Hunter Brown at Astros table signing autographs | Jeremy Gretzer-Sports Illustrated

Hunter Brown, who sat alongside the three-time All-Star, also agreed on this sentiment, citing Justin Verlander, Ryan Pressly, Phil Maton, and Ryne Stanek as teammates he looked up to when he was called to the majors in 2022.

"It's easy to come in and be accepted and know you're a part of something bigger. What we're trying to do is win a division and a championship."

Brown Focused On Winning A Championship

Brown, who swears his college baseball field at Wayne State University replicated the "Green Monster" of Fenway Park in Boston, became an All-Star himself in 2025 placed third in Cy Young voting. When asked by a fan on if he aims to get first place, Brown responded like a true teammate:

"I think easy to shoot for those goals but I'm just trying to be the best teammate I can be," Brown said. "That starts with trying to do my job on each given start. "I think if I do that and prepare the way I know how to prepare, then at the end of the season I'll have no regrets about whatever happens, but definitely put myself in a position for that to be a possibility."

Individual awards are nice to add to a Hall of Fame resume, but it takes an entire team to make it to the World Series. If Brown focuses on what really matters, then a Cy Young award will end up chasing him.

Veteran Status

Correa, who says his favorite restaurant in San Diego is "The Market," is now a certified veteran heading into his age-31 season. Looking beyond that, he also reminisced on how growing up he always wanted to be a Major League Baseball player.

When he achieved his dream, he envisioned kids and fans going to the games wearing his jersey since his debut. Now those fans are 11 years older. The Puerto Rican native joked about how long he's been in the league and his fans who were once kids are now adults.

"You guys are making me feel old. Thanks for that," he said

Brown also added how, growing up, he put himself in the MLB mindset, playing in the postseason and the World Series and would emulate it, throwing tennis balls:

"You get here, and that [World Series] stuff happens. It's exactly how you dreamed about it and then you have so much other stuff that you never even thought of," he said. "One thing that I really cherish is meeting guys from all walks of life. I got friends now from all over the world. When you're a kid you just think about playing. One of my favorite things is the relationships that you make along the way.

Correa and Brown are expected to be among the vocal leaders in the Astros’ clubhouse, joining other veterans in the effort to make Houston feared in the West once again.