For Struggling Houston Astros' Slugger, Self-Accountability is Key

The Houston Astros' newest slugger hasn't gotten off to the best start, and he knows that it's got to change.

Apr 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (8) reacts after he was called out on strikes to end the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have been struggling mightily from the plate so far in the new campaign. As of this writing, the team ranks in the bottom third of the MLB in just about every major offensive metric.

When a team is hitting as poorly as the Astros, there is going to be plenty of blame to go around. One player in particular has stood out above the rest in their woes at the plate though, and that's the team's new first baseman in Christian Walker.

Walker, who signed a three-year $60 million deal with Houston last offseason, has arguably been the most underwhelming bat in the Astros lineup so far this season. The former Arizona Diamondback is currently slashing an abysmal .164/.282/.230 with a single home run and two RBIs to his name.

General Maneger Dana Brown brought Walker on in hopes that he would fill some of the void left by the departures of Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker, but the early returns have been far from what Houston was hoping for.

Nobody has been more frustrated with Walker's production than himself though, as he told The Athletic's Astros beat writer Chandler Rome before the team's Wednesday night loss to the St. Louis Cardinals (subscription required.)

Christian Walker knows his play "is not good enough" for a struggling Astros lineup -https://t.co/POkek9JXiu

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) April 16, 2025

“What I’ve been doing at the plate lately is not good enough,” Walker said. “I understand it’s part of the game. I don’t want to run from failure — it’s inevitable. And if this stretch was happening in August, and I was right around mid-(.200 batting average), it’s a different vibe, for sure. But, new team, new organization. I expect a lot out of myself, and I want to come in and help this team win, help the offense immediately.”

It's evident that Walker holds himself to an incredibly high standard, and that his early season slump is something he doesn't take lightly. He's not going to pass the buck and look for anybody else to blame. For Walker, it's about self accountability and finding out how to help his team win.

“My frustrations now aren’t so much about worrying if I’m going to figure it out,” Walker said. “It’s more about every win matters, and I need to be helping contribute to the wins... At the end of the day, I have to be my own coach. You have to be accountable. It’s not someone else’s job to figure out your swing for you."

A hitter of Walker's caliber isn't likely to be kept down for long, and it's clear that he has the right mindset for working out whatever issues he's been having at the plate thus far. In the meantime, Houston will be looking for ways to sort out the rest of their offensive woes.