Why Astros Losing Games in Spring Training Poses Cause For Concern

Halfway through the end of spring training, and the Houston Astros have played 10 games with three ties, and only one win. Throughout these games, the Astros have scored a total of 32 runs, ranking at the bottom of the league in spring training while surrendering 45 runs, tallying a -13 run differential. If this were the regular season, fans would be up in arms, calling for a change in team management. But this is spring training, so mistakes are allowed to be made.

Still, a rocky spring training start at 1-6 with three draws does pose a bit of concern. The Astros haven't rolled out their entire major league lineup yet, with Yordan Alvarez making his 2026 spring training debut on Monday. Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Jeremy Pena, and Christian Walker haven't playing more than 3 of the games.

Astros Young Core

The slow start does illustrate a pressing wake up call to Houston's young core whose made prior appearances on the MLB roster. Spring training is a prime opportunity for them to make a positive impact to cement a 25-man spot; Aside from Brice Matthews, who is having a strong start to spring training, the rest of the core is struggling.

Cam Smith Astros — Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith (11) reacts after hitting a home run | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Namely Cam Smith, who spent 2024 in both single A and AA, surprised everyone last spring with a performance that was so good, general manager Dana Brown promoted him to the majors, skipping AAA altogether. His rookie season enede up being underwhelming with some growing pains, listing a .236 AVG and a .358 SLG along with an 87 OPS+ in 134 games. He's back in spring with a chip on his shoulder but is failing to overcome his rookie challenges.

In five spring training games thus far, the 23-year-old as gone a pedestrian 2-for-10 (.200 AVG) with a double and four walks. On the bright side, he's focused on drawing more base on balls, a key goal Espada has mentioned in working counts more during spring training.

Zach Cole, Astros — Houston Astros outfielder Zach Cole (16) celebrates with teammates after hitting a two run home run. | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Zach Cole, another Astros young outfielder who left a positive mark in his big league short stint last season has yet to record a hit in 15 plate appearances across the same amount of games. Based on his four walks, he too looks to be tweaking the way he approaches at bats.

The struggles to get hits don't stop there. Zach Dezenzo and Joey Loperfido, also in the mix for nabbing outfield spots, are nearly in the both same boat as Cole, each combining to record just one hit in 21 at-bats across a combined 9 games.

On the infield side, Shay Whitcomb, a 5th round infielder drafted back in 2020, has played three games going 1-for-7 with five strikeouts. Although Whitcomb's made brief stints in the MLB since 2024, they've been rather underwhelming.

Hitting Continues To Be An Issue

Again, this doesn't pose an immediate cause for concern for the Astros. It does however, prolong the decision of finalizing roster spots for Brown, namely on who to keep on the 40-man roster and who to send down to the minors.

Houston's aging veterans need a solid young core around them for support. The main goal for the Astros is to refine their approach, such as drawing more walks, working deep counts, and pitch recognition prior to the regular season. On paper, it's is a common part of spring training. However, when the hitting doesn't translate to these changes, it's going to be an uphill battle to compete with the newly defending AL West Champion Seattle Mariners with less than three weeks till opening day.