Why Can't the Houston Astros Reach Liftoff?

The Houston Astros won World Series titles in 2017 and ’22.

They won 106 games in the regular season before plowing through the postseason.

They’re expected to win even with a slew of injuries.

Nothing is guaranteed in Major League Baseball.

The Astros are 17-17 after losing two of three on the road against the Seattle Mariners.

Even without key players such as Jose Altuve and Lance McCullers Jr., among others, there are no excuses.

They know that.

“Last year, as a team it was more than 26 guys, and I feel like it’s the same way this year,” catcher Martin Maldonado told reporters. “We’re going to need more people than the guys we broke camp with.”

Franchise cornerstone Alex Bregman has struggled immensely with a slash line of .195/.322/.320 and Jose Abreu is currently going through the longest home run drought of his career. He just looks so uncomfortable at the plate.

“I think we’ve got to play a lot better, all around,” Bregman told reporters. “It starts with myself.”

Bregman and Abreu will eventually produce. Altuve will be back.

Don’t expect the Astros to be falling out of playoff contention anytime soon. They’re simply too talented.

“We are close to getting some guys back,” manager Dusty Baker said. “You’ve still got to play regardless of who you have out there. It’s not the uniform, it’s the person in the uniform. We just wanted to stick around .500. I want some distance on .500. We’re back to .500 and got a tough Angels team coming up -- they’re improving and we haven’t seen (them in 2023).”

History proves that the Astros will go on a winning streak soon and will be vying for another championship. The season is young. And the Astros will be whole in the near future.

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