FanGraphs Projects Astros Make Playoffs Ahead of Mariners Series

Despite the recent struggles of the Houston Astros that have them at risk of missing the playoffs, FanGraphs is still projecting they'll make the postseason ahead of their important series against the Seattle Mariners.

The Houston Astros are set to begin their biggest series of the year when they travel to the Pacific Northwest to face the Seattle Mariners.

After once holding a commanding position in both the division and Wild Card standings, the Astros are now at risk of missing the 2023 MLB Playoffs if they don't play well against the Mariners.

The scary thing for Houston is that they are playing their worst baseball heading into this matchup that has seen them win only two out of 10 games against Seattle.

The good news is that FanGraphs still projects them to make the postseason when the regular season ends.

Their projections give the Astros a 61.0% chance, ahead of the Mariners who have a 44.4% chance.

One week ago, Houston was given a 95.9% chance to make the playoffs. Their new number is a stark drop after going 3-7 in their last 10 games.

Still, despite the struggles, general manager Dana Brown is confident that the group will find their stride when they need it the most.

"We’re still in the wild card right now. We want to win the division. We still have a clear path to win the division, we just have to win games," he said Sunday on the team's pregame radio show.

While technically he's right, winning the division is a major uphill battle.

The Astros trail the Texas Rangers by two-and-a-half games entering Monday and only have an 11.7% chance to win the AL West, down from 66.4% a week ago.

But if they can get past their divisional foes in this series, it would go a long way to ensure they'll be playing playoff baseball.

Houston finishes their season on the road, which actually could be a benefit to them, considering they have a 46-29 record away from home.

They'll have to get off to a good start on Monday as their ace Justin Verlander is set to take the mound against Seattle's ace Luis Castillo.

It's do or die time now for the Astros.