Houston Astros Have Bullpen Concerns Heading into Postseason

Should the Houston Astros be concerned about their bullpen?

Sep 19, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Josh Hader (71) pitches against Los Angeles Angels in the ninth inning at Minute Maid Park. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

It has been a very good season for the Houston Astros once again in 2024, as they are closing in on winning the American League West. 

The Astros hold a few-game lead over the Seattle Mariners, as despite a slow start to the year, they are where they want to be with October right around the corner.

Houston is going to be a contender in the American League once again this season, as they have a strong starting rotation and lineup. While there are some new names leading the way in the starting rotation due to injuries, this is one of the best units of any team contending for a playoff spot. 

The lineup for the Astros is also very solid this season, as Yordan Alvarez is having an excellent campaign, and if it wasn’t for Aaron Judge or Bobby Witt Jr., Alvarez might be in the MVP conversation. 

While there is a lot to like about Houston coming into the playoffs, they do have some concerns about their bullpen. Recently, Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com spoke about the greatest success and failure for each team. 

“Biggest failure: The Houston bullpen is a bit of a puzzle as the playoffs approach. The Astros have leaned heavily on star closer Josh Hader, who has been inconsistent. Hader has 31 saves and should crack 100 strikeouts for the fourth time in his career. But he has also allowed 12 homers and has already pitched in a career-high 66 games. How this will play once we get to October remains to be seen.”

The bullpen has certainly been a little unsteady for Houston and that really starts with their star closer. Josh Hader is one of the best in the game at what he does, but consistency has been an issue for him in his first year with the Astros. 

This year, Hader has totaled over 30 saves, but has an ERA of 3.21. Fortunately, Hader’s success has come of late, as he had some awful months in May and July. However, the left-hander totaled a 0.68 ERA in August, and has a 2.57 ERA in September so far. 

If Houston is going to make some noise in the playoffs, they will need Hader to be on his game, as they can't afford him to have one of the horrible months like we saw in the regular season. Furthermore, if the bullpen and Hader pitch well, the Astros could be lifting another World Series trophy at the end of the year.