Houston Astros Receive Strong Grade for 2024 Regular Season Performance

It wasn't always pretty, but the Houston Astros got the job done again during the 2024 regular season.

Aug 30, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros manager Joe Espada (19) celebrates second baseman Jose Altuve (27) walk off double to defeat the Kansas City Royals in the ninth inning at Minute Maid Park. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Just a few months ago, it looked as if the Houston Astros were going to have some big decisions to make ahead of the trade deadline.

Trailing the Seattle Mariners by double-digit games in the American League West, it looked as if things had run their course with the current core. After advancing to seven straight ALCS, it was going to take a lot just to secure a postseason berth.

It turns out anyone who was writing the Astros off was doing it prematurely. The championship-laden team showed some of that mettle during the summer, erasing the deficit before the calendar even turned to July.

The tenor around the franchise changed, as they were now looking to make additions to the team. They acquired starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi and reliever Caleb Ferguson, both lefties, to shore up the pitching staff.

Kikuchi has been incredible, as the team has won all nine of the starts he has made and his performance has picked up after some struggles with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Alex Bregman found his stroke at the plate, combining with Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez to carry the lineup.

The team isn’t as well-oiled as in years past, but they cannot be taken lightly heading into the postseason. But, those holes are part of the reason Bradford Doolittle of ESPN gave them a solid, yet not spectacular, B grade for the 2024 campaign.

“The dynasty is bending, but it's not yet broken. The Astros looked lost the first couple of months of the season and fell 10 games behind Seattle on June 18. The rotation was hobbled and those who were healthy weren't pitching well. The offense was scuffling. Luckily, Houston was in the AL West and the Mariners and Rangers failed to meet expectations. The Astros righted the ship, even with Kyle Tucker injured, as Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown got hot, Alex Bregman broke out from a slow start and Yordan Alvarez kicked into Superman mode (.347/.443/.648 from June through August). This isn't the same powerhouse team that won the World Series with 106 wins in 2022, but it's good enough to win it all. Tucker is back, and the Astros are 9-0 in games that deadline acquisition Yusei Kikuchi has started. They will be seeking their eighth straight trip to the ALCS. I'm not betting against them,” he wrote.

A key to finding postseason success is pitching and Houston now has that in spades. When there is a legitimate discussion about Justin Verlander not being in the playoff rotation, you are doing something right.

Framber Valdez, Ronel Blanco, Kikuchi and Hunter Brown feel like locks. Rookie Spencer Arrighetti and Verlander could factor into the mix as well, as keeping the future Hall of Famer out of it altogether would be a tough move for Joe Espada to make.

Kyle Tucker is back in the lineup, filling a huge void in the lineup as the outfield was giving nothing outside of Alvarez. Getting healthier as we head into October, this Astros team looks as dangerous as ever in a wide-open AL.