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The Houston Astros have been one of the most successful franchises over the past decade, winning a pair of World Series titles along the way. Despite moving on from some of the team's core players this offseason, Houston still has plenty of firepower this season and should yet again contend for a postseason berth.
This past offseason, the Houston Astros said goodbye to long-time third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency, while also trading Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs in a package for Hayden Wesneski, Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith. Despite several notable moves to the roster, Houston is still set up to succeed.
According to artificial intelligence program Google Gemini, the Houston Astros are built to be a strong contender yet again in 2025. Part of the reasoning for the team putting together another strong campaign is because they were able to keep some of their key pieces together, including Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Framber Valdez.
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The team's ability to also bring in free agent slugger Christian Walker is another positive that the program believes will work in the team's favor. The 33-year-old first baseman is one of the top power-hitters in baseball. posting a .251 batting average with 26 home runs and 84 RBIs for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season.
Another area that the AI program believes could be an area of strength for the Houston Astros in 2025 is their impressive core of prospects looking to earn a shot with the club. Players such as Cam Smith could earn a spot on the roster and make an immediate impact for the club this season. The former Cubs infielder has been hot this spring and has a legitimate case to make the Opening Day roster.
AI believes that competition inside the Astros' division and injuries could be their biggest obstacle this season
Google Gemini believes that Houston should be considered a strong contender to reach the postseason, however, it does note that this will depend on a number of factors, including injuries and the strength of the American League West.
The Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, and even the Los Angeles Angels should be able to improve upon their records in 2024, meaning that the Astros will need to perform to their best ability as soon as possible. Falling behind in the standings at any point of the season could be disastrous.
Another way that Houston could fall short of their postseason expectations is the fact that several notable injuries could derail things. The aforementioned Christian Walker has already been dealing with some oblique soreness, which could be a cause for concern later on in the year. If they can stay relatively healthy and not slump, Houston should find themselves in the postseason yet again.
