MLB analyst pinpoints three veterans key to the Astros returning to form

The 2025 season is one that the Houston Astros and the fanbase would love to forget. It would be the first time since the 2016 season that they failed to make the postseason. 

Injuries played a huge part in the team's downfall. Yordan Alvarez missed 113 games, Isaac Paredes missed 63, and Jeremy Pena missed 37. On the pitching side, Ronel Blanco missed 113, Spencer Arrighetti missed 128, Hayden Wesneski missed 126, and Cristian Javier only made eight starts at the end of the year. 

That is quite a lot of injuries to key players. It is incredible that they were only three games behind the Seattle Mariners in the AL West at the end of the regular season. 

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MLB analyst pinpoints three veterans key to the Astros returning to form 

Obviously, if the Astros want to return to the postseason, staying healthy will be at the forefront. No team can afford key contributors to miss the number of games that some in Houston did in 2025. 

Outside of that, much of Houston's success will hinge on the offense. MLB.com's Jared Greenspan points to the importance of Yordan Alvarez, Carlos Correa, and Christian Walker. 

"The club has 11 different players projected to have a 99 wRC+ or better, with Yordan Alvarez leading the way. Hand and ankle injuries limited Alvarez to just 48 games last year, but he's one of the game's best hitters when healthy; FanGraphs projects him to post 4.4 WAR and a 156 wRC+ in the new season. Carlos Correa -- who posted a .785 OPS and looked rejuvenated after returning to Houston at the Deadline last summer -- and a potential bounce-back from Christian Walker would help make this lineup elite."

A full season of Alvarez should have this team looking much better. However, you combine that with how Correa ended the season and the potential for Walker to return to form, and Houston could be a tough team to overtake in the AL West.

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