The 2025 Astros: the vibe and the grind
The Astros are no longer coasting on talent or complacency, and that might be a good thing
There is no José Iglesias. There is no ‘OMG’ moment or Grimace. There’s an injection of youth.
Kyle Tucker is gone. Alex Bregman, now 31, is in Boston. The Astros didn’t rebuild, but they did recalibrate. And maybe that’s for the better.
The core looks different now. Yordan Alvarez. Yainer Diaz. Isaac Parades. Cam Smith. Jeremy Peña. It’s younger. It’s less defined. But it’s far from empty.
José Altuve is playing left field and smiling like it’s the first time he’s picked up a glove. Cam Smith just drove in a run and roared into the dugout like he belongs. That’s the point. This team feels like it’s discovering something again.
Hunter Brown is inching toward ace territory. Spencer Arrighetti has looked sharper with every outing. Anderson Brito and Ryan Forcucci are on the way. The rotation is not a lock, but there’s more than enough to believe in.
The offense still has questions. Parades saw over 60 pitches in three games. Joe Espada is watching his guys grind through at-bats and taking pride in it. The big swings are still there, but there’s a shift in what gets rewarded. The game is slower, more deliberate. And that’s not a bad thing.
Hey, let’s … get out, get hot. Let’s put ourselves in this situation to win the West and then move to the playoffs versus showing up to camp and saying it’s World Series or bust” - LMJ
This team is not checked out. The standard hasn’t disappeared. But the rhythm is different. Some are calling it the tail end of a dynasty. Maybe it is. But it’s also something new.
For the first time in a long time, the direction of this team is not a given. That’s not panic-worthy. That’s part of the process.
Before Game One, I didn’t feel much. After Game One, I wasn’t sure what to say. But after the opening series against the Mets, I felt something I haven’t felt in a while. A spark. Not just hope, but intention. A group that knows the grind is the whole point.
Altuve’s face in left field told the story. Espada’s reaction to Cam Smith getting the call told the rest. The expectation isn’t that the lineup will overwhelm you. The expectation is that they’ll earn it. Every night.
Complacency was earned. But it doesn’t live here anymore.
This season will be a test. The roster is good enough to compete. The rotation could become one of the best in the league. But right now, they’re carrying more than their share. That’s not sustainable. The bats need to show up soon. And there isn’t much room to wait.
One thing that stands out is the lack of left handed balance in the absence of Kyle Tucker. Yordan is the only true lefty in the lineup, and with Jon Singleton gone, that leaves a gap. Victor Caratini brings value as a switch hitter but he is not the answer in every spot. Jacob Melton is the closest left-handed bat in the system, but he has not played in Triple-A this year and only had twelve at-bats in spring. Until that picture gets clearer, the lineup leans heavily right, and teams will know how to exploit it over the next 159 games.
The American League is wide open. Where this team stands by the deadline is anyone’s guess.
Will McCullers matter this year? Can Cam Smith grow into the seventh bat in this lineup? Not because the team needs a star, but because they need someone steady. Someone real.
I wasn’t ready to write this until now. In a few weeks, I’ll probably feel something different. That’s the nature of a season like this.
We’ve never really had to wonder about where this team was heading. That’s a luxury. And now that it’s gone, there’s something refreshing about not knowing. Something honest.
Another outlet called this year a ‘vanity project’. They said Dana Brown forced Cam Smith onto the roster to make a point. As if it weren’t built on two decades of scouting and player development. That’s not ego. That’s belief in your process.
This year isn’t about chasing something shiny. It’s about figuring out who this team is. It’s about seeing what happens when the expectations aren’t carrying you. It’s about showing up. Game by game. Series by series.
And maybe that’s the best place to start.