WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Through eight Grapefruit League games, a familiar issue continues to shadow the Houston Astros: They can put runners on base, but they aren’t bringing them home.
Houston entered Saturday’s matchup against Pittsburgh with a 1-4-2 spring record and an offense that has scored four runs or fewer in every game. The larger concern isn’t just the totals, it’s the situational failure.
In Thursday’s 5-0 loss to the Mets, the Astros went 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position and struck out 15 times. In Friday’s 4-4 tie against Washington, they stranded runners repeatedly before rallying late. Even in their lone win over the Marlins, traffic on the bases often went unused.
It feels uncomfortably familiar.
The 2025 Numbers Tell the Story
The Astros hit just .245 with runners in scoring position in 2025, ranking 23rd in Major League Baseball. Only six teams were worse in converting when a runner stood 90 feet from scoring.
Houston also ranked near the bottom of the league in scoring runners from third base with fewer than two outs, a foundational scenario that should consistently produce runs.
Those struggles were a major factor in the Astros missing the postseason for the first time since 2016. Despite ranking 14th in home runs and featuring middle-of-the-order power, Houston finished 21st in runs scored (662). The power was present. The production was not.
Spring: Same Pattern
Eight games into camp, the pattern hasn’t shifted. The Astros have scored just 17 runs in seven completed games—2.43 per game—with two shutouts and four games of one run or fewer.
The approach often looks unchanged: Hunt damage, hope for lift, and struggle to manufacture.
Manager Joe Espada emphasized speed this spring, and Houston has added athleticism across the roster. Zach Cole, Joey Loperfido, Brice Matthews, and Cam Smith all bring baserunning ability.
But speed does not matter without contact.
When runners reach second or third, the next hitter must execute. That is where Houston continues to stall.
Why It Keeps Happening
Several factors contributed to last year’s RISP issues and may still be at play:
- Overreliance on power: When a lineup is conditioned to drive the ball, situational at-bats can suffer. With runners in scoring position, pitchers adjust. Hitters often need to shorten up, not swing bigger.
- Chase rate and pitch recognition: The Astros struggled with swing decisions in 2025. Jose Altuve posted the highest chase rate of his Statcast era last season, contributing to one of his least productive years in over a decade. When hitters expand the zone in RBI situations, rallies disappear.
- Situational execution: Productive outs, opposite-field contact, sacrifice flies. These are not glamorous, but they win games. Houston too often failed in those spots.
- Pressing: RISP struggles compound mentally. The longer it continues, the tighter at-bats become.
The Altuve Adjustment
Altuve has acknowledged a mechanical flaw from last season: stepping too far toward the plate, which closed off his stance and limited his ability to use the middle of the field.
His pull rate spiked in 2025, while his percentage of balls hit up the middle dropped to its lowest since Statcast tracking began.
In his first spring at-bat Friday, Altuve drove a ball deep to center field.
“Regardless (of the fact that) he caught the ball I was really happy because that’s what I’ve been trying to do,” Altuve said. “To see the ball go to center field was really good.”
If that adjustment sticks, it could ripple through Houston’s situational approach. A single through the right side scores a run. A pulled ground ball often ends an inning.
Can It Be Fixed?
Spring training is for corrections.
Espada and hitting coach Victor Rodriguez must emphasize execution in RBI spots — two-strike adjustments, contact-first approaches, and using the whole field.
Talent is not the issue. Yordan Alvarez, Carlos Correa, Christian Walker, Jeremy Peña, Yainer Diaz, and Isaac Paredes are proven hitters. The supporting cast has tools.
But talent without situational discipline produced the same result in 2025: runners stranded, games lost.
Eight spring games do not define a season, but they can reveal whether habits are changing.
So far, the Astros are still searching for timely hits. With Opening Day on March 26 approaching, the clock is ticking.