Jeremy Pena and Isaac Paredes have been the Astros' best hitters. Composite Getty Image.
It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
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Jake Meyers hit a go-ahead home run, and Josh Hader stranded a runner on third in the ninth inning to preserve the Houston Astros' 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.
Chandler Simpson reached on catcher's interference to begin the ninth against Hader. Simpson advanced on a ground out before stealing third. Hader then got Taylor Wells to pop up a bunt and Isaac Paredes to pop out near third for his 12th save in 12 opportunities.
Meyers went 2 for 3 and hit his third home run on the second pitch from reliever Manuel Rodriguez (0-2) to put the Astros ahead in the seventh.
Meyers walked, stole his eighth base and scored on a double by Cam Smith as part of a three-run first inning against Rays starter Ryan Pepiot. Victor Caratini opened the scoring with his third home run — a two-out solo shot — and Chas McCormick capped it with an RBI single.
Houston's Colton Gordon — a native of St. Petersburg, Florida, making his second career start — allowed a single to Yandy Díaz leading off the first then retired 12 straight until Brandon Lowe singled in the fifth. Danny Jansen followed with his third homer to make it 3-2. Díaz and José Caballero had back-to-back doubles in the sixth to tie it.
Gordon allowed three runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts. Bryan King (2-0) got four outs for the win.
Pepiot allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings.
Key moment
King allowed a walk and a single to begin the seventh with a one-run lead but came back to strike out both Taylor Walls and pinch-hitter Jonathan Aranda swinging. Bryan Abreu entered and got Díaz on a grounder for the third out.
Key stat
The Rays have gone 10-8 on the road but just 11-18 at George M. Steinbrenner Field — their temporary home.
Up next
Rays RHP Zack Littell (3-5 4.31) starts Tuesday's middle game. The Astros have not announced a starter.
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