Matt Patterson/Houston Texans
Sometimes in life you encounter people who command a room. Whether it's a good or bad thing, these people make eyes and attention shift to them. There's almost a mystic or magical draw to them. You can hardly describe it. You simply feel drawn to them for some reason. That feeling is amplified when the person is true and genuine. When they're perceived as real and/or authentic, they tend to have a more long-lasting effect on those around them.
A perfect example of the kind of person I'm referring to is Texans' quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson is the type of athlete that only comes along every so often. Not only is he very good at his profession, he's also the kind of person you'd root for if he were a regular guy.
His backstory
It's been mentioned, featured, and talked about ad nauseum that Watson grew up under-privileged, dodging trouble in the streets of Gainesville, GA, and even getting one of the houses Warrick Dunn would gift to single mothers. Overcoming all of this, plus his mother's tongue cancer, is why he's built for just about anything. It is also why he's so easy to root for.
His abilities
It was second and six on the Bills' 44 yard line in overtime and the game was still tied at 19. Each team had a possession, so the next score would win the game. Watson evaded two would-be sackers, spun around, and found Taiwan Jones for a 34-yard gain that set up the game-winning field goal. Going back to his collegiate days at Clemson, we've seen Watson do these types of things. He's the only quarterback in the last 15 postseasons to lead his team to 14-point plus comebacks in both college and the NFL. Why? He works hard and prepares to amplify his God-given abilities. Remember that touchdown run against the Bengals his rookie season?
His likability
This kid gets it. He got drafted by the Texans and almost immediately endeared himself to the city. The picture above of him wearing the Warren Moon Houston Oilers throwback jersey heading to a game was one of those moments that made people instantly like him. The amazing plays help, but he knows what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. When he donated his first game check to cafeteria employees of the team affected by Hurricane Harvey, he started off the right way and has done nothing but make the right moves at every turn.
The results
While beating the Bills was huge, there's more work to be done. Watson has some impressive stats he's put up, as well as some good wins. But in the NFL, the only thing that ultimately matters is winning titles. The Texans have never advanced to an AFC title game, which also means they've never won, or played in, a Super Bowl. If Watson should happen to pull that off, he will cement himself as the greatest athlete in Houston sports history. Baby steps need to be made however, but Watson is seeming to make them in leaps and bounds. He will need help bringing a Super Bowl to Houston, but he appears ready to shoulder the bulk of the load.
When one looks at current Houston athletes and ranks them, most would put Jose Altuve or James Harden on top of that list. Some may still have J.J. Watt up there. For me, Watson is taking aim at that crown. Altuve is no longer the best player on the Astros. Harden hasn't been able to get the Rockets over the hump, despite putting up insane numbers. Watt has missed more games than he's played in over the last few years. Add all of this up with the fact that Watson has emerged as one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, and his other intangbles, I don't see how you can't have atop this list.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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