EVERY-THING SPORTS
Here's the definitive list of changes Texans fans want to see this offseason
Jan 12, 2022, 1:47 pm
Fans want to see Davis Mills get a real shot moving forward. Composite image by Jack Brame.
Every so often, I like to talk to the people and find out their thoughts on things. Fans who engage on social media can be a wild bunch. Some will pose as your "average" online fan who simply loves their team. Others will be wildly passionate to one extreme or another. There may even be some fans who are just observing, but not nearly as passionate. I've come across them all.
Texans' fans are no different. They run the gamut of fandom. Some can be a little too extreme, whether it's positive or negative. For the most part, they're a really good bunch. So, I posed a question to Texans' fans and got some pretty good responses:
Something I noticed when talking to Texans' fans on social media: if you stay away from the McNair's selling the team and firing Jack Easterby, you'll take away two of the most polarizing franchise altering topics. Lots of them have used either or both as a way to immediately improve the team. So much so, that I've seen some that feel as though ownership actually owes them an explanation behind the recent direction of the team! No, really! There are grown people who truly feel this way and are damn serious about it!
After all they've been through, there are a portion of fans who are no longer fans. They've taken their support, monetarily and otherwise, home with them. Some have supported other teams, while the rest have withdrawn. There are even some who've lost their passion for the sport altogether!
There's a good amount of them I've encountered that have a good feel for the team and what needs to be done. I saw a couple well-thought-out responses that almost sound like they regurgitated them from a sports radio or TV personality. Some fans are that smart and have formed great opinions on their own. From them, you get a clear-cut course of action. Things like trading Deshaun Watson, adding more talent, finding a capable play caller, and even giving Davis Mills a chance to hold the keys to the car have come up.
That last one was a bit of a shocker. I didn't think there were that many fans on the Mills bandwagon. Boy did I find out this past weekend! I was told Mills could be a future MVP as the franchise quarterback if he's given the weapons he severely lacks. I think the kid has some talent and could have a decent future in the league, but slow down on crowning him a future MVP and franchise quarterback. That's a good way to get a mental health warrant issued for you.
Overall, fans are fed up. If the stands went from looking like an overweight cow ready for slaughter, to an emaciated shell of its former self, I think they've spoken. For goodness’ sake, the tailgating lot looked like a scene from one of those shows on abandoned towns and structures this past season! If those two indicators don't tell you what the fans are thinking, I don't think you have a pulse! One thing this organization has always been able to count on is fan support. Now that it's faded so quickly, they have no choice but to react.
Righting this ship won't be easy, and it most likely won't be quick. Some fans are sticking around and waiting for the team to be good again. For them, I hope this thing is turned around soon. This city and these fans are loyal to a fault when it comes to this team. They willingly put themselves through heartache and pain every year, only to be rewarded with mediocrity more often than not. Here's to the road to recovery. It may be long, winding, and seemingly never-ending, but the payoff is so worth it. Hang in there guys!
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.
We have 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!
*ChatGPT assisted.
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