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Houston Astros fans will always defend their guy, right? Even if that player is stinking up the joint, they'll defend him to the hilt. But sometimes patience begins to wear thin as his batting average plummets below the Mendoza line, and even that player's most ardent supporter has to admit that his favorite player just sucks.
That's exactly where several Astros fans are right now with some of the team's worst performers. Yes, fans like to use the age-old excuse of "it's early", and while that is true, it doesn't mean those players are worth defending. Who are the Astros biggest offenders?
3 Astros players who are no longer worth defending
Ronel Blanco, Astros pitcher
Ronel Blanco made the list. Perhaps it's a bit too soon to completely abandon the idea of Blanco remaining in the Astros starting rotation, but when Lance McCullers Jr. completes his rehab assignment, Houston will need to open up a spot. At the moment, Blanco is in the crosshairs.
After putting up fantastic numbers in 2024, many fans expected Blanco's success to carry over to this season. Sadly that hasn't happened, and the numbers don't suggest a change anytime soon. Blanco leads all Astros starters in walks, WHIP, and batting average against. Astros fans will need a scapegoat once all these injured starters begin to return and Blanco is losing supporters.
Chas McCormick, Astros outfielder
Chas McCormick could've been (and probably was) on this list last season. Yes, McCormick has a good eye at the plate, as evidenced by his high on-base percentage and walk rate, but that skill is only going to carry him so far.
At some point, he actually has to prove that his performance during the 2023 season wasn't a fluke. After the numbers McCormick put up last season (.211/.271/.306) and the early returns in 2025, it's looking more and more like that's the case. The ascension of Cam Smith and Jose Altuve's move to left field have already pushed McCormick into a reserve role. There's only one thing left after that.
Brendan Rodgers, Astros infielder
Brendan Rodgers hasn't been with the Astros very long, so he gets a pass (sort of). But it's not as if Rodgers doesn't have a major league record to fall back on. The veteran infielder won a Gold Glove in 2022, and has a career .723 OPS. Unfortunately, neither his bat nor his defense have shown up in 2025.
Signing the former first-rounder to an inexpensive deal certainly brought depth to the infield. While Rodgers' advanced metrics suggest he's close to breaking out, the results haven't been there. He's also striking out 34% of the time and missing balls that are in the strike zone.
Rodgers will get a longer leash than most due to his short tenure, but the clock is ticking, and it's getting really difficult to defend his on-field production. Side note: Christian Walker almost made the list, but his spring training injury could be a contributing factor to his early-season struggle.