Astros face defining stretch that could spark a comeback or seal their fate

The calendar has flipped to May, and it's either time for the Houston Astros to put together a meaningful winning streak and get back into the thick of the AL West standings, or get an early start on their trade deadline (and offseason) plans.

Houston enters the beginning of May in an unfamiliar spot — the AL West cellar. With a 12-20 record, the Astros are tied with the hapless Los Angeles Angels for last place in the division. Houston's -26 run differential is the worst among all American League teams, and they've been dreadful away from Daikin Park (4-12).

But things aren't getting any easier, and Houston just finished up the month of April with back-to-back series losses. The New York Yankees took 2-of-3 last weekend, and the Baltimore Orioles split Thursday's doubleheader to earn a 2-1 series victory. The Astros get a bit of a reprieve with a trip to Fenway Park to play the last-place Boston Red Sox, but after that, Houston faces a gauntlet of top-tier teams.

Astros' upcoming series could define their 2026 season

Following this weekend's series against the Red Sox, the Astros return home to Houston for three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers. If LA's rotation holds, Houston will have to face the trio of Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shohei Ohtani. Yikes!

After that, the Astros go on the road to Cincinnati, where they'll face the NL Central-leading Reds. Terry Francona has this year's Reds team humming, and it's been a combination of timely hitting and good pitching. Injured Reds starter Nick Lodolo is likely to return in time for Houston's visit to Great American Ball Park, which will make securing a series win all the more difficult.

After that brief road trip, the Astros have a seven-game homestand against two of the best teams in the AL West — the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers. The Astros are currently 3-8 versus division opponents this season. That's a number that will have to turn around if Houston has any hope of hopping back into the pennant race.

This 16-game stretch will make or break the Astros' season. A successful run might be enough to turn Houston into buyers at the MLB trade deadline as they make a push to return to the postseason. But if the Astros are still eight games under .500 or worse by the time this 16-game stint is over, Dana Brown may well be looking for a new job.

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