Astros fans won't like Bleacher Report's prediction for Houston's 2026 outlook

There might not be a team whose future is more cloudy right now than the Houston Astros. While some might see enough positives remaining in the foundation to keep charging ahead, a lot of uncertainty exists. Others, like Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report, see things in the exact opposite light, predicting a 180 from the club following their first playoff-less season since 2016.

In a column predicting when all of the teams that missed out on the playoffs might return to the October dance, Rymer predicts at least one more year of hiatus for Houston.

Rymer writes, "The coming winter won't make it any easier for Houston to keep its window open. Framber Valdez is a likely goner, and some injuries that otherwise left the rotation short-handed throughout 2025 will linger into 2026. Offensively, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa are past their respective primes, and it isn't getting easier to count on a healthy Yordan Alvarez."

Rymer isn't wrong. Altuve posted a sub-.750 OPS five out of the six months of the season, with two of those months below the .700 threshold. Correa, on the other hand, hit well, especially after his return to Houston, but did so without his customary power.

Even if you expect gains from Jeremy Peña and Isaac Paredes to offset declines for Altuve and Correa, Rymer's assessment of the rotation is correct, and its state is even more dire. Without Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown will be supported by a bunch of unproven and oft-injured talents. Not necessarily a good look.

Uncertainty surrounds the Astros' 2026 outlook

Rymer ominously mentions Dana Brown's vow to do a "full assessment" of manager Joe Espada and the state of the club; there's even more than meets the eye here.

Brown might not even be at the helm of the front office with his option yet to be picked up for next year, and his role in at least exacerbating the injury epidemic the Astros faced in 2025 is working against his job security.

A new architect being brought in could lead to a drastic reshaping of the roster, with a focus on rebuilding one of the league's worst farm systems, which got to that state through years of attrition in pursuit of contention as well as some stiff draft penalties levied against the club for the sign-stealing scandal.

Rymer seems to believe that 2027 could be the target year for a return to the playoffs in Houston, which would indicate a slightly more drastic path being put forward in 2026 than the 2025 gambit of retooling on the fly.

However, that doesn't mean a full-scale teardown isn't in the cards either, especially if Brown isn't retained to see his vision through.

On the other hand, there's still a chance that Jim Crane believes in his team as contenders. In that scenario, the band would stay together with the help of some additions, in the hopes of returning to postseason glory.

However, without heavy investment, beyond what has been customary from Crane in recent years, building a club that not only can make the playoffs but do damage should it arrive there, seems like a pipedream.

Until more clarity is provided, it's possible to be both optimistic and pessimistic about this club, though the scales are learning more and more towards the pessimistic side if fans are being realistic with themselves.