Astros players and fans are frustrated, but now isn’t the time to turn on each other

The Houston Astros have their backs against the wall. They were the only home team to lose game 1 of the Wild Card Round. They also are the only team in the playoffs this season (or any) to qualify without a winning record (in a season of 162). Are the fans really the problem?

If you heard some of the Astros players after the game, have the fans turned on the players? Are the players turning on the fans? When losing creeps in, so does fear, doubt, frustration or delusion. So which one is it for this team. There were empty seats, but those empty seats I blame more on MLB and give Houston a 4 pm game, just as much as fans not showing up. The players are also human, and not devoid of emotion. While I give fans license to feel the way they do, players also have that right. How do you balance this, and is it really a "Blame Game"?

Don't confuse frustration with abandonment.

Houston fans haven't abandoned the Astros. They've been here. For years. They were here, (We were here) before the World Series Trophies even before some of the beat writers. We (I will say we since I am a fan) were buying tickets to games through 3 100 loss season. We were here when a team that had Nolan Ryan and Mike Scott couldn't even break into the World Series. So I think the fanbase is frustrated with what has gone on for the entirety of the 2026 season. From Jim Crane down to the players. We have watched October after October, 7 consecutive ALCS trips.

We were here when Jose Altuve became an icon, Alex Bregman, George Springe, Dallas Keuchel, Justin Verlander, and so many others gave this city baseball memories that will last generations. I don't think anyone is under the illusion that the expectations of those teams are the same for the current team. Why? This current roster can't hold a candle to those teams, and it is what it is.

Astros fans stood tall when baseball came after Houston.

After the sign-stealing scandal became public, Astros fans couldn't open social media without hear about it. Trust me, co-hosting Locked on Astros with Eric Huysman for 6 seasons, as well on Back to the Bullpen with Mike Stanton, I have heard it and still do. It doesn't effect me the way it does others, but the point is this fanbase stood up for our team when everyone said our values were compromised when decided to support our team. The loyalty goes to the heart of the fanbase. Fans couldn't and in some places still can't travel to certain ballparks without hearing about it. The boos followed this team everywhere. Every debate about the Astros circles back to 2017.

While it may sound like I am now complaining, I'm simply trying to summarize where this fanbase is at the current moment. Astros fans defended this city, now with all this being said what relevance does this have with the topic at hand?

Boos don't mean the love is gone.

Two things can be true here: The players want the fans support and the fans aren't wrong for expecting better from this Astros team. When you spend the better part of a decade telling a city that October baseball is the standard, don't be surprised when that city starts holding you to that standard.

As I mentioned above, this team is not those teams of the past. But when you face a team you went 5-2 against in the regular season and you are the only home team to lose game 1, the fans will surely express their frustration.

This Astros season has tested everyone.

The ups and downs, and in 2026 a lot more down than up. This all while the beset left handed hitter on the planet is chasing the AL MVP, while not producing high octane offense in much of August and September. The downs of 16 players on the IL, as well using 19 different starting pitchers is far from optimal. No one in Houston expected this team to win 100 games. Well there was that one guy who predicted to win 106 games before the season started. Bless his heart. But not a single person expected them to even win the AL West. The guys in clubhouse said that has been their expectation all along, and is their goal every seasons. So the fans are upset, the players are worn out. The player fought to get to this point and they did earn the right to play in this Wild Card Series.

With all this being said, you have to look at this from both perspectives and each group players and fans have the right to not be happy. The players however should know better than to say "We are going to have to do it for ourselves." As if the fanbase completely jumped ship. That is the biggest issue I have with what has been said. It was in Chandler Rome's article in the Athletic where he quoted Yordan Alvarez. Yordan after the game said:

"“It’s what we expected. Frustrated we weren’t able to get them the victory that we wanted to give them, but tomorrow we’re going to try and go out and give them the win they deserve.”"

Yordan postgame to Chandler Rome

This can't become a war of Astros fans vs. players.

In the end you can't ignore that the only quotes we saw were from Bennett Sousa and Christian Walker. Two players who haven't even been on this team for any of the title runs. A hitter that is being paid 60 million for his gold glove defense and his ability to hit the long ball. Which he did neither in game 1, nor did he do it most of the season. Then a relief pitcher who should be thankful to be in Houston, while I do agree with Walker in that players feel it 10 times more than the fans. It doesn't make sense to go after the fanbase.

I did mention that these men are human, and not devoid of emotion. At the same time I am not sure how productive attacking the fans is in this scenario. I have no clue what I would do in their shoes. I still like Yordan's response over these two recent additions to the roster. All fans want this team to succeed, and in this I didn't seek to speak for "ALL" fans but from my perspective as a podcaster, sports writer and fan of the Houston Astros.

The White Sox stand between the Astros and playing another day, not the fans.

The energy today in Daikin Park needs to be focused on winning every at bat. Winning every match up between Hunter Brown and the White Sox. The energy from the fanbase needs to uplifting, and seeing if bringing that energy can help propel this Astros team to a game 3. Astros fans have defended this team long enough. Wednesday afternoon, they get another chance to stand behind it. And the Astros get another chance to remind them why they did in the first place. This isn't the time to turn on each other. It's time to Chase the Fight!

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow