Despite all of the ups and downs they've gone through this season, the Houston Astros had an AL West title within their grasp. After finishing off a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers on Sep. 17, the Astros had a 0.5 game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West, with Seattle coming to town for a three-game series next. A series win would've made a division title a near certainty for the Astros, as they would've extended their lead while also earning the tiebreaker over the Mariners.
Well, not only were the Astros unable to win that crucial series against the red-hot Mariners, but they failed to win a single game. They were swept in that series, and then followed that up by losing two of three on the road against the lowly Athletics. Now, not only are the Mariners AL West champions officially, but at 85-74, Houston is in grave danger of missing the postseason entirely for the first time since 2016.
The Astros sit 1.0 game back of the Detroit Tigers for the third Wild Card spot in the AL, and the Tigers hold the tiebreaker. Even if the Tigers leapfrog the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central, Cleveland also holds the tiebreaker over Houston. The Astros will almost certainly need to sweep the Los Angeles Angels in their final series of the season and receive help from other teams just to make the playoffs.
The Astros haven't collapsed to the degree that teams like the Tigers, Blue Jays and Mets have, but given their 10-12 record in September and especially how the team has played in the last week, the Astros are on the verge of losing it all. Injuries have played a role, but don't fully explain what's gone down. These six players deserve most of the blame for things going south.
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6. Enyel De Los Santos, relief pitcher
It might be unfair to blame Enyel De Los Santos, a mid-August free agency addition, for the Astros' September struggles, but hear me out. De Los Santos quickly established himself as an important reliever in a beaten-up Astros' bullpen by allowing a total of one run in 13 innings of work across 12 outings, three of which took place at the beginning of September. He had recorded three holds in this span after having just two holds in the first four months of the season.
Since his blistering start, though, De Los Santos has allowed nine runs in 8.1 innings pitched, posting a 9.72 ERA in that span. He has allowed at least one run in four of his last five outings, and even had an appearance in which he allowed four runs, nearly blowing a game for Houston.
The Astros have needed their bullpen to step up in September, especially with Josh Hader on the sidelines, but that just hasn't happened. De Los Santos is a big reason why.
5. Yainer Diaz, catcher
Yainer Diaz has had a disappointing year overall, so perhaps it's fitting that he's had a rough month of September. I had hoped he'd have a big month, and he started it with a hit in three consecutive games, but things simply haven't gone well for the 27-year-old.
Diaz has slashed .257/.267/.378 with one home run and 13 RBI in September, and he's gone just 3-for-20 in the last week, that's seen Houston lose five of six. Diaz was having a pretty decent month before going cold at the worst possible time.
He's had a rough year, but Diaz was one of the best-hitting catchers in the AL last season. It wasn't far-fetched to expect him to come through when the Astros really needed him, but he's done the opposite.
4. Jesus Sanchez, outfielder
When the Astros acquired Jesus Sanchez from the Miami Marlins, I had thought they had plugged two holes. They acquired an outfielder, and a left-handed hitter at that. No, he wasn't a star by any means, but given Houston's need in the outfield and for a left-handed bat, Sanchez was an ideal fit on paper. Unfortunately, things haven't played out as hoped for Sanchez in Houston.
He disappointed throughout most of August, but finished the month swinging a good bat, giving Astros fans hope for a strong finish. Well, they've gotten the opposite of that. Sanchez has just five hits in 50 at-bats in September, and has slashed .100/.211/.180 overall. It's been bad, and with one hit in his last 18 at-bats, there's no reason to expect things to get better anytime soon.
It would've been foolish to expect star-caliber production, but Sanchez had been an average hitter for a majority of his career prior to his Houston stint. I mean, even before the trade, he had a 104 OPS+, suggesting he was slightly above-average offensively. With Alvarez out, he's the only left-handed bat of note in this lineup, so his struggles sting even more. Five hits in 50 at-bats is unacceptable. It's really that simple.
3. Christian Walker, first baseman
After a brutal first half, it felt as if Christian Walker had finally found his footing in Houston by putting together back-to-back strong months in July and August. Unfortunately, his month of September has been much of what Astros fans saw in the first half.
Walker has slashed .232/.267/.378 with three home runs and 11 RBI this month. Things went so poorly at one point that Walker had gone hitless in a 15 at-bat span with 10 strikeouts. That's the last thing the Astros needed from their big free agency addition in the most important month of the regular season.
To his credit, Walker has six hits in his last 17 at-bats spanning Houston's last four games, so perhaps he's found something. Based on how the rest of the month has gone, though, expectations are low, and even if he is finally getting going, it might be too little too late.
2. Jose Altuve, second baseman
Jose Altuve has a reputation for being among the most clutch position players of his generation, so watching him struggle when the Astros have needed him most has been weird. Yet, that's the reality.
Altuve has slashed .216/.289/.392 with three home runs and 12 RBI this month. After beginning the month with a multi-hit game, Altuve went just 2-for-33 over nine games, setting the stage for what was going to come. The Astros, unsurprisingly, lost six of those nine games.
Like Walker, Altuve has come alive lately, recording three multi-hit games in his last five, which has been nice with Alvarez out, but again, it might be too little too late. Altuve is supposed to be the guy in big games. The period where he went ice cold could be what dooms Houston.
1. Framber Valdez, starting pitcher
Framber Valdez just delivered seven innings of one-run ball in a win against the Athletics on Thursday, snapping Houston's five-game losing streak. While he obviously deserves credit for that Valdez-esque start, the question of where that was the rest of the month is one worth asking.
Valdez allowed 19 runs in 20.2 innings of work across four starts to begin September. He failed to complete five innings in two of those four starts, and the Astros failed to win any of those games. Valdez is a huge reason why the Astros are even alive now with how he pitched over the first five months of the season, but there's no denying that with the exception of Thursday's start, he's melted down in September.
Valdez's month began with his meltdown against the Yankees, and it's fair to wonder whether the frustration that came out of that start has lingered into others. Whether it has or hasn't, it's inexcusable for Valdez, a pitcher who (rightfully) expects to be paid handsomely in free agency this upcoming winter, to perform like this down the stretch.
If this is Valdez's last month with the Astros, things truly couldn't have ended much worse.