For two months, Major League Baseball kept asking the same question about the Houston Astros: were they done?
That conversation feels a lot less sturdy now. Houston has pushed itself back into the mix, and Yordan Alvarez is doing what Yordan Alvarez does.
The bigger story, though, is that the Astros’ push might not be riding on their biggest name at all. If this turnaround turns into another October run, Taylor Trammell and Hayden Wesneski may end up mattering most.
Trammell has been one of the biggest surprises on the roster. A former top prospect, he’s suddenly flashing the kind of production scouts once projected, and his recent power surge has given Houston something it badly needed: another real threat in a lineup that had leaned too heavily on its established stars.
The clearest sign came on August 4, when Trammell crushed a three-run homer against Toronto. MLB spotlighted the blast while noting that Houston had won 12 of its previous 14 games.
Taylor Trammell hits a 3-run homer and the @Astros have won 12 of their past 14! pic.twitter.com/vWAEB4pCs7
- MLB (@MLB) August 5, 2026
That kind of swing is more than a nice stretch. It changes what a lineup can look like.
Wesneski has given Houston something just as valuable on the pitching side. After Tommy John surgery, he’s back and effectively functioning like a rotation addition the Astros didn’t have to go out and trade for. If he can keep supplying steady innings through September, Houston’s pitching depth suddenly looks a lot stronger than it did earlier in the summer.
That’s why these two stand out. The Astros already know Alvarez can carry an offense.
That’s the expectation with stars. What often decides championship runs is the help that arrives from the players no one was counting on.
Trammell doesn’t have to play like a superstar. Wesneski doesn’t need to turn into an ace. Houston just needs both of them to keep being real contributors alongside the core it already trusts.
Right now, that’s exactly what’s happening. The Astros’ season may no longer hinge on Alvarez bailing them out. It may come down to whether Trammell and Wesneski keep giving him the kind of support nobody saw coming.
In Other News...
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Rob Refsnyder was among the players the Astros targeted after Seattle designated him for assignment, but the path never got that far. The surprising twist is that his next move reportedly went in a different direction entirely, a decision that leaves Houston still sorting through its outfield options while Refsnyders status remains unclear and unconfirmed on his side. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Smith Is Giving The Astros A New Reason To Believe
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Since the start of August, Smith has looked like one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball, pairing a .412 average with a 1.150 OPS and turning a once-inconsistent season into something far more encouraging. For the Astros, that surge matters because it gives them another legitimate middle-of-the-order threat at a time when every extra run feels magnified, and it adds a fresh layer to their playoff hopes as the final stretch tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Face A Defining Homestand With The AL West In Reach
A late-August push has put the Astros in a familiar position, with the AL West suddenly within their grasp and a nine-game homestand offering a chance to deepen that edge. Houstons recent series win over the Giants helped steady the momentum, capped by a 2-1 finish in which the offense did just enough and the pitching staff pieced together the right outs at the right time.
Now the challenge gets more direct. The Mariners, Angels and Athletics are all coming to Houston in succession, and division games at this stage tend to carry a little extra weight, especially with the Rangers sitting 1.5 games back. The Astros have put themselves in control, but the next stretch will say plenty about whether that control turns into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]