Somehow, a record of 81-81 was just good enough to take home the American League West 2026 championship. The division was weak and it really wasn’t much to brag about. The reality struck the Houston Astros immediately in the playoffs.

In all honesty, the Astros making a short appearance in October wasn’t enough to convince anyone that they are going to be serious contenders next season.

MLB.com released their way-too-early 2027 power rankings and, as expected Houston was down the list. In fact, they are about middle of the pack in Major League Baseball, ranked at No. 16.

That’s not necessarily a terrible place to be, but it sure isn’t where Astros fans would like to see their team. Certainly, though, it is a fair assessment of the situation around Houston. In fact, it might even be optimistic.

One of the things that makes this ranking interesting is the fact that the Seattle Mariners were placed at No. 14, yet finished the 2026 campaign worse than the Astros at 76-86.

Houston has already started making changes by hiring a new general manager, Randy Flores, and being very active in their manager interviews. Still, they are going to have a very busy offseason with plenty to prove before the 2027 season kicks off, assuming labor negotiations don’t get in the way.

Astros Ranked Behind AL West Rival

The Astros finished five games ahead of Seattle when the 2026 regular season wrapped up. MLB.com still placed them in a better position headed into next season.

There are some reasonable explanations for that. Seattle has considerable talent remaining, especially when taking a look at their starting rotation. The team is also expected to have a busy offseason, adding talent after their disappointing finish last year.

Houston, on the other hand, has a rather difficult situation ahead.

The road is likely to be windy, filled with bumps ahead for the Astros.

Assuming they hire a new manager soon, as the organization has indicated, then comes the roster. Pitching is going to be a top priority. Four pitchers have entered free agency, including Bryan Abreu and Steven Okert.

The outfield also must be addressed this offseason if this team has any chance to start producing.

Needless to say, Houston has significant work to do before it can be taken seriously as a serious contender.

Flores Faces Difficult and Multiple Challenges Ahead

Just like every new general manager who has been hired in MLB, Flores has a lot of problems to address almost immediately after his hiring.

With that list of problems also comes some pretty high expectations. Joe Espada has to be replaced. The roster needs fixed.

While the outfield and pitching are a concern, the infield presents yet another challenge.

Houston didn’t have to think long before making the decision to exercise Isaac Paredes’ $13.35 million club option for 2027. That wasn’t even really a question. What is up for discussion, though, is how the team is going to handle a crowded infield.

Jeremy Pena and Christian Walker are also heading into their final season on their contracts, which means Flores will need to start thinking about them immediately.

The Astros finished the 2026 season with a minus -32 run differential. That is not indicative of a dominant team. This is a clear indication that Flores needs to also concentrate on offensive production.

The early rankings were just a sobering reality that numbers matter. There is work to do in almost every facet of this team and its roster.

Flores has an opportunity to change almost everything about this organization if Jim Crane is actually honest about letting him have full control.

His first offseason could be one of the most influential this team has had in a long time.