For the first time since 2016, the MLB playoffs will be taking place without the Houston Astros among the teams in the field. Despite 118 calendar days in first place in the AL West and a seven-game lead on July 6, an epic second-half collapse will ensure that the team is planning their golf outings instead of plotting their postseason roster.
A lot brought Houston to this point. From questionable offseason decisions to enormous waves of injuries to a trade deadline that looked promising but was ultimately questionable, and finally to a manager who simply ran out of ideas to make the available pieces fit.