The Houston Astros have suddenly found themselves in a dog fight to get back to the MLB Postseason for a ninth straight season. Joe Espada's club has held onto the AL West lead throughout most of 2025, but with just a few weeks left, the Astros may now have to rely on playoff tiebreakers in order to play baseball into October.
As of September 11, Houston holds a one game advantage over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West and lead the Texas Rangers by just 2½ games in the division. The Astros have also dropped six of their last 10 games heading into Thursday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, while the Mariners and Rangers are riding five and four game winning streaks, respectively.