The Houston Astros, with the Cleveland Guardians' walk-off win on Saturday night, were officially eliminated from postseason contention. After a year marred by injuries, the Astros missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
It was a brutal second half for Houston, as they faltered down the stretch, thanks to multiple players missing time, and those in the lineup and on the mound struggling.
After the Astros' game on Saturday night, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com shared a message from Carlos Correa, who apologized to Astros fans for missing the playoffs and the disappointing conclusion to the 2025 MLB season.
Carlos Correa apologizes to Astros fans after missing the playoffs
"I want to apologize to the fans in Houston for falling short," Correa said. "It's not what they're accustomed to. They're used to watching playoff baseball, and they look forward to that every single year. It's a beautiful time of the year in Houston. We were not able to accomplish that this year, but we promise our fans in Houston that this offseason is going to be one of a lot of hard work. We're all going to get better. Next year will be one to remember."
Carlos Correa: "I want to apologize to the fans in Houston for falling short. It's not what they're accustomed to. They're used to watching playoff baseball and they look forward to that every single year. It's a beautiful time of the year in Houston. We were not able to…
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) September 28, 2025
Correa's apology is a heartfelt one, as the veteran, after being acquired from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline, couldn't stop the collapse of the Astros in the second half of the year. It was a brutal way to end his return to Houston, as they missed the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade.
Houston missed the postseason for the first time since 2016 and could end the year tied with two other teams in the record for most postseason appearances. But, without the tiebreaker, Houston's chances of making the postseason weren't high.
Sitting at 86-75 with one game left, the Astros struggled down the final stretch of the year. After sweeping the Texas Rangers and looking like a strong candidate for October baseball, they were swept by the Seattle Mariners and then dropped two of three to the Athletics.
Those two series losses were the dagger for Houston and cemented a missed postseason berth. There are a few key reasons why the Astros didn't make the postseason, and aside from their healthy players not being up to snuff, the injuries have taken their toll.
Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Pena, Isaac Paredes, Jake Meyers, and so many others throughout the year have missed time for Houston. Those long absences, both at the end of the year and in the middle, caused the Astros to play short-handed for a lot of the season.
Correa played in 50 games for the Astros since the deadline, and had a solid .788 OPS while locking down third base for Houston. He's signed for the next couple of seasons, so Correa will look to help Houston return to the playoffs in 2026 in his first full season back with the team, where he began his career.
The 2025 MLB season ended on a sour note for the Astros, and a lot of reevaluations will happen in the offseason. Some free agents will be signed, while some players will be let go. Correa knows change needs to happen, and his message to Astros fans indicates that not only will he put in hard work to get back, but that fans should look forward to the 2026 season, as he says, "it'll be one to remember."
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