Astros and Rangers tie for first in AL West amid struggles

The Houston Astros and Texas Rangers are locked in a tie for first place in the AL West, both with records of 78-79. Despite the competitive standing, the Astros have had a challenging season marked by inconsistent performance, including the firing of general manager Dana Brown in August. They have a disappointing 3-7 record in their last 10 games and a negative run differential of -52. ESPN's David Schoenfield rated the Astros with a C for the 2026 regular season, describing them as the worst Astros team since 2014. The team is relying heavily on AL MVP favorite Yordan Alvarez for success as it navigates the final stretch of the season.

• 2:46 PMYahoo Sports — Why this version of Astros is the 'worst' since 2014