The 2016 Houston Astros season was the 55th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, their 52nd as the Astros, fourth in both the American League (AL) and AL West division, and 17th at Minute Maid Park. They entered the season having posted an 86–76 record, in second place and 2 games behind the division-champion Texas Rangers. The Astros qualified for the playoffs as a Wild Card team; however, their season ended in defeat to the eventual World Series champion Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series (ALDS).
On April 5 at Yankee Stadium, Dallas Keuchel made his second consecutive Opening Day start for Houston, who defeated New York, 5–3. After a 7–17 start in the month of April, the Astros produced a winning record over their next four months, highlighted by an 18–8 record in June. The Astros' first-round draft pick in the amateur draft was pitcher Forrest Whitley, at 17th overall.
Second baseman Jose Altuve and pitcher Will Harris represented the Astros and played for the American League at the MLB All-Star Game. It was Altuve's fourth career selection and the first for Harris. After going 12–15 in September, the Astros were eliminated from playoff contention.
The Astros concluded the season with a final record of 84–78, for third place and eleven games behind Texas, who repeated as division champions. In the Wild Card race, the Astros trailed the Toronto Blue Jays by five games for the second opening. For the first time since 2005—2006, the Astros posted consecutive winning seasons. The 2016 season was the final year in which Houston did not advance to at least the American League Championship Series (ALCS) until 2024, and the final time that they did not win the AL West over a full 162-game schedule until 2025.
Altuve, who claimed a second AL batting championship (.338) and third consecutive hits title (216), was named The Sporting News Player of the Year, and the MLBPA Players Choice Awards each for Major League Player of the Year, AL Outstanding Player, and Majestic Athletic Always Game Award. He also won his third consecutive Silver Slugger Award. Additionally, pitcher Dallas Keuchel won his third consecutive Gold Glove, and third baseman Alex Bregman was selected to the Topps All-Star Rookie Team.
Offseason Summary The Astros concluded the 2015 season with an record, as runners-up in the AL West division, and two games behind the division-champion Texas Rangers. Houston qualified for the playoffs as a Wild Card entrant, and defeated the New York Yankees in the AL Wild Card Game, 3–0. The Astros advanced to the American League Division Series (ALDS), but were eliminated in five games by the eventual World Series-champion Kansas City Royals. It was the third consecutive playoff in which the Astros had qualified that they won the first round, previously in 2004 and 2005—also via Wild Card seeding. This was Houston's first regular-season winning campaign since shifting to the American League, first since 2008 (), and first playoff entrance since 2005, also the club's first time advancing to the World Series.
Southpaw Dallas Keuchel won the 2015 AL Cy Young Award to become the third Astro hurler to be recognized, joining Mike Scott () and Roger Clemens (). Second baseman Jose Altuve led the league in hits (200) for the second successive campaign, becoming the first Astro to achieve this feat, and first to produce multiple campaigns with 200 hits or more. Keuchel and Altuve won the Gold Glove Award, while Altuve won his second Silver Slugger Award. Shortstop Carlos Correa was recognized as AL Rookie of the Year, the second Astro to win the award, joining first baseman Jeff Bagwell in 1991.
Transactions
Chronological 11/13/15 – Astros re-signed OF Colby Rasmus to the team's qualifying offer of one year, $15.8 million. 11/19/15 – Astros traded IF Jonathan Villar to the Milwaukee Brewers for RHP Cy Sneed. 11/25/15 – Astros traded IF Jed Lowrie to the Oakland Athletics for RHP Brendan McCurry. 12/2/15 – Astros traded C Hank Conger to the Tampa Bay Rays for cash considerations. 12/2/15 – Astros non-tendered 1B Chris Carter, making him a free agent. 12/11/15 – Astros re-signed LHP Tony Sipp to three year, $18 million deal. 12/12/15 – Astros traded RHP Vince Velasquez, RHP Mark Appel, LHP Brett Oberholtzer, RHP Harold Arauz, and RHP Thomas Eshelman to the Philadelphia Phillies for RHP Ken Giles and IF Jonathan Araúz. 1/28/16 – Astros signed free agent RHP Doug Fister to one year, $7 million deal.
Free agents Major League free agentsInternational free agents (IF) Departed Industriales Cuban National Series (CNS) Signed with Houston Astros July 15, 2016 5 years, $47.5 million
+ Amateur free agents RHP Ronel Blanco
Trades August 1, 2016 To Houston AstrosYordan Alvarez (OF) To Los Angeles Dodgers Josh Fields (RHP)
Spring training The 2016 season marked the final year the Astros played their spring training ball at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, Florida, where Houston had played since 1985. In 2017, the Astros moved to The Ballpark of The Palm Beaches, a brand new stadium located in West Palm Beach, Florida, that Houston shares with the Washington Nationals.
Houston finished fifth in the Grapefruit League with an 18–11 record, four games back of the champion Nationals.
Regular season Summary April
+ Opening Day starting lineup Player Position 27 Jose Altuve Second baseman 4 George Springer Right fielder 1 Carlos Correa Shortstop 28 Colby Rasmus Left fielder 30 Carlos Gómez Center fielder 18 Luis Valbuena Third baseman 20 Preston Tucker Designated hitter 9 Marwin González First baseman 15 Jason Castro Catcher 60 Dallas Keuchel Pitcher Venue: Yankee Stadium • Houston 5, New York (AL) 3 Sources:
In a recasting of the outgoing playoff's AL Wild Card Game, New York hosted the Astros at Yankee Stadium, with Dallas Keuchel opposing Masahiro Tanaka, for Opening Day, on April 5. Carlos Correa homered and collected two stolen bases, and Jose Altuve and Preston Tucker each doubled to lead Houston to victory, 5 to 3. Correa's home run was the first of his career on Opening Day. Tyler White entered as a pinch hitter to make his major league debut and collected a single. Keuchel, making his second consecutive Opening Day start for Houston, worked seven innings to earn the win. Ken Giles worked the eighth and garnered two whiffs, including withstanding a solo home run by Didi Gregorius, to earn the hold. Closer Luke Gregerson pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth with a strikeout to garner the save.
Tyler White batted .556 (10-for18), two doubles, three home runs, 9 runs batted in (RBI), .597 on-base percentage (OBP), and 1.167 slugging percentage (SLG) over his first six games. Hence, White was named Player of the Week to cap a memorable first week in the major leagues.
During Game 2 of the regular season, on April 6, George Springer slugged his first career grand slam, taking Michael Pineda deep to left-center field in top of the second at Yankee Stadium. Carlos Correa added two jacks. However, New York teed off on Collin McHugh (0–1) for six in the bottom of the first and never looked back, routing the Astros, 16–6.
Right-hander Chris Devenski made his major league debut on April 8 and pitched three innings scoreless frames in relief versus the Milwaukee Brewers. Devenski entered for the bottom of the fifth with Houston trailing 0-to-4 and fanned his first hitter, Domingo Santana, looking. Chris Carter doubled off Devesnki in the sixth for his first major league hit surrendered and only hit off Devenski in the contest. Tyler White led the Astros' hitters with three hits, one home run, one double and three RBI. The Astros staged a four-run rally in the top of the ninth inning, but the Brewers held on for a 6–4 triumph.
From April 10 to 16, Jose Altuve batted .385 / .484 on-base percentage (OBP) / .846 slugging percentage (SLG) / 1.330 on-base plus slugging (OPS) over seven games. Altuve doubled, homered, and purloined a base thrice, with 5 each of RBI, walks, and strikeouts, 22 total bases, and 10 hits. Altuve won AL Player of the Week, the second consecutive week that an Astro won, following Tyler White.
On April 24, Marwin González extended his major league record by hitting his first 25 home runs with no one on base, lapping second-place finisher Todd Dunwoody by more than double (11).
May On May 6, with Evan Gattis aboard, Marwin González walloped the first home run of his career with a runner on base, his 26th, ending a major league record of the first 25 home runs with no runners on base.
Astros pitching established a major league strikeout record on May 26, whiffing 52 in a series against the Baltimore Orioles, for most over a three-game series. During the first game of the series, the pitchers fanned 19, the followed up with 18 the next game. The strikeouts over the first two established a two-game record with 37.
On May 30, right-hander Collin McHugh tossed his first career complete game, winning the decision while surrendering five hits and three runs over nine innings, and fanning eight. His previous career high in innings for one game occurred on April 27, 2014, going innings pitched.
June On June 1, George Springer connected for his first career walk-off home run, during the bottom of the eleventh inning versus Tyler Clippard of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
On June 25, A. J. Reed made his major league debut and went 0-for-2 while collecting an RBI versus the Kansas City Royals. During this first plate appearance in the top of the second inning, Reed drew a base on balls from Royals starter Chris Young, scoring on a Luis Valbuena double, which ignited a seven-run frame for Houston. Later in the inning, Jose Altuve (13) and Carlos Correa (12) homered as the Astros cruised to a 13-to-5 win. Altuve also doubled twice (23) while tallying four hits. Reed obtained his first RBI during the top of the fourth by hitting a sacrifice fly to left field that plated Altuve.
Second baseman Jose Altuve was recognized as American League (AL) Player of the Month for the first time in his career in June. Over 26 bouts, Altuve hit .420 / .492 on-base percentage (OBP) / .620 slugging percentage (SLG) / 1.112 on-base plus slugging (OPS). Altuve assembled 42 hits, including 6 doubles, a triple, 6 home runs, and purloined 6 bases, while collecting 15 RBI, drew 13 walks, and struck out 10 times. It was also his third successive month scoring at least 19 runs. Altuve became the first Astro to win the Player of the Month Award since the team transferred to the American League, and first overall since Lance Berkman won the National League (NL) honors in May 2008.
July On July 24, Jose Altuve drove in a career-high six RBI.
On July 25, Alex Bregman made his major league debut versus the Yankees. Bregman started at third base and went 0-for-4 in a 2–1 loss. In his first plate appearance, Bregman filed out versus Michael Pineda. In the top of third inning, Bregman started his first double play when he fielded an Aaron Hicks ground ball. George Springer hit a first-pitch leadoff home run (22) for Houston's only score. Pineda (5–9) earned the win for New York, while Dallas Keuchel (6–10) scattered six hits over innings and was charged with the defeat.
On July 26, Marwin González homered from both sides of the plate, becoming the eighth Astro to do, the first since the team moved to the American League, and first since Lance Berkman on July 3, 2006. González hit the 300th such instance overall in major league history.
After an 0-for-17 start to his major league career, on July 31, Bregman singled for his first major league hit.
August On August 2, right-hander Joe Musgrove made his major league debut, tossing innings versus the Toronto Blue Jays, yielding one hit, one run, and fanning eight.