The Astros Led MLB in Home Runs in 2026 So What Went Wrong

The Houston Astros led MLB with 226 home runs in 2026 but finished the regular season 81–81. They have the power and then some, but it didn’t get them where they wanted to go. The Brewers are a perfect example of why winning takes more than home runs. The Milwaukee Brewers took home their very first World Series title on Wednesday, and they didn’t need home runs to get it.

The Brewers finished the regular season with 103 wins and went 11–2 in the postseason.

Taking a look at Milwaukee’s numbers, there is proof that it’s not all about home runs. The Brewers ranked 28th in home runs, but first in batting average and on-base percentage. They also ranked fifth in stolen bases. Their contact hitting and ability to get on base really set them apart. On top of that, Milwaukee used its speed and aggressive baserunning to create scoring opportunities.

Houston, on the other hand, relied heavily on home runs. Many of the big wins were home run fests. The Astros have plenty of power, particularly with Yordan Alvarez. But when their sluggers went through cold streaks, the offense needed other ways to produce runs.

Hitting home runs is great, but hitting them with runners on base makes a bigger difference.

The Astros finished last in MLB with just 50 stolen bases. As aggressive as Jeremy Peña is, he can’t lead the whole team in stealing bases all by himself.

The Astros also struggled to bring runners home from third with fewer than two outs, succeeding just 47.3% of the time. They also struggled to advance runners from second to third with nobody out.

It really shows that Houston relied too heavily on power instead of manufacturing runs. It can be easy to do when you have someone like Yordan Alvarez crushing it, but even Alvarez’s bat cooled off from time to time, and the Astros need another plan when that inevitably happens.

The Astros had a strong OPS, but they averaged just 4.53 runs per game, barely above the league average.

Heading into 2027, Houston needs to improve its situational hitting, raise its on-base percentage, and be more aggressive on the bases. Solo home runs alone are not going to get the job done, and the 2026 season proves that.

The Astros clearly have the power. The question now is whether they can turn it into more consistent run production.