The Houston Astros finished the month of April with a respectable, albeit far from their usual standards, 15-13 record. Houston dealt with injury struggles to open the year, notably playing without star Jose Altuve. The Astros are still the defending champs however, and project to be a playoff contender once again in 2023. Nevertheless, there have been overreactions to their decent start to the year.

Without further ado, let's see if three primary Astros' overreactions to their 2023 performance are justified.

Astros don't care about the regular season

Some fans have suggested that Houston simply doesn't care about the regular season at this point. They have won two World Series championships since 2017, so their sights are on the postseason. Taking things too serious in non-playoff games may not appeal to them anymore.

Is this an overreaction, or is there reason to believe this is true?

The fact of the matter is that every MLB player cares about their performance. The Astros still want to take care of business even during April games. However, there is likely some truth here.

For example, dynasties like the Golden State Warriors haven't been primarily focused on the regular season in recent years. As long as they get into the playoffs, the Warriors feel like they always have a chance to compete for a championship. The Astros are in a similar spot. Houston believes they can take home the World Series trophy almost every season.

We will refer to this as an overreaction, but the underlying narrative holds some truth.

Jeremy Pena's 2022 season was a fluke

Jeremy Pena's strong 2022 season was capped off by a World Series win. He blasted 22 home runs during the regular season while stealing 11 bases, flashing signs of star potential. Pena's presence helped to replace Carlos Correa in Houston as well. The Astros think he can turn into a true star down the road.

So far in 2023, Pena is hitting .241 with a .762 OPS. He has clubbed six home runs, but has also struck out 30 times and drawn only five walks. The question at this point is whether Jeremy Pena is the answer at shortstop for years to come for this Astros ball club.

It needs to be remembered that Pena is still only 25-years old. He's still developing as a player. Fans have overreacted to his underwhelming start to the year, but his effort hasn't been terrible by any means. Houston fans should remain confident in Jeremy Pena for now.

This is an overreaction.

Astros don't have enough starting pitching

Justin Verlander's departure and Lance McCullers Jr's preseason injury has left the Astros searching for answers in their rotation. Their mediocre start to the season is a product of pitching concerns.

However, this rotation is talented despite those question marks. Framber Valdez and Christian Javier have continued to perform well. Hunter Brown has also displayed signs of stardom for Houston. The concern is depth.

With McCullers Jr on the injured list, Houston's rotation currently includes; Valdez, Javier, Brown, Luis Garcia, and Jose Urquidy. Garcia and Urquidy have questions of their own, and there isn't much depth behind them. The Astros can always dive into their farm system if necessary, but their pitching isn't as strong as it has been in recent years.

This isn't an overreaction, but there is still hope for Houston as long as injuries don't derail the rotation.