End of the Road 2015: Houston Astros

(Getty Images) After losing ALDS Game 5 to the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, the Houston Astros have been eliminated from the MLB postseason. That means they’ve effectively come to the end of the road in their feel-good 2015 season. As we’ll do with each eliminated team this season, let’s give them a send-off that would make Boyz II Men proud.

We’ll look at the highs and lows of their season, what bright spots their future might hold and what questions need answering as they prepare for 2016.

HIGH POINT: For a team that averaged 98 losses over the last six seasons, almost every day in 2015 had to feel like a high point. The Astros established themselves as contenders early. Beginning on April 18, the Astros went on a remarkable 13-1 tear, and from that point on never spent another day under .500. That was definitely a turning point in the team’s long term rebuilding. Another would be Sept. 27, when they clinched a winning record. And the biggest yet would be Oct. 4, when they clinched a wild card berth.

LOW POINT: It really comes down to the eighth inning in ALDS Game 4 against the Royals. The Astros had the defending AL champions on the brink of elimination, but let a four-run lead slip away. Obviously, you have to credit to resilience of the Royals. It was almost a repeat of their comeback during the 2014 AL wild card game, but there was also a key error from rookie sensation Carlos Correa that opened the floodgates. The Astros had a chance to bounce back in Game 5, but were simply overwhelmed by Johnny Cueto. Great season, no doubt. Disappointing ending.

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BEST HIGHLIGHT: The Astros added some interesting pieces at the trade deadline. Among them was 30-year-old right-hander Mike Fiers. In his fourth start for Houston on Aug. 21, Fiers pitched the 11th no-hitter in franchise history, blanking the Los Angeles Dodgers at Minute Maid Park.

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE: Where do we begin with this group? Dallas Keuchel continued his emergence not only as an ace, but as the favorite for AL Cy Young. Along with Collin McHugh and Lance McCullers, Houston has a very sturdy top three in their rotation. Then there’s the 21-year-old Correa, who despite debuting on June 8 may have played his way into the Rookie of the Year award. He has the look of franchise player, and he’ll have plenty of support with Jose Altuve, George Springer and Evan Gattis, among others. The Astros nucleus is very strong and is built for long term success.

QUESTION THAT NEEDS ANSWERING: Will the Astros do something splashy to put themselves over the top? Their big deadline additions, Scott Kazmir and Carlos Gomez, didn’t make great impacts. Gomez will still be around in 2016, which could soften the blow if they lose Colby Rasmus. But will general manager Jeff Luhnow look to add another top starter? Will he look to add a big name in the bullpen? There will be some intriguing options out there, and it will be interesting to see what the next phase of his plan is.

Previously in this series: Phillies, Braves, Reds, Rockies, Marlins, Brewers, Padres, Diamondbacks,
Athletics, White Sox, Tigers, Nationals, Rays, Mariners, Red Sox, Orioles, Indians, Giants, Twins, Angels, Yankees, Pirates, Cardinals and Rangers..