Honestly, if you're frantically refreshing your phone trying to figure out the score of astros game today, January 15, 2026, I have some news that might be a little annoying: there isn't one.
We are deep in the heart of the MLB offseason. While the Houston Rockets are busy getting thumped by the Oklahoma City Thunder (111-91 just tonight, for those keeping track of Houston sports in general), the Astros are currently operating in boardrooms and training facilities rather than under the stadium lights.
When does the real action start?
You've probably got that itch for October-style tension, but we are a long way from a box score. The Astros won't take the field for a competitive game until February 21, 2026. That’s when they head to West Palm Beach to face the Washington Nationals for their Spring Training opener.
If you're looking for the most recent "real" score, you have to look back at the end of the 2025 season. It was a bit of a heartbreaker. The Astros finished 87-75, which is a solid record for most teams, but it left them three games behind the Seattle Mariners in the AL West. Even worse? They lost the tiebreaker to the Detroit Tigers for the final Wild Card spot. For the first time in nearly a decade, the postseason didn't go through Houston.
The current "score" is in the front office
Even though nobody is swinging a bat today, the team is making moves that basically dictate the score of games six months from now. The biggest news? The rotation looks totally different.
- The Tatsuya Imai Era: Houston just dropped about $63 million on Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai. This is the "score" fans should care about right now. He’s coming off a year in the NPB where he posted a ridiculous 1.92 ERA.
- The Bregman Void: It’s official and it hurts—Alex Bregman signed a five-year deal with the Cubs yesterday. Seeing him in blue is going to be weird.
- Kyle Tucker’s Departure: Reports just surfaced today that Tucker is headed to the Dodgers on a massive $240 million deal. Losing that much production in one offseason is a tough pill to swallow.
Why people are still searching for the score
It's actually pretty common to see spikes in people asking for the score of astros game during the winter. Usually, it's one of three things:
- Winter League Updates: Sometimes fans are tracking guys like Isaac Paredes, who was recently spotted hitting homers in the Mexican Pacific League.
- The Rockets Confusion: In Houston, "the game" often refers to whatever is happening at the Toyota Center when Minute Maid Park (now Daikin Park) is empty.
- Arbitration Wins: Fans sometimes view the "score" as how much money the team saved in arbitration. For 2026, they managed to avoid hearings with 13 players, including Jeremy Peña and Hunter Brown.
What to watch for next
If you want to be ready for when the scores actually start rolling in, mark your calendar for March 26, 2026. That’s Opening Day against the Angels at Daikin Park.
📖 Related: NFL Team Sack Leader: What Most People Get Wrong About Defensive Dominance
In the meantime, the "score" is all about the roster. Watch the trade rumors surrounding Christian Walker and the search for a veteran arm to mentor Hunter Brown. The front office is currently trying to figure out how to navigate a six-man rotation to protect Imai and the guys coming back from Tommy John surgery.
Keep an eye on the international signing period that opens this week. Houston is expected to be aggressive with shortstop prospects to fill the long-term gaps left by recent free-agent departures. While there's no scoreboard to check tonight, the moves happening in the next 48 hours will decide whether the Astros return to the top of the AL West or spend another October on the couch.
Actionable Next Steps
- Sync your calendar: Download the 2026 schedule now so you don't miss the February 21 Spring Training start.
- Track the prospects: Follow the "Spring Breakout" game on March 20 to see the new international signees in action.
- Update your apps: Ensure your sports alerts are set for "MLB Offseason" news to get notification of trades rather than just final scores.