Over the past two season the Houston Astros have had the worst record in baseball have 56 wins in 2011, and 55 wins in 2012. The team has taken a downward spiral since Roy Oswalt, Lance Berkman, Jeff Bagwell, and Craig Biggio left the team. The last time the team had a winning season was 2008. This 2013 season the Houston Astros switched divisions to the AL west from the NL Central. Although they switched leagues the Astros are still a bottom of the pact MLB team. This 2013 Astros team is very young, and has tons of prospects. The 2013 year will be long for Houston Astros fans that have to watch another year of developing baseball. Fans have a unique opportunity to watch a team develop into what they hope will be a playoff team 1-2 years from now.
Astros Hitting
The Astros hitting is relatively unknown and the starting lineup has multiple young hitters, who may not be big league ready. Last season the Astros hitting ranked close to last in all categories, and this should carry into this season. Last season they ranked 29th in batting average and 28th in OBP. Expect these numbers to drop since the Astros moved into a harder division with many talented pitchers in the lineup. In the middle of the lineup they have DH/1B Carlos Pena who last season with the Tampa Bay Rays batted .197, hitting 19 homeruns and 61 RBI’s in 160 games. These numbers are horrible for a number three batter in the lineup. Pena’s batting average needs to improve or he should sit on the bench. A player to watch out for to have a breakout season is Jose Altuve. Jose is a 22 year old second baseman who last season was a very bright spot in the Astros lineup. He batted .290 with 33 stolen bases. Jose should bat above .300 this season and could obtain 40 stolen bases. He’s one of the only tough outs in the Astros lineup, and can hit for average. Other young players who the Astros hope develop into solid starters are third baseman Matt Dominguez, Catcher Jason Castro, and outfielder Fernando Martinez.
Astros Projected Lineup
1. Tyler Greene SS
2. Jose Altuve 2B
3. Carlos Pena 1B/DH
4. Chris V Carter OF
5. Brett Wallace 1B/DH
6. Justin Maxwell OF
7. Jason Castro C
8. Fernando Martinez OF
9. Matt Dominguez 3B
Astros Pitching
The Astros pitching staff might be one of the worst’s in the entire MLB. Last season the team had 4.62 ERA which was second worst in the entire NL. Besides a shitty ERA the team allowed the most amount of walks, which usually occurs when you have multiple young starters pitching. Ace Bud Norris had a 4.65 ERA last season, and this will increase along with all other pitchers ERA because there is no pitcher out in the rotation. Number two pitcher is Lucas Harrell who was 11-11 with a 3.76 ERA last season. Alex White the number 5 pitcher is very young and the Astros are hoping he can develop into a solid starter. Last season he had a 5.51 ERA. Philip Humber was once a top prospect and has had solid seasons in the MLB, but last season he had a 6.44ERA with the White Sox. Finally number three pitcher Jordan Lyles had a 5.09 ERA last season but he is 22 years old and can improve these numbers as he gains big league experience. Erik Bedard another Astros pitcher has great stuff but he has fallen off the map after his short stay with the Mariners.
Astros Starting Rotation
1. Bud Norris
2. Lucas Harrell
3. Jordan Lyles
4. Philip Humber
5. Erik Bedard
The Astros bullpen is just as bad as the Astros starting pitching. Last season opponents hit a major league high .274 against the Astros bull pen. The bull pen is the Astros weakest unit this season. Their closer is Jose Veras who has no closer experience, but last season had a 3.63 ERA. He is a power pitcher out of the pen so he can thrive in the closer roll. Other pitchers in the Pen include Wesley Wright, Xavier Cedeno, Josh Fields, Fernando Rodriguez, and Rhiner Cruz. None of these guys are house hold names and no one knows what to expect. Wesley Wright is a lefty who had a 3.27 ERA. Like the rest of the team the staff is young and no one knows what to expect.
Astros Season Schedule Break Down
The Houston Astros have a lot of games within the AL West their division. This includes multiple games against the front runner to win the AL this season the Los Angeles Angels, the Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, and Seattle Mariners. Most of the teams in the AL west are improved from last season, and the Astros will have a hard time beating the top 3 teams in the division. This season is unique for Astros fans since the team switched to the AL. Due to the switch of leagues fans in Houston have a opportunity to see teams they rarely have seen over the past decade. During interleague play the Astros play the NL Central their old division. This includes games against the St Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Pittsburgh Pirates. All these games will be competitive as they use to be division rivals. The Astros also have a home and away 4 game series late in May vs the Colorado Rockies.
Astros Key Additions
1. DH Carlos Pena
2. RHP Philip Humber
3. RHP Alex white
Key Departures
1. RHP Wilton Lopez
2. OF Jordan Schafer
3. OF/IF Scott Moore
Prediction
Although the Astros moved to the AL west this season, they will still be one of the worst teams in baseball. The team is going to compete with the Miami Marlins for the worst record in baseball this 2013 season. This team is very young and they need to develop their young players. The team has young hitting and pitching which usually translates into a comedy of errors as players adjust to the big leagues. This will be another long season for Astros fans.
Houston Astros Season Schedule 2013
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