The Houston Astros did everything right last season and won the World Series. They were arguably the best team from beginning to end.
Houston didn’t stand pat hoping the current squad was good enough to win another championship. They went out and traded for another arm (starter Gerrit Cole) to bolster what was already one of the best rotations in the Majors.
The AL West is always a competitive race. Nearly every team in the division made big moves this offseason. It will be hard for Houston to repeat last year’s success against an improved Angels and Mariners rosters.
Can the Astros repeat and win back-to-back rings?
Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Houston Astros.
2017 Win/Loss Record: 101-61
Key Additions: SP Gerrit Cole, RP Hector Rondon, RP Joe Smith, RP Buddy Boshers & C Tim Federowicz,
Key Losses: DH Carlos Beltran, RP Luke Gregerson, SP Francisco Liriano, RP Tyler Clippard, SP Joe Musgrove, RP Michael Feliz, SP Mike Fiers, OF Cameron Maybin, C Juan Centeno,
Interleague Schedule: NL West
Projected Starters: Brian McCann, Yuli Gurriel, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, Marwin Gonzalez, George Springer, Josh Reddick & AJ Reed
Projected Starting Rotation: Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel, Gerrit Cole, Lance McCullers Jr. & Charlie Morton
Closer: Ken Giles
Fantasy Sleeper: C/DH Evan Gattis – Carlos Beltran retired and the Astros will use Gattis as the primary designated hitter this season. This should bump up his at-bats by a huge amount. Last year, due to the crowded Astros lineup, he only ended up with 300 at-bats. He’s really streaky, but his end-of-the-year numbers always end up pretty good when given at-bats. He should be drafted in all leagues.
Prospects To Keep Your Eye On: OF Kyle Tucker – The Astros dealt quite a few prospects over the last two seasons to improve their big league roster. They held onto Tucker with hopes that he could slide into the Major League roster as early as this season. Last year, he hit 25 homers in-betwen High-A and Double-A. If there is an injury in the outfield or they decide to move Marwin Gonzalez to another position, Tucker would be someone to step in right away. He’s an excellent defender and could play any spot in the outfield.
Team Analysis: The Astros were finally able to cash-in on their years of futility by winning the World Series. They stockpiled a lot of talent, traded a few away for All-Star talent, and also developed some draft picks into All-Stars themselves.
Houston added Justin Verlander late last season and acquired SP Gerrit Cole from the Pirates this offseason. Their five-man rotation is stacked and among the best in the Majors. The bullpen will be overlooked at times due to the big named starters. Closer Ken Giles along with Chris Devenski are a nice one-two punch to end games. Devenski was used in an Andrew Miller-like role for Houston last year and had one of the best K/9 rates in baseball.
The Astros got career years from guys like Josh Reddick and Marwin Gonzalez. It would be hard for either guy to keep up those offensive numbers. Even if their production takes a hit, the rest of the lineup is still great enough to win the AL West. Are they good enough to win 100+ games in 2018? Yes, but they could have a World Series hangover to start the year. Their 97.5 win over/under number is a difficult number to hit. A team would need to avoid major injuries. I usually always bet against a total that high and I think they will barely miss it this season. I predict they will win the AL West, and now have enough postseason experience, they could start to coast at the tail-end of the season.
2018 Wins Over/Under Betting Line: 97.5 (Prediction: UNDER)
2018 Projected Win/Loss Record: 96-66 (1st AL West)
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About the Author…
Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.