2020 Astros season preview: Can baseball's villains live up to their ceiling?
The Houston Astros head into the 2020 season as the unequivocal heel of Major League Baseball.
Not only did the Astros receive historic penalties for one of the largest cheating scandals the sport has ever seen, but they also lost Cy Young runner-up Gerrit Cole to the New York Yankees and did nothing to fill that chasm.
Houston should still be among the league's top teams thanks to a lineup that's still probably the best in baseball. However, the rotation looks quite a bit worse than it did the previous two years, the bullpen also took a hit, and, while they won't face any boobirds, the players will receive incessant questions from reporters in every city they visit this year. Can this club manage that and still live up to its ceiling as World Series contenders?
2020 Breakdown
2019 record: 107-55 (1st in AL West)
Payroll: $210,691,667
Projected record: 35-25 (1st)
World Series odds: +600
3-year trend: 2017 (1st); 2018 (1st); 2019 (1st)
Key addition: Austin Pruitt
Key subtraction: Gerrit Cole
Highest projected WAR: Alex Bregman (2.3)
X-factor: Lance McCullers Jr.
Prospect to watch: Forrest Whitley
Winter report card: F
Projected Lineup
| Order | Player | Pos. | Proj. WAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Springer | CF | 1.8 |
| 2 | Jose Altuve | 2B | 1.5 |
| 3 | Alex Bregman | 3B | 2.3 |
| 4 | Michael Brantley (L) | LF | 0.9 |
| 5 | Yuli Gurriel | 1B | 0.6 |
| 6 | Josh Reddick (L) | DH | 0.9 |
| 7 | Carlos Correa | SS | 1.8 |
| 8 | Kyle Tucker (L) | RF | 0.5 |
| 9 | Martin Maldonado | C | 0.6 |
Bench
| Player | Position | Proj. WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Dustin Garneau | C | 0.2 |
| Jack Mayfield | IF | 0.0 |
| Abraham Toro | IF | 0.1 |
| Aledmys Diaz | IF/OF | 0.2 |
| Myles Straw | OF | 0.1 |
*Bold indicates player acquired during offseason
Although Yordan Alvarez has yet to report to camp, the Astros should be able to weather the young slugger's absence by plugging in another highly touted outfield prospect in Tucker. The 23-year-old's major-league career has been underwhelming so far, but he's one year removed from being the No. 8 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. Other than that, the lineup features a whole bunch of familiar faces, and Bregman, Springer, Altuve, and Correa should all feel some pressure to put this winter's controversy behind them.
Rotation
| Pitcher | Throws | Proj. ERA |
|---|---|---|
| Justin Verlander | R | 3.46 |
| Lance McCullers Jr. | R | 3.73 |
| Zack Greinke | R | 4.27 |
| Josh James | R | 4.08 |
| Framber Valdez | L | 3.49 |
Verlander would not have been ready to start the season if it began on time, so seeing the two-time Cy Young winner's name at the top of this table should cause a sigh of relief among Astros fans. While he's not Cole, Greinke pitched well after being acquired at the deadline, managing a 3.02 ERA over 10 starts with Houston. McCullers' return provides a major boost and gives the Astros three legitimate starters. The right-hander was an All-Star in 2017.
Bullpen
| Pitcher | Throws | Proj. ERA |
|---|---|---|
| Roberto Osuna | R | 3.64 |
| Ryan Pressly | R | 3.37 |
| Bryan Abreu | R | 4.11 |
| Chris Devenski | R | 4.36 |
| Cy Sneed | R | 4.42 |
| Blake Taylor | L | 4.53 |
| Joe Biagini | R | 4.53 |
| Cristian Javier | R | 4.84 |
| Nivaldo Rodriguez | R | 5.08 |
| Enoli Paredes | R | 4.18 |
The Astros' bullpen is remarkably righty heavy, but that wasn't much of a detriment to them last season. With larger rosters to kick off the campaign, they'll be able to carry a lefty in Taylor. Houston's bullpen ranked 11th in FIP in the majors last year. However, that unit finished second in ERA behind the Tampa Bay Rays. Led by Osuna and Pressly, it's a formidable group. Austin Pruitt has the potential to start, but the offseason addition is also dealing with some elbow inflammation.
Key injuries/absences
| Player | Position | Absence |
|---|---|---|
| Yordan Alvarez | OF/DH | Undisclosed |
| Jose Urquidy | SP | Undisclosed |
| Brad Peacock | RP | Shoulder soreness |
| Austin Pruitt | RP | Elbow soreness |
(Projected WAR/ERA source: FanGraphs)