The Houston Astros finished fourth in their division last season with a record of 76-86, it marked the first time Houston finished two straight years with a losing record since the 1990 and 1991 seasons (74-88, 2009). While Houston traded away Roy Oswalt to the Phillies last year, they still expect a strong season from this year's starting rotation. With the additions of shortstop Clint Barmes and second baseman Bill Hall, they are hoping one of the worst offenses of last year can turn things around, and help this team get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2005. Here is a quick breakdown of their starting lineup and starting rotation, plus our MLB predictions on where they will finish up the yea in the NL Central.
Starting Lineup
Houston's offense is at its best when center fielder Michael Bourn is playing at a high level. Once he reaches base he immediately becomes a threat to move ahead on the bases, as he topped the National League for a second straight season with 47 stolen bases. The problem is Bourn hit just .265, something he has to improve on. While Houston still has Carlos Lee in the middle of their batting order, it's hard to expect a huge season out of him after he hit a career-worst .246 last season. The players to watch out for are right fielder Hunter Pence, who hit 25 home runs with 91 RBIs, and third baseman Chris Johnson, who hit 11 home runs with 52 RBIs after his June call up.
The next step in Houston's offense is a big year from their new additions in Hall and Barmes. The problem is neither player had a very good season last year, but the potential is there for these two to thrive at Minute Maid Park. If they still have some pop left in their bats, it could be a bounce back year for both players.
The rest of the lineup doesn't figure to produce a whole lot. Catcher Jason Castro hit just .205 with and OBP of .286 and has yet to show he can hit at the big league level, while first baseman Brett Wallace also needs to turn things around from a poor first season, as he hit just .222 with two home runs. Both are still young and could develop into solid players once they find their groove, but they need to show something more this year.
Starting Rotation
Houston's top two starters in Brett Myers and Wandy Rodriguez appear to be the real deal, and could be in for an even bigger season if the offense can get things going. After not pitching well in his previous three seasons with the Phillies, Myers went 14-8 with a 3.14 ERA in 2010, and is believed to be the top pitcher of this rotation. Rodriguez went 11-12 last season, but his 3.60 ERA and 1.287 WHIP show he was much better than his record indicates.
The back of the rotation should be solid with J.A. Happ and Bud Norris. Whether these two improve or decline in 2011, will have a play a huge role on the success of this team. Happ went a respectable 5-4 with a 3.75 ERA in 13 starts with Houston after coming over from Philadelphia in the Oswalt trade. Norris went just 9-10 with a 4.92 ERA last season, but his 9.3 SO/9 at the age of just 25, has us thinking it could be a much better 2011 for the youngster. The final spot in the rotation will likely go to Nelson Figueroa, who went 5-3 with a 3.22 ERA in 10 starts, but you have to wonder how much he has left in the tank at the age of 36.
2011 Projections: 6th Place NL Central
While Houston figures to have a above-average starting rotation, we still have huge concerns on the offensive side of the ball for this team. We don't just think Houston will struggle this season, we think they will end the year worse than the Pirates in the Central. The Astros MLB odds to win the NL Central this season are currently being listed at +3500
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