Season inching closer, questions abound
Thursday is the day we've been waiting for
On Thursday the Houston Astros begin defense of their 2022 World Series Championship at Minute Maid Park against the Chicago White Sox.
If for no other reason that will make the season an interesting one, but there are plenty of storylines and intrigue around this team.
Here are some of mine:
The Absence of Altuve - The 2022 WAR of 6.6 looms as a large figure to replace, but Jose Altuve is much more than that to the Astros. Heart and soul comes to mind. How much they get out of the replacements for (at least) two months is something to follow.
J. Abreu at 1st - Fan favorite Yuli Gurriel has moved on and Abreu joins the Astros from the White Sox. He won’t make the fans “forget” Yuli, but to be determined if they’re even talking about the change in July.
Can Pena follow up impressive rookie campaign? Sophomore slump? TBD, but I put money on Pena doing well in year 2.
Will Pena thrive, survive or dive as the leadoff hitter?
Will Bregman get back to 2019 form?
Will Tucker be extended?
Who takes control of CF or is it none of the above?
Does Maldonado continue to get the bulk of the starts (2 out of 3) or do the younger players see more?
Is Justin Dirden a Chas V2.0 or even better?
Can Hunter Brown continue to develop into a full-time MLB starter?
How much will the Astros get from Lance McCullers, Jr.?
Will Cristian Javier continue his dominance?
Will the bullpen be as dominant as they were in 2022?
Even with a team as good as the Astros, there are plenty of questions, especially for a team missing their emotional leader and leadoff hitter.
These are the first few that rolled off my mind, but there are plenty of others.
Then there’s the implementation of the new rules and bigger bases and the impact those may have.
It all adds up to an intriguing year and one that I’m looking forward to more than any in recent memory.
What are your biggest questions/concerns as the regular season comes into focus?
Thanks for reading.