The Astros begin the season at Daikan Park against the Angels and we have some predictions
The long winter is finally over and it’s time for some spring baseball that actually counts. The Astros open their season at Daikan Park on Thursday and despite a rare playoff miss last year, there is hope around the ballclub that 2026 could be different.
GM Dana Brown has re-tooled manager Joe Espada’s roster and there is good reason to believe they are better equipped this season than they were in 2025, but that’s why they play the games. Let’s make some predictions.This feels a bit like a gimme. The Astros lost more player innings as the result of injury in 2025 than any other team save the Dodgers. Sure, LA still won a World Series, but their $400 million payroll affords them more than enough depth. This is a team that even with some of its aging vets boasts a pretty strong roster of players under 30. That tends to provide a little more resilience, and let’s hope so. From an injury perspective, last year was about as bad as it can get.Credit to Brown for really restocking the cupboards with pitchers in the offseason. There will be two brand new starters in the rotation to go with ace Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier and Lance McCullers, Jr. Mike Burrows has looked incredible in Spring Training, but the big acquisition this winter was Japanese pitcher Imai. He can touch the upper 90s with his fastball and his breaking pitches, particularly his change up, rivals some of the better arms in baseball. Don’t be surprised if Imai comes blazing out of the gate. He has the kind of swing-and-miss stuff that can make opponents look silly and with so few players having seen him before, advantage Astros.Youngsters and Yordan will lead them. Getting back a healthy Yordan Alvarez cannot be understated in its importance. He’s one of the most feared hitters in the game and having him for more than 40 games means everyone in the lineup will benefit. But don’t be surprised if younger players like Cam Smith, the recently returned Joey Loperfido, and Brice Matthews make an impact. Smith, who went from never playing right field to the shortlist for the Gold Glove, looks already in great form. His struggles last season stemmed mostly from fatigue and the league catching up to him. He’s had an entire winter to prepare and improve. Loperfido hit .300 after being traded to the Blue Jays. He re-tooled his swing and looks confident at the plate. And Matthews has all the earmarks of a star in waiting with his athleticism and powerful bat. Keep an eye on all of them.Cal Raleigh is bound to come back down to earth and the Astros were essentially a tiebreaker away from winning the AL West despite the huge number of injuries. This is still a team with a lot of talent, particularly in their pitching depth. It would be a shock at this point if the Rangers, Angels or A’s made it to .500. That leaves the battle of the West between the M’s and Astros. Our money is on the home town team.
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