2006 Astros Roster and Season Predictions

This is the way I see the Astros lineup this year and how I think they'll produce. 

Astros Pitching
The Astros 2006 rotation is still up for grabs.. the only for sure spots in the rotation are Oswalt, Pettitte and Backe.  It seems Rodriguez will probably be the 4th starter which scares me to death..  the 5th spot is completely up for grabs and will probably come down to either Taylor Buchholz, or Carlos Hernandez. 

Oswalt - look for Oswalt to hit the 20 win mark again.  He's still one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball and with some extra run support this year, should have a little easier time. 

Pettitte - Pettitte had a great season last year but was question mark at the start of the season due to previous injuries.  Look for Andy to have a season comparable to last season with maybe 3-4 wins more due to more maturity in the Astros batting order.  He'll be right around the 20 win mark this season.

Backe - Backe is too streaky.  I think this will be his make or break season.  If he can show the brilliance he's shown in the post season, during the regular season then he has the chance to win 15-20 games.  If he continues to be streaky then he'll be fighting for his job come late season.  He needs to get his ERA under 4.00 and work on keeping the ball down and keep it in the park.

Position Players
Catcher - Brad Ausmus - Brad will be behind the plate again this year.  Expect a gold glove caliber year defensively and around a .250 batting avg.  He'll hit 8-10 home runs this year and like normal will struggle at the start of the season. 

First Base - Lance Berkman - expect Lance to have a big year.  A full season with out injuries should be a great thing for the Astros.  Lance will hit 35-40 bombs this season with a .300+- batting avg.  Playing every day at first should help him stay healthy and improve his numbers at the plate. 

Second Base - Craig Biggio - Bigg's hit his career high in home runs last year.  He's getting older, but that doesn't seem to be effecting him much offensively.  He's not the greatest defensive 2nd basemen, but he's solid.  His arm isn't what it used to be, but he can still turn the 4-6-3 and the 6-4-3 so there's no worries.  Look for Biggio to hit 22-24 home runs with a 270's batting avg and start the season at the lead off spot. 

Third Base - Morgan Ensberg - Morgan had a break out year last season and I expect his numbers to increase this year.  Look for Mo to hit 35-37 home runs this season with a 280's batting avg. 

Short Stop - Adam Everett - Adam's the best defensive shortstop in the National League(maybe in baseball), but his offensive numbers are sub-par.  He has the tools to be a great lead off hitter if he learns to watch a few more pitches, and swing at the right pitches.  He has a tendency of swinging at balls low and outside which really hurts his batting average.  Hopefully Adam will feel some pressure from Burke or Bruntlett and step his offensive game up some.  Look for Adam to hit around .250 and steal 10-15 bases this season.

Left Field - Preston Wilson - The Astros main free agent acquisition this year, Wilson should definitely increase the RBI totals from the 2005 Astros.  Preston should benefit from the Crawford boxes and possibly hit 30-40 home runs this year.  Look for him to strike out 30% of the time and hit for about .265 with 105 RBI's. 

Center Field - Willy Taveras - Willy T's a monster on the base paths and has the tools to steal 50+ bases this season.  Willy needs to work on his strike outs and take a few more pitches.  He really needs to take over the lead off spot from Craig Biggio and let Biggio hit 2nd.  If he doesn't increase his on base percentage this year, he'll find himself batting 7th or 8th and possibly losing some playing time to Chris Burke.

Right Field - Jason Lane - Jason will benefit this year from not having to worry about losing his spot.  He had a nice season last year in his first full season.  Jason has the tools to hit 40+ home runs if he can just stay consistent.  If Jason can stay consistent, look for him to hit .280 with 35-40 home runs and 110-115 RBI's. 

Bench - Orlando Palmeiro, Eric Bruntlett, Mike Lamb and Chris Burke are the only givens.  In my opinion, the 'stros have one of the strongest benches in the majors.  Look for Burke to get the most playing time, starting in the outfield and 2nd base.  Bruntlett is probably one of the best defensive utility men in baseball with the ability to play every position(minus pitcher/catcher) at an above average/gold glove caliber level.  Lamb will get a little time relieving Berkman at first base, and maybe a few games relieving Ensberg at 3rd, but will mainly come in late in the games to pinch hit.  Palmeiro is a really consistent pinch hitter and will be used mainly as a pinch hitter in the late innings.

Unknowns
Is Clemens coming back?  If so, to who? - This is probably the biggest question in from the off season.  Like a lot of people, I think he'll be back.. and he'll be back with the Astros..  The Astros benefit him the most;  his son is a member of their minor league clubs, he gets all the flexibility he could ask for(just short of having the games played at his home).  If Clemens can play.. he'll be an Astro again. 

4th and 5th starters - Who are they going to be?  If you just take the spring season and ERA into consideration, then it looks like Nieve and Buchholz should be the 4th and 5th starters.  It seems that Wandy Rodriguez will probably get the 4th spot and the 5th spot looks to be a toss up between Buchholz and Hernandez.  Time will only tell.  I'd like to see Nieve and Buchholz get their chance.