Heading into the 2023 Spring Training, the Astros are feeling pretty good about themselves. Behind one of the most dominant hitters in the league and an elite pitching crew, the team steamrolled their way to the World Series, and promptly made quick work of the Philadelphia Phillies. It was a great win that silenced all of their doubters.
However, winning one championship is never going to be enough for any competitive win. After an incredible 2022 season, the Astros now turn to the 2023 season with high hopes for themselves. Their offseason heading into Spring Training is pretty quiet, with the notable exception of Justin Verlander's departure. Despite that, most of the other key members of the team was retained by the franchise.
Can Houston top the insanity of their 2022 campaign and win it all again? Here are some bold predictions about the Astros' 2023 season ahead of their Spring Training festivities.
Yordan Alvarez will snag AL MVP
Aaron Judge's bonkers 2022 campaign will go down in history as one of the greatest individual seasons of all-time. The New York Yankees star was lights out all year long, carrying the team on his back for long stretches. Judge beat out another elite season from Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, who continued his insane two-way prowess.
Lost in all of the Judge vs. Ohtani discourse last season, though, was Yordan Alvarez' monstrous year for the Astros. The star outfielder/DH posted some ridiculous numbers for Houston: he hit 37 home runs last season and had an OPS of 1.016. That easily puts him near the top of the power hitting leaderboard. If not for Judge and Ohtani's record-breaking years, Alvarez might've gained serious push for an MVP crown.
The good news for Alvarez is that both Judge and Ohtani should, in theory, regress slightly this season. That's not necessarily a knock on both players, but rather a testament to their incredible campaigns last season. Judge can't possibly hit 62 home runs in a single season again. Ohtani is bound to see a slight dip in his numbers.
If Alvarez can continue his insane production in the 2023 season, the Astros might have themselves another MVP candidate.
Jeremy Peña will be an All-Star
This one might be a bit of a harder prediction to sell for Astros fans, but it's definitely possible.
Carlos Correa's departure from the Astros last offseason left some massive questions for the team. The star shortstop's hitting and defensive presence was invaluable to their team's consistent success over the last few years. Yes, his health was a concern, but Correa was still a positive asset to the team. Losing him should've been a devastating blow for Houston.
However, Correa's departure gave way for the rise of Jeremy Peña. One of the best prospects for the Astros, the young shortstop started off guns blazing for Houston. His bat was a bit streaky at times, but his defensive versatility more than made up for it (earning Gold Glove honors in his rookie year). In addition, Peña took it up a notch in the playoffs, delivering in key moments during Houston's World Series run.
Jeremy Peña's biggest issue right now is his absurdly high strike-out rate (24.2%). The Astros SS has a powerful bat, but he tends to be a bit too liberal in swinging at balls. If the Astros coaches can help him ease on his trigger finger and make him more consistent, then Houston will definitely have another All-Star shortstop next year.
Astros become first team to repeat since 1998
One of the age-old adages in professional sports is that it's harder to repeat as champions than winning it the first time. The Astros know this all-too-well: after their infamous 2017 win, the team was steamrolled by the Boston Red Sox in the following year's ALCS. Winning a ring puts a massive target behind your back: teams start preparing for you even more and do more crazy shenanigans to throw you off.
Despite all of that, the Astros are well-positioned to repeat as World Series champions next season. As mentioned earlier, their biggest loss this year is Justin Verlander departing for the New York Mets in the opposite division. Yuli Gurriel and Trey Mancini also left the team, but Houston found a perfect replacement in Chicago White Sox star first baseman Jose Abreu. Their core hitters remain as potent as ever.
Their pitching staff is also well-prepared to deal with the loss of Verlander. Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier are two of the best starting pitchers in the AL today. Lance McCullers Jr, after battling injuries over the last two years, is back to pitching at an elite level. There's still plenty of talent in this roster.
The last team to repeat as World Series champions were the 1998 New York Yankees. The Astros will be the next team to do that.
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