The Houston Astros continued their dominance in the MLB as they claimed their second World Series crown with this current iteration of the Astros. Superstar rookie Jeremy Peña led the charge in the postseason, capturing both the ALCS and World Series MVP in his inaugural season. Despite the struggles of Jose Altuve, it did not matter because of the plethora of his teammates that stepped up at the most critical time.

Yordon Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez were some of the significant cogs of their 2022 championship. Unfortunately, guys like Justin Verlander and Christian Vasquez have headed out of Houston. Still, they added Jose Abreu as the lone free agent acquisition, who will be a terrific contributor in the heart of the order.

After recapping the 2022 season and 2023 offseason of the Astros, the fanbase must note these names as individuals who must bounce in their 2023 campaign.

Martin Maldonado

Sometimes, the catcher position needs to be given the proper attention by casual baseball fans. They do not execute the web gems on the field or tally the most impressive batting numbers, but their role is vital to the franchise's success. Martin Maldonado played 113 games last year and recorded 15 HR and 45 RBI in his 2022 campaign.

The struggles persist in the plate due to Maldonado's subpar .186 batting average and .248 on-base percentage. Being part of the stacked Houston lineup magnifies Maldonado's below-average numbers, but he must improve his numbers with the bat and the field. The departure of Christian Vasquez has made it more of a point for him to become a reliable backstop in the 2023 season.

Phil Maton

The bullpen was a fantastic asset of the Astros in their 2022 postseason run, but one glaring missing piece was right-hander Phil Maton. He was missing due to his outrage when he punched a locker after a regular season game and fractured his pinkie finger. Maton pitched 67 games for Houston in 2022 before his injury, but his ERA was at 3.84 in 65.2 innings pitched.

In the 2021 season, Phil Maton was an integral piece as a reliable pitcher in the middle innings, so he is expected to flourish in that role again in 2023. His strikeout rate can still elevate to a higher level, thus making it a priority for him. Furthermore, Maton will pitch behind Hector Neris, Ryne Stanek, and Ryan Pressly, so the pressure will be manageable for him to succeed instantly. The more critical part is him becoming a formidable threat in the postseason.

Jose Altuve

Putting Jose Altuve on this list does not allude to his impressive regular season numbers but only to his horrific numbers in the 2022 postseason. In the ALDS and ALCS, Altuve tallied three hits with zero homers and zero RBI, but the outcomes of the games did not change. His teammates' tremendous success put his postseason struggles under the rug.

In the World Series, Altuve batted .308, which was far better from earlier in the postseason, as it led to five runs scored for him. These numbers can be decent for some players, but the expectation is for Jose Altuve to return to his MVP self for the start of the 2023 season. He will need to bounce back instantly because his fantastic performance propels the confidence of his teammates to drive in more runs and attack the strike zone at an incredible level.