There have been signs throughout the 2023 season that the Houston Astros' empire could tumble this October. Suspect pitching, inconsistency in the bottom part of the lineup and emerging competition all portended the possibility of  the reigning World Series champions missing the MLB playoffs entirely.

And yet, here we are. The Astros rallied to win the American League West for the sixth time in seven years (finished second in COVID-shortened 2020) and are peaking at the perfect time. Once again. They are favored to reach the ALCS for the seventh-straight postseason but must first contend with a quietly formidable Minnesota Twins team in a best-of-five series.

You know the core guys by now, but there are some new faces who have carved out a meaningful role for themselves in 2023. There are also multiple players, some of them key members of past title runs, who are sharply trending downward. Manager Dusty Baker and the Houston brass must sort out all of those issues out before Saturday's Game 1 in Minute Maid Park.

While they deliberate, we are going to do our best to predict the Astros' 26-man ALDS roster vs. Twins.

Pitchers (13)

Starting pitchers: Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier and J.P. France

There are more question marks hanging above this pitching staff than there has been in the past. While Verlander regained top form in his last three starts, Valdez limped to the finish line. Similar to the top part of the rotation, the middle and bottom is also up and down. Javier, who has largely been a shell of himself since June, finally showed some signs of rejuvenation with a clutch performance against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the regular season finale (six scoreless innings).

J.P. France is not inspiring a lot of confidence right now and could conceivably lose his starter status to Jose Urquidy. But the rookie right-hander has undoubtedly given this club big innings this year. He kept his ERA under 4.00 and consistently went deep into games earlier in the season. While control is a major concern (13 walks combined in last four outings), the Astros have little choice but to trust him in the ALDS.

Relievers: Ryan Pressly, Bryan Abreu, Hector Neris, Kendall Graveman, Jose Urquidy, Phil Maton, Rafael Montero, Hunter Brown, Ryne Stanek

Urquidy is a big wild card for this unit. He pitched only three innings in last year's playoffs but has still proven to be a reliable arm for Baker. Unfortunately, his outings have also been sparse this year, as the Mexican right-hander's 2023 season was plagued by injuries. He appeared in 16 games, posting a troubling 5.29 ERA.

The good news, though, is that Urquidy shut down the D-backs last weekend in an emergency start. That should be enough to earn himself a key bullpen role or possibly an opener-like role if Baker wants to move off of France. Brown will also be trusted to eat some innings if need be or assume mop-up duties.

The rest of Houston's reinforcements are fairly standard. For better or worse, Pressly, Abreu, Neris and Graveman will handle the most dire situations versus the Minnesota lineup. It has worked before, so there is no reason for hesitancy now. The only big change on the actual roster could be the potential exclusion of Stanek. He is a long ways off from his stellar 2022, so management might prefer to go with an extra hitter instead. I feel this is the more prudent route to take, though.

Catchers (2)

Martin Maldonado, Yainer Diaz

Although guys like Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez comprise the backbone of this squad, the Astros' propensity to develop new stars is what really fuels this borderline dynasty. Their latest one might be Diaz. The rookie catcher batted .282 with 23 home runs and 60 RBIs in just 104 games.

Dusty Baker loves Maldonando, so Diaz will struggle to find opportunities, but having this balance of excellent defense/game caller and offensive prowess could be lethal in the ALDS if juggled properly.

Infielders (5)

Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Jeremy Pena, Jose Abreu and Jon Singelton

Those first three names are arguably the heart and soul of Houston baseball. Altuve and Bregman have been here since the beginning of this dominant run, while Pena soared to the postseason stratosphere as a rookie (won World Series and ALCS MVP). The blend of experience, clutch hitting, defense and overall talent stacks up nicely with the inexperienced Twins.

Jose Abreu has the potential to be either a hindrance or crucial difference-maker in this matchup. He woefully underachieved in the regular season (.237 batting average, .296 on-base percentage) but still managed 90 RBIs. If he can maintain that knack for driving runners home while increasing his other numbers a bit, then this offense will gel as it was intended.

I am predicting Jon Singleton snags the 13th and final position player slot on the ALDS roster. It will be between him and young infielder Grae Kessinger (unless Houston goes with 12 pitchers). Neither does much at the dish, but I am leaning with the first baseman. He has more power upside and gives the lineup another left-handed bat in pinch-hit situations. Kessinger's importance is diminished by the fact that Mauricio Dubon can move into the infield when necessary.

Outfielders (4)

Kyle Tucker, Michael Brantley, Chas McCormick and Jake Meyers

With other stars sidelined at various points of the year, Tucker was arguably the team's MVP in 2023. He amassed 112 RBIs, recorded a slugging percentage greater than .500 and played top-notch defense in the outfield. He is well-positioned to do some severe damage versus Minnesota. Though, the rest of this group is not too shabby, either.

McCormick seemed to be on pace for a truly blistering season but cooled off near the end. He is still swinging the bat more effectively than ever. Jake Meyers holds things down in center field, and then there is Brantley. It has been a long road back from shoulder surgery for the five-time All-Star, but he has locked down a slot on the 26-man MLB playoffs roster.

Brantley hit .302 in September and has seemingly gotten up to speed in just over a month. Although he might be limited, this is a pure hitter who demands some trust from his manager and teammates.

Utility (1)

Mauricio Dubon

While Tucker is the Astros' MVP, Dubon is their unsung hero. He filled in for an injured Jose Altuve in the beginning of the season but was too valuable to relegate to the bench upon the second baseman's return.

Baker has used him all over the field, but Dubon is at his most reliable in center field. He has a steadier bat than Meyers, so it is reasonable to expect the veteran to get ample work throughout the ALDS. But regardless of where he plays, Dubon has all the makings of being Houston's secret weapon this postseason.

Designated Hitter (1)

Yordan Alvarez

Have we saved the best for last? There is a good chance. Despite playing in only 114 games because of injuries, Alvarez proved again why he is one of the most feared hitters in the game today, The two-time All-Star posted his third consecutive season with at least 30 homers and 90 RBIs, while claiming a respectable 4.5 WAR as a DH.

We know what he can do in the MLB playoffs, and I believe the Twins are going to witness it for themselves firsthand in the coming days. If Alvarez is truly raking, there will be an air of invincibility surrounding this team.