MLB The Show: Steelerfan's Houston Astros Franchise

[steelerfan]

15 games are in the books this Spring for the 2015 Houston Astros and thus far the club has had a disappointing start. After improving by 32 games from their 51-win season in 2013, Manager Bo Porter's team has an increased level of expectations this year. The Astros met Porter's goal for 2014 by being the most improved club in the Majors; this year, however, Porter expects his squad to push for a playoff spot. After all, with a glut of youthful prospects gaining valuable experience last season, Houston went 83-79. 90 wins is not an unreasonable goal in 2015.

So far this Spring, Houston is hitting just .199 and they have a 6-9 record to show for it. On the bright side, the pitching staff has a combined ERA of 2.95 with a pair of shutouts, 18 Holds, 5 Saves and 0 Blown Saves. In 131.0 innings, Astros pitchers have allowed just 8 home runs and 51 walks, while punching out 109 batters. The club WHIP is a stellar 1.25 - pitching is not the problem this Spring.

Aside from the embarrassing .199 batting average, Houston has just 22 extra base hits in 15 games. Only 5 of those are long balls and they've produced just 29 RBI. Porter's hitters have drawn just 30 walks and have struck out 106 times. The team OBP is a paltry .248 and the OPS sits at .515. Not good enough.

Defensively, Houston has been steady. The Astros have a team Fielding Percentage of .985, up slightly from a season ago.

Let's take a look at Houston's 40-man roster and how the 25-man Opening Day roster is shaping up.


Catchers: Jason Castro (82 OVR), Charlie Barbour (71), Carlos Perez (67)

Jason Castro is a given to be the #1 Catcher again in Houston, despite struggling at the plate this Spring (31 AB, .161, 0 HR, 0 RBI). The question is, who will be #2? 21-year-old Charlie Barbour signed a 2-year deal with the club in the offseason and was considered the clear favorite to backup Castro. Barbour hasn't won the job yet - he has just 1 hit in 20 at bats. In 11 AB, Carlos Perez has hit .273 with an RBI. Being that Perez, 24, is the better defensive option, you have to put him as the front runner thus far. Barbour needs to turn things around at the plate, and quickly, or his desirable position flexibility (plays 1B and 3B) will be lost.

First Basemen: Chris Carter (80), Jon Singleton (70), Jesus Guzman (69)

Carter and Singleton will make the club. Expect Carter to be the everyday Left Fielder and for Singleton to see most of the action at first. Each one has been productive at the plate this Spring - Carter has hit .313 with an RBI and Singleton has hit .267 with 2 long balls and 8 RBI. The question here will be Jesus Guzman. Guzman offers the flexibility of playing both corner infield and corner outfield positions but he will have to win a job in Houston at the plate. To date he is failing, with just 2 hits in 20 at bats and 1 run batted in. We suspect Guzman will end up in Oklahoma City to start 2015.

Second Basemen: Jose Altuve (84), Ronald Torreyes (73)

Altuve will be the everyday man at second again this year and has had a solid Spring. The 24-year-old is hitting .300 with 2 RBI. Torreyes, 22, is in a battle to be a utility middle infielder and needs to improve on his .083 batting average to secure a spot in the Bigs in 2015.

Third Basemen: Matt Dominguez (77), Stanley Knott (72)

The Astros made a serious run at former Giants hot corner man Pablo Sandoval in the offseason before the Yankees opened the purse and locked him up for nearly 10 million a year. Now, Porter is left with no real option at third other than staying with Dominguez who was awful in the field in 2014. Matt has hit just .167 this Spring but has made improvements in the field with a .957 F%. Stanley Knott is an intriguing prospect. Knott, 22, was taken in the 4th round of last year's First Year Player Draft in June. He can play all 4 positions around the infield but he's terrible at all of them. He has 2 errors in 3 defensive chances this Spring and can only make the club as a DH. He's made a strong case for himself there, hitting .216 with 4 doubles, 2 homers and 5 RBI in 37 AB this Spring.

Shortstops: Carlos Correa (77), Adeiny Hechavarria (72), Marwin Gonzalez (70)

I suspect that only 2 of these 3 make Houston's Opening Day roster. Correa, 20, will be one of them. He's hitting .231 with a pair of RBI and his been great in the field. Hechavarria or Gonzalez? Adeiny can play second and third (that will be important to keep Knott off of the field if Guzman doesn't make the club) but he is 0 for 12 at the plate and was terrible after coming over from Miami in the Jonathan Villar deal last July. Gonzalez hasn't been much better. He's only 1 for 12 and he doesn't play third.

Outfielders: George Springer (84), Dexter Fowler (82), Alex Presley (71), Robbie Grossman (69), Domingo Santana (69)

With Chris Carter expected to eat up most of the innings in left, the presumption is that Porter will keep just 4 of these 5. Springer and Fowler are shoe-ins. Presley plays all 3 positions and is hitting .455 so pencil him in too. Grossman can play all 3 spots and he's a switch hitter, but he's hitting just .087. Santana is just a corner outfielder but he's hitting .200 and he hit more homers (5) than Grossman (4) last season, despite having just 55 ABs to Robbie's 420.

Starting Pitchers: Jarred Cosart (85), Brett Oberholtzer (79), Scott Feldman (77), Alex White (76), Asher Wojciechski (75), Mike Foltynewicz (74), Brad Peacock (74), Mark Appel (73), Paul Clemens (72), Luis Cruz (72), Lucas Harrell (70), Dallas Keuchel (68), Vincent Velasquez (66)

I expect that 7 or 8 of these guys make it to Houston, with 2 or 3 providing long and middle relief. Cosart will be the staff ace, he'll take the ball on Opening Day. Oberholtzer will be in the rotation because he's a lefty, despite his struggles. Feldman is the likely #3 and has earned a bit of a pass this Spring with his performance last year (10-7, 3.78). Alex White's spot in the rotation is in jeopardy this Spring (0-3, 7.36 after 4-8, 3.89 in 2014) but I suspect he makes the club as a reliever if he loses his starting job. Woj will be in the rotation from the start this year. After a brilliant September (3-0, 0.89), he's picked up where he left off this Spring (2-0, 0.00).

Of the rest, Peacock and Cruz (lefty) are the favorites to stick in Houston. If Porter keeps 8 of them, Velasquez (1-0, 0.00 in 7.2 IP) could be a darkhorse to get the job.

Relief Pitchers: Jason Motte (80), Scott Atchison (73), Josh Fields (72), Matt Albers (70), Jason Stoffel (70), Anthony Bass (69), Darin Downs (69)

3 or 4 will make the club. Motte is the only lock, despite a poor showing thus far (0-1, 8.10). Downs should make the club because he's the only lefty of the bunch and he's been good this Spring (1.59 in 5.2 IP). Bass and Stoffel have been the best of the rest in Spring Training.

Closing Pitchers: Jesse Crain (82), Chad Qualls (71)

Crain gets the job. He had 47 Saves last year even though he missed the first month of the season and he is 5/5 this Spring. Qualls hasn't allowed a run in 6.0 IP this Spring so he could stick as a setup man. However, I believe Porter would rather get younger and hasn't forgotten Qualls' 2014 campaign (5-5, 4 SV, 5.43).