Pitchers and catchers will be in Florida beginning February 13 and position players on February 18 for Astros Spring Training. Believe it or not, the 2025 season is right around the corner. This has been one of the more tumultuous winters for a franchise that has remained remarkably stable over the last decade thanks to a talented farm system and good team management.
And while this offseason didn’t exactly blow things up, there will be a lot of new faces replacing older ones and some real intrigue for young players trying to make the roster.
So, we are going to take a look at some of the position battles going into camp. We already discussed the pitching rotation and the infield. Let’s take a look at complicated outfield.
Starters
Yordan Alvarez (DH)
Jake Meyers
Chas McCormick
In the Mix
Taylor Trammell
Ben Gamel
Mauricio Dubon
Interesting Young Players
Zach Dezenzo
Jacob Melton
Pedro Leon
Kenedy Corona
Cam Smith
Maybe the most up-in-the-air part of the Astros 2025 roster is in the outfield. After trading Kyle Tucker and not directly replacing him with a starter, it leaves GM Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada with some big decisions to make. Because there are more questions than answers, it is tough to predict who might make it into this rotation.
To start, it is expected that Alvarez will spend the vast majority of his time this year as the team’s designated hitter. He can play left field and has a canon for an arm, but the Astros would prefer to keep him safely on the bench because his bat is far more important to this team than his glove.
Beyond that, there are only two returning starters in Meyers and McCormick. Both are excellent defensive players, but struggled at the plate, particularly McCormick after a promising 2023. Since the lineup is relatively well stocked at the top, the outfield will likely account for the bottom of the order, a place the team would like some productivity.
To help with that, they recently signed Gamel, who had a very solid partial season in Houston in 2024. He and Trammell, who was acquired in the offseason, are both lefty bats with solid gloves. They will most certainly be in the mix along with the team’s designated Swiss Army knife, Dubon.
But, don’t be surprised if one or two young players work their way into the outfield conversation. If Dezenzo wants to get time in the majors, he will need to play multiple positions including left field. His experience could benefit him. Melton, on the other hand, would be a legit rookie and someone the team hopes could be their everyday right fielder in 2025 or 2026. Another lefty with good power and a solid glove, you could squint and maybe see Kyle Tucker light.
Then there is the case of Leon, a tremendously talented player who just hasn’t been healthy or consistent enough to break into the bigs. Could this be his year? If so, he could be a solution at center where he has exhibited his incredible range, arm and big bat in the minors. Corona won’t provide much power, but he could be one of the system’s best defenders in the outfield.
Everyone is excited to see Smith, a guy who projects as an infielder but could play in left. He is unlikely to be ready in 2025, but a big spring might open some eyes.
