Astros: Five things to look at in 2013

So as the new year is upon Astros’ fans, I think it would be a good time to look ahead and not behind. While I do think there are reasons to be optimistic that came from 2012, I’ve always thought looking toward the future makes a lot more sense. Believe it or not, the Astros do have a number of reasons to keep the fanbase looking toward the future. Below, I’ve outlined five reasons I believe they are still worth following and not just a DVD you put away until the time is right to play it again. So sit back and enjoy, also let me know what you think and share your thoughts.

1)      The future is coming: While the young group of studs that should have the Astros’ fanbase truly excited won’t be all here just yet, they are coming. Jonathan Singleton and Jarred Cosart may be the first of the next generation of Astros’ stars to arrive.  Also guys like Ross Seaton and maybe even Jonathan Villar could be here also. Overall, the Stros big-time youth should begin to arrive and even a cameo by George Springer might be in the Cards for 2013.

2)      New beginning: The club is an expansion team, let’s be real about it. They have rebooted the franchise and we might as well accept the fact everything about the club will be fresh. With that reboot in mind, new opponents will invade Minute Maid Park after the move to the AL. I doubt most fans will be thrilled with seeing some of the lesser clubs but plenty of interest should come from seeing the Yanks, Red Sox and Angels. One problem will be opposing teams’ fans invading MMP but at least someone will be there.

3)      New uniforms and new colors: With the expansion theme comes the expansion look. We’ve all seen the new colors and uniforms and for the most part we like them. It will be fun to see the orange and blue back in Houston. I’m assuming the ballpark will look very different as well which is another plus. The uniform and color change was something the fans had been wanting for a long time so it should be fun to see the boys in action with their new threads.

4)      New faces in Astros gear: While the Astros haven’t made widely exciting moves, Jeff Luhnow has made a number of interesting deals and signings. Alex White, John Ely, Philip Humber, Jose Veras, Jake Elmore and Carlos Pena will all be new faces of the rebuilding plan. Throw  Bo Porter into the mix and that is a lot of new faces. Now, this list could continue to grow as the offseason is far from done. Fans will get to see which of these players will turn into jackpots and which disappear.

5)      What’s next for Jeff Luhnow: While Jeff has done quite a bit to reshape the current squad, his job is far from done. It should be fun to see what he does with guys like Bud Norris and Jed Lowrie. He wants this club to be young and exciting so he will continue to look for those type of players that can grow with the current group of Astros. It will be interesting to see who Jeff brings in as we get closer to opening day and eventually the trade deadline.

So while it will most likely be a tough year to see on field wins, there is still plenty to look forward to. I’ve given my thoughts on a few things but I’m sure those aren’t the only ones to focus on. I wish everyone a happy new year and here is to an exciting 2013.