Who Makes The Cut for the Astros ALDS 25-man Roster?
Oct 7, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch (14) speaks with media prior to game one of the ALDS against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
The Astros have had their 24 hours to celebrate the unbelievable win in New York to clinch an ALDS berth, but now it’s back to business. A.J. Hinch and his staff must submit a roster to the MLB for the entirety of the series vs. the Kansas City Royals. The skipper will be tasked with compiling the best 25-man roster available to the Astros that will also be able to withstand a potential five-game series.
For the one-game Wild Card roster, the Astros carried 9 pitchers, 2 catchers, 8 infielders, and 6 outfielders. The rule says that you can only carry 25 players, so some tough decisions will definitely have to take place. Luckily for Hinch and his staff, there’s a lot of talent to choose from across the board. Jeff Luhnow has put together a very competitive organization from top to bottom, and that has shown so far in 2015.
In this article, I’m going to give you a prediction, with the help of Aric Cisneros and Austin Swafford, of the 25 men that will put on the road (hopefully Orange) jerseys tomorrow night for the Astros. We’ll give you detailed projections for each category, and go from there. So, let’s get going.
*The official Astros ALDS roster should be posted around noon today.
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Next: ALDS Roster Predictions: Astros Pitchers
Astros ALDS Roster Predictions: Pitchers
Oct 3, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Collin McHugh (31) pitches during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Yesterday, A.J. Hinch announced that McHugh would start Game 1, Scott Kazmir would start Game 2, and Dallas Keuchel would start Game 3 in Houston. This leaves two more spots for starting pitchers, and Austin, Aric, and I all agreed that Hinch will probably keep McCullers and Fiers on the roster for potential games 4 and 5.
If Hinch were to give a start McCullers in this series, I believe it would come in Game 4, as that game will be played at Minute Maid Park. Hinch would probably want the young right-hander pitching with the crowd behind him in an important game, as McCullers definitely is inexperienced.
Then, the Astros staff would have a choice to make on who to start in Game 5. McHugh would probably be available, and if his stuff isn’t working, he could be on a short leash with Fiers available behind him. Fiers has some experience in the long relief role and has pitched effectively in that spot.
In the bullpen, the usual suspects remain while Josh Fields fails to make the cut. Fields gave up 20 earned runs all year, but 10 of those 20 came in September, which was a month filled with crucial games for the Astros. Other pitchers definitely struggled for the Astros in September, but with the need for more utility players in the playoff and the presence of Fiers in long relief, Fields just isn’t as necessary at this time.
I’ll be very intrigued to see how this bullpen lasts in a five-game series. We all know that they struggled in September, but Sipp, Harris, and Gregerson were dominant in the Wild Card Game vs. New York. I’ll be very interested to see how Neshek and Perez rebound from rocky Septembers, as they are two of the seasoned veterans on this team that will be responsible for anchoring the Astros bullpen.
Overall, I’m very confident in this group and can’t wait to see how they respond to the pressure in Kauffman Stadium and in Minute Maid Park. Now, let’s move on to the infielders and catchers.
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Next: ALDS Roster Predictions: Catchers and Infielders
Astros ALDS Roster Predictions: Catchers and Infielders
Oct 6, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; Houston Astros pinch runner Jonathan Villar (2) celebrates with shortstop Carlos Correa (1) after scoring on a RBI single by second baseman Jose Altuve (not pictured) against the New York Yankees during the seventh inning in the American League Wild Card playoff baseball game at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Aric Cisneros: Castro, Conger, Correa, Altuve, Valbuena, Lowrie, Gonzalez, Carter, Jonathan Villar
Issa Cook: Castro, Conger, Correa, Altuve, Valbuena, Lowrie, Gonzalez, Carter, Villar
When it comes to infielders, we have some disagreement between the CTH writers. Aric and I believe that Villar will make the cut due to his speed on the base paths and his versatility around the field. If you take Villar off the roster, there really isn’t any speed off the bench from infielders to substitute in close games. In the playoffs, and especially in this series, every run is valuable and sometimes you have to be aggressive to get those runs.
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I think Villar did enough in the Wild Card Game to prove his worth, as he added a crucial insurance run in the 7th inning after pinch-running, stealing a base, and then scoring from second on a single by Altuve. I do see Austin’s point, however, as he left an outfielder on the roster that definitely would be tough to part with for this series.
With the rest of the infield squad, I am very intrigued to see how Correa will respond on the big stage. He has been struggling a little bit of late, but the playoffs are where the stars shine and Correa is undoubtedly a star in this league.
I am also interested to see if the catchers can make any impact with a bat in their hands. Castro was very solid with his pitch framing against the Yankees but didn’t do anything with the bat. If Conger or Castro can get a big hit in this series, it’ll go a long way in igniting this Astros offense.
I expect Altuve to be the leader of this team, and Carter to keep doing what he has done. With that said, let’s move on to our final group, the outfielders.
The outfield is where the biggest dilemma arises. Austin has Preston Tucker making the cut while Aric and I do not. I like Austin keeping Tucker in there, as he had had some clutch at-bats this season and provided a spark late in games when the Astros needed it most.
I feel like the Astros would be losing a piece of their soul by removing “Bam Bam” from the roster, but it’s a necessary cut. Tucker just isn’t as versatile as Villar, and that’s what it comes down to. I like Tucker better as a hitter, but in the playoffs, the little things stand out. Villar does those little things better than Tucker, and that is why he will be on the roster.
As far as the other five guys, I’d look for Springer to have the greatest impact on this series from an Astros player. You can’t tell me that he doesn’t want revenge against the Royals for sidelining him for eight crucial weeks. I think he’ll come out with an even greater passion and intensity, and be the catalyst in the Astros lineup.
Hopefully, Gomez can stay healthy, and Rasmus can keep Astros fed with a steady diet of Colby Jacks. Gattis might hit a home run in this series while Marisnick is just so valuable because of his defensive ability and speed.
Overall, I’m beyond excited for this series. Astros fans have waited a LONG time for this day, and it’s finally here. Enjoy it people, but believe that this team isn’t just happy to be in the playoffs, they’re here to STAY.
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