Houston Astros Potential Breakout Season candidates

Houston Astros breakout candidates.

In a 162-game season filled with ups and downs, teams tend to rely on their superstars to carry them throughout the campaign. They also need help from their young stars from time to time. Some Houston Astros potential breakout season candidates come to mind. These players can push the Astros over the edge towards a championship.

With a healthy mix of promising youth and battle-tested veterans, the Houston Astros are primed for a successful campaign in 2017. The veterans will provide leadership and tutelage to the young players. Each player showcases their talents in different ways.

Let’s meet the Candidates

Lance McCullers has been touted as the next bright star in the Astros organization. Why not, since he was drafted in the first round of the 2012 draft. His rookie season brought an impressive 3.22 ERA while throwing 129 strikeouts in 125 innings. While an injury cut his 2^nd season short, he’s maintained his 3.22 ERA stance over his young career.

McCullers currently sits at the number 2 slot in the Houston Astros rotation and his potential is through the roof. If McCullers can avoid injury, he could showcase why he was drafted in the first round. The Astros have a reliable starter to take them to the next level.

Fighting for position

Among the plethora of young talent is Yulieski Gurriel. The 32-year-old recruit from Cuba who hit his way on to the major league club last year. In the small sampling, he put up ample numbers with a .262 batting average, three home runs, and 15 RBIs. As a prime candidate for a Houston Astros potential breakout season, Gurriel knows he will be doing so while fighting for the first base position on this roster.

As the season opens with much of the rotation and roster in place, first base remains wide open at the starter position. Gurriel and another highly-touted prospect A.J. Reed will be jockeying for position at Jeff Bagwell’s old stomping grounds. If Gurriel can showcase some of his Cuban league power, where he amassed 250 home runs and over 1000 RBI’s in 15 seasons, he can make some serious noise in this lineup full of talent.

The Obvious Candidate

When you think of breakout seasons, Carlos Correa shouldn’t come to mind. With his already chest full of awards and stats in his young career. But after taking a small decline in his 2016 campaign, Correa will need to show why he was the #1 pick in 2012.

Correa showed flashes of greatness in his rookie-of-the-year season in 2015. He will have to show the world why he is worthy of batting third in this stacked lineup. He appears to be primed for a potential breakout season. Correa can expound on his already respectable 42 home runs, 164 RBI and lifetime .276 batting average.

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Playoff push

For the Astros to take the AL West crown on their way to potential playoff greatness, certain chips must fall into place, and injuries must be kept to a minimum. To bring a championship home to Houston, some soon-to-be superstars need to shine brightly to get them over the edge.

***Stats from Baseball-Reference***