Houston Astros: Which players will break out in 2020?

It’s been 13 days since MLB announced the indefinite delay of Opening Day 2020 and cancelled Spring Training due to coronavirus. It seems like an eternity since we’ve talked about Houston Astros baseball, so let’s project what the start of the season could look like once we’ve flattened the curve and our lives can finally ramp back up with baseball.

When Spring Training opened in February 2020, a total of 59 Houston Astros players reported to FITTEAM Ballpark in West Palm Beach, Florida – 31 pitchers and 28 position players. When Spring Training was cancelled on March 12 due to COVID-19, 42 players remained – 19 pitchers and 23 position players.

Nothing is certain about when Spring Training will start up again and no one knows who will be called to report when it resumes. Giving it a best guess, here are some presumed assumptions about the non-roster invites to camp who have reportedly not yet been optioned or reassigned.

With Jared Hughes requesting his release, when Spring Training does resume, camp will presumably start with 41 players reporting, 33 from the 40-man roster – 17 pitchers and 16 position players – and the remaining eight non-roster invitees could potentially consist of one pitcher and seven position players.

Pitching

It probably comes as no surprise that Forrest Whitley is the sole remaining pitcher on the potential list of non-roster players that could return to camp. And even with the uncertainty of a date to resume Spring Training, the starting rotation remains in limbo.

With Justin Verlander recovering from both groin surgery and a lat strain, it is yet to be seen whether the Astros will be filling two or three spots in the rotation, at least for the beginning of the year. Of course it goes without saying that the longer we wait for Opening Day, the closer we are to only requiring two spots to be filled in the back of the rotation, numbers four and five.

Regardless of any of that though, it seems quite clear that Whitley is not ready for his debut, at least for the moment. Entering his fifth season with the Astros, Whitley was the 17th overall pick in the 2016 draft straight out of high school. He remains the number one prospect in the Astros farm system.

Whitley only tossed six innings in four games during Spring Training. In this very, very small sample size, he faced 29 hitters, striking out seven, walking three, and one HBP. His 7.50 ERA speaks to his readiness, or rather lack thereof, and is evidence why he likely won’t be considered for the 2020 rotation.

He is the only pitcher not on the roster who could return once Spring Training resumes, and fans are excited for the prospect that he at least makes his debut in the show in 2020. But much of this depends on when the season starts and how long it will be.

Catching

Dustin Garneau and Martin Maldonado make up the platoon to start the 2020 season. Possibly slated to return once camp resumes, however, is Jamie Ritchie.

The Astros drafted Ritchie in the 13th round of the 2014 draft. Ritchie’s nine games and 15 PAs in Spring Training weren’t all that impressive, but he does have a career minor league .270 BA. It seems doubtful that Ritchie has much of a chance to make his debut this year, especially with Garrett Stubbs waiting in the proverbial wings and seemingly first in line.

In fact, at this point in time, it seems likely that the 26th man on the roster is a battle between Stubbs and Myles Straw. This decision could prove difficult as both are versatile players who have shown some real promise offensively during their short time in camp earlier this year.

Because of his slight edge in speed, this spot likely goes to Straw, but Stubbs is no slouch. And even though it’s quite a long shot, the Astros couldn’t be accused of making a mistake if they opted for Stubbs in this slot. This would certainly provide some depth at the backstop position, one of just a few positions that Straw has not yet been given an opportunity to play.

Infielder Surprises

With Jack Mayfield and Abraham Toro seeming to be locks for the probable call-ups in the case of potential injuries in the infield, there were a couple of players in camp who might just prove to be competition for these slots.

For starters, let’s consider Alex De Goti. Selected in the 15th round of the 2016 draft, De Goti plays a variety of positions. Perhaps the 25-year old is a shoo-in as the up and coming utility guy, playing some left field, moving around the infield a bit, and even appearing in three games for three innings as a relief pitcher in 2019.

Most interesting with De Goti is his offense. Batting .300 in Spring Training in 14 games with 23 PAs, he carried a minor league average of .277 in 2019, hitting 29 doubles with 15 homers and 70 RBIs in 125 games.

Second up is Jeremy Pena who was drafted in the third round in June of 2018. Playing mostly shortstop with a few appearances at third base, his slow start in Spring Training could be overlooked because of his 2019 minor league BA of .303 and .825 OPS. This was his first year in Spring Training and it’s encouraging for him that he has not yet been reassigned.

The third infielder that could possibly return to spring training is Nick Tanielu. Picked up in the 14th round of the 2014 draft, Tanielu enters his seventh season in the Astros system. In 2019, he tied fifth in the Pacific Coast League for the most doubles, 39. His small sample size so far in 2020 spring camp cannot compare to his 2019 minor league numbers, but he seems to be a fan favorite to make his debut in 2020.