Astros pick for player with most to prove is familiar face (but questionable choice)

When it comes to having something to prove this spring, one could make a case for the entire Houston Astros' roster. After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016, the entire organization needs to prove that the window hasn't closed completely. That starts with nearly every key player, showing out during this warm-up period.

But if you could only pick one, who would it be? MLB.com has an answer, and while we can see the logic in choosing Carlos Correa, there are several players for whom you could make even better cases.

Carlos Correa has a lot ot prove this spring, but several Astros might need to shine even more during spring training

Correa playing near his peak form will be vital to the Astros' playoff hopes. Though it feels like the 2012 first-round pick has been around forever, he's still just 31 years old. He's a notoriously slow starter, and a strong spring that could carry over into the regular season would go a long way towards easing fears that Houston will quickly fall behind in the division chase.

There's also the fact that the entire infield logjam can be traced back to the deadline deal that brought him home. The Astros panicked in the wake of all the injuries last season, and now they're coming to terms with the fact that they blew up their roster to reunite with Correa. That certainly adds some extra pressure to perform. But is it the most? Highly doubtful.

Houston has basically been trying to give Christian Walker away this offseason. There have been no bites. The 35-year-old has to prove that his .799 second-half OPS isn't foreshadowing him drifting into Jose Abreu territory. That's significantly more weight than what's on Correa's shoulders.

Or how about Jose Altuve? Houston gave him the massive extension, of which 2025 was the first year, to make him an Astro for life. From August 1 onward, he hit .226/.296/.392 over 207 plate appearances. Was that the sound of him running out of gas?

Tatsuya Imai could also have more weight on his shoulders. While the Astros got him for a bargain compared to what he was projected to receive, his future earnings depend greatly on his 2026 performance and adaptation to life in the MLB. Not to mention, Framber Valdez leaves some awfully big shoes to fill after recording the second-most innings pitched (767.2) and 17th-best ERA (3.21) in the league since 2022.

By extension, the plethora of arms in the race to fill out the back-end of the Astros' rotation need to be feeling the heat, too. For players like Nate Pearson, it might be is last chance as a big leaguer. Others will be fighting for the opportunity to start their MLB careers in earnest.

Similarly, youngsters like Zach Cole, Cam Smith, and Joey Loperfido will have a ton of pressure on them as they compete with each other for outfield roles, knowing full well that one will be the odd man out.

Jake Meyers? He's been engulfed in trade rumors all offseason, and some questionable underlying metrics plus a .204/.271/.204 line after returning from the IL last year could have some believing his breakout was merely a mirage.

Correa is an incredibly important player fo the Astros' success. But as far as having the most to prove, he's pretty far towards the back of the line.