Three Astros Players Who Won't Make The Opening Day Roster But Will Contribute a Ton in 2023

Three Astros players to watch that will begin 2023 in AAA

Spring Training always brings a great deal of anticipation for which players may emerge from out of nowhere to snag a roster spot. With so many Astros players participating in the World Baseball Classic, even more prospects are able to establish themselves this spring.

The reigning champs are loaded, meaning plenty of big league caliber players are blocked from The Show. Many prospects are mid season call-ups. 2019 saw current cornerstones Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker both establish themselves as big leaguers. Who might be the next Astro to begin the year in Sugar Land before forcing their way onto the big league club?

Let's take a look at three players that won't make the Opening Day roster in Houston, but definitely will contribute in 2023.

Justin Dirden

Justin Dirden was a name to keep an eye on as a late blooming prospect headed into Spring Training. Dirden is another case of a prospect impacted by the COVID pandemic, as he went undrafted in 2020 when the draft was limited to only five rounds. This allowed Dirden to choose where he signed, and it looks like Houston was the right choice.

Baseball America ranks Dirden the Astros' ninth-best prospect, backed by a .291 batting average and .939 OPS across two minor league seasons. Dirden mashed his way to AAA last season, and has been a monster this spring.

Dirden is 4-11 with two home runs (one to each field) and two doubles.

He's also flashed some impressive defense, making a diving catch and picking up an outfield assist from right field on a runner trying to score.

Dirden can man all three outfield spots, though he mostly projects as a corner outfielder. He will likely start in AAA with Houston willing to give Jake Meyers another shot in center and their commitment to Dubon as the utility player, but if Meyers scuffles again and Dubon remains totally inept at the plate, don't be surprised if Dirden bashes his way onto the big league roster.

Ronel Blanco

Like Mushinski, Blanco debuted in 2022. His big league results were a little less impressive, posting a 7.11 ERA in seven appearances. Since then, Blanco has recorded the most dominant stretch of pitching in Dominican Winter League history.

He has continued to turn heads in Spring Training thus far, striking out seven across five innings with a 1.80 ERA. Dana Brown then opened more eyes across the city when he shared publicly that he thinks Blanco could be stretched out as a starter.

With as deep as the Astros bullpen is, that may not be a bad idea, especially if Lance McCullers Jr. doesn't bounce back as quickly as anticipated. Blanco could easily begin the year in AAA continuing to stretch out as a starter or length reliever before coming up a month or two into the season. He could even function in the role that Cristian Javier filled as a flex arm until Javier established himself as too dominant not to start.

Whether it's as a starter or reliever, look for Blanco to cement himself in 2023 as a big leaguer. Last year Bryan Abreu got over the hump and solidified himself as an Astros' arm of the future. I like Blanco to make a similar jump this season, even if it begins for him just up the road in Sugar Land.