Predicted Astros 2026 lineup raises more questions than it answers

Much of the Houston Astros roster, especially the position player cohort, feels like a defective puzzle. There are several duplicate pieces, yet critical elements are also missing.

The most heavily discussed issue the Astros have is the logjam at the infield corners. There are only so many at-bats to go around for the trio of Carlos Correa, Isaac Paredes, and Christian Walker, and the bloated salaries of Correa and Walker almost ensure that they'll be in the lineup every day, despite Paredes being the only one of the trio who isn't on the decline.

Houston has tried to alleviate this by dangling Walker on the trade market, but so far, the response they've received has been crickets. This isn't an issue that is isolated to this position group. It also spills over into other areas, and there are other unrelated questions that need to be sorted. Nothing highlights that better than the Houston lineup projection put together by Bleacher Report.

Projected Astros' 2026 lineup reveals more questions than answers

This is how the folks at Bleacher report see things playing out more often than not for the Astros:

Bleacher Report notes that there will be some shuffling, with Yordan Álvarez getting some DH days, Jose Altuve getting some work in left field, and Isaac Paredes getting some run in the infield, possibly at second base. They also point out that the outfield is far from settled, with Jesús Sánchez and Zach Cole also in the mix for outfield jobs.

The questions start with the lineup construction. Jeremy Peña leading off makes sense, and if you go by the philosophy that your best hitter should bat second, penciling Álvarez in there is logical, too. But then, the questions begin.

Start with how often Álvarez can really play left field? One of the most fearsome hitters in the game, the 28-year-old has never played more than 56 games in a single season in left field. He managed 53 contests out there in 2024 and posted miserable metrics with -7 outs above average and -5 defensive runs saved. Given that most of his 2025 campaign was wiped out by injury, it would seem that protecting his health at all costs should be the priority.

Altuve batting third seems to be a decision motivated by name recognition above anything else. Except for July, when Altuve posted a 1.055 OPS, he didn't have a single month with an OPS north of .745, and from August 1 through the end of the year, slashed .226/.296/.392. That line made the soon-to-be-36-year-old nine percent worse than a league-average performer over the final two months by wRC+.

Carlos Correa in the four hole is also questionable. The former No. 1 overall pick posted a .402 slugging percentage last season, and while he showed a return to form in terms of power output in 2024, the .517 SLG he recorded that year came in just 86 games. In 2023, he also went through a power outage, slashing .230/.312/.399. Wouldn't it make more sense to take advantage of what we know he can do well, draw walks (10.3% career walk rate), and put him higher in the order and insert a more powerful bat, like Isaac Paredes, in the cleanup spot?

The rest of the projected lineup mostly makes sense; however, there's a key flaw. If things shake out this way, there would be only one left-handed bat in the mix day in and day out. What was the point of tendering Sánchez a contract, one of the few lefty bats Houston has, if the club is going to pay him $6.5 million to sit on the bench?

Is the club going to give Zach Cole significant run after his impressive 15-game showing as a way to get another left-handed hitter in the mix, or will it be scared off by his 38.5% strikeout rate?

You can make a case for every single player listed to be in a big league lineup, but when put together this way, something feels off. There is no true secondary threat to complement Alvarez, no left-right balance, and the only way to get the best nine hitters in there at the same time is to run out a sub-optimal defensive alignment.

The Astros made numerous poor choices and boxed themselves in; now they'll have to hope for some turn-back-the-clock moments from players like Altuve, Correa, and Walker in order for this to truly work out.