The Houston Astros may not have a highly-regarded farm system but they have stars aplenty at the Major League level, according to ESPN.
The site recently ranked the Top 100 players in Major League Baseball and the Astros had eight players selected, rankings from outfielder/DH Yordan Alvarez at No. 8 to shortstop Jeremy Pena at No. 88.
That collection of talent is a big reason why the Astros have been one of the dominant teams in baseball since 2017.
In the past seven seasons the Astros have reached at least the American League Championship Series every season, which includes four World Series appearances and two World Series titles. They’ve also won six division titles that span.
Alvarez, the highest-rated Astro of the eight, has the third-highest OPS+ (165) since he entered the league in 2019. Injuries have been an issue for Alvarez, but he’s been a money player in the postseason and, even with his injury issues, he can hit 40 or more home runs in a season.
New manager Joe Espada already decided that Alvarez will hit second in the order behind leadoff man Jose Altuve, who just happens to be the second-highest ranked Astros at No. 26. The Astros recently signed Altuve to a five-year extension they hope keeps him in Houston the rest of his career.
He missed two months last season due to injuries but in spite of that last season he became the third Houston Astros player to reach 2,000 career hits with the team and hit for the cycle for the first time in his career.
Right fielder Kyle Tucker, who is trying to secure an extension with the Astros, is behind Altuve at No. 28. Tucker was named the Houston Astros Player of the Year for 2023 as he nearly had a 30/30 season and flashed Gold Glove-level defense in right field. Tucker is a two-time All-Star and finished fifth in MVP voting last season.
Third baseman Alex Bregman came in at No. 49 and he’s in the final year of his contract and could draw huge money if the Astros let him hit free agency. He’s a career .274 hitter who had 165 career home runs, been to two All-Star Games and finished in the Top 20 of MVP voting four times. He’s manned third base for the Astros’ entire seven-run.
Pitcher Justin Verlander is No. 50 and will miss the start of the season due to an injury. But at his best he’s a Cy Young level pitcher who helped the Astros reach the ALCS last year after he was traded back from the New York Mets. The 40-year-old went 13-8 last season with a 3.22 ERA in spite of missing time due to injuries.
Framber Valdez is at No. 56 and he could be in for a long-term deal with Houston if he can bounce back from an inconsistent 2023. Valdez threw a no-hitter last year and at his best he can win 17 games as he did in 2022 in helping the Astros to a World Series title.
New closer Josh Hader is the newbie to this Astros team and comes in at No. 61. Hader is one of the best closers in baseball and signed a five-year deal with Houston last month. He’s capable of closing 40 games in a season.
Pena is the last Astros player on the list and the infielder was nearly the Rookie of the Year in 2022 and won a Gold Glove. He took a step back offensively in 2023, but he hit 22 home runs his rookie season and his defense makes him one of the most valuable players on the diamond for Houston.
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