The Astros have announced the roster that they’ll put up against the Nationals in this year’s World Series. It’s nearly the same exact unit that the club trotted out to success in the divisional series. The ’Stros feature mid-prime hitting and pitching stars as well as a variety of useful additional component parts, making for one of the more imposing overall rosters we’ve seen in recent memory.
Here’s the 25-man group:
Right-Handed Pitchers
- Gerrit Cole (probable game 1 starter)
- Chris Devenski
- Zack Greinke (probable game 3 starter)
- Will Harris
- Josh James
- Roberto Osuna
- Brad Peacock
- Ryan Pressly
- Hector Rondon
- Joe Smith
- Jose Urquidy
- Justin Verlander (probable game 2 starter)
Left-Handed Pitchers
- None
Infielders
Outfielders
Catchers
Going without a southpaw seems like a bold strategy, but it hasn’t yet hurt the Houston club. The Nats do feature a star southpaw slugger in Juan Soto, but he’s not particularly susceptible to left-handed pitching and the overall D.C. lineup balance makes it tough to mix and match too match. The Houston club continues to prioritize overall pitching ability over handedness, a stance that’s made easier with hurlers that can retire batters on both sides of the dish.
The one switch that the Houston team did make involved relief pitchers. Young power hurler Bryan Abreu has loads of upside, but was knocked around in his lone ALCS appearance. He’ll be replaced by the veteran Devenski, a changeup artist who hasn’t been in peak form but represents another reliable arm. The availability of Pressly had been in some doubt, but he was obviously deemed good to go.
Since the Astros were able to close out the Yankees in six games, they didn’t need to use Cole in an all-or-nothing contest at the end of their just-completed series. That means they’ll be able to line him up for the first game, with Verlander and Greinke to follow. And it reduced the need to add further length to the staff, which helps explain why Wade Miley continues to watch from the sideline. Other roster candidates — Myles Straw, Abraham Toro, Framber Valdez — will also wait to see if a need happens to arise by way of injury.
No big surprises here.
Time for the arrogant Astros and their bandwagon fans to lose!
Nothing to see here. Move along…
The biggest surprise to me was the fact that there are no left-handers on the Astros’ World Series roster.
This doesn’t help if you’re facing this team, and that probably means that Wade Miley isn’t coming back after the season.
Dont think the soft tossing Wade Miley would fair well against Juan Soto anyways, regardless of the lefty lefty matchup.
3 ALCS and 2 WS trips later and people still talking about lack of lefties. Look up the Astros pitching splits against lefties.
Exactly. They have Right handers with great splits against lefties. The idea that you need someone to throw from the left side to get guys out is overblown. with the new pitch to 3 batters rule I think you’re going to see less teams with pens stocked with left handers anyhow.
Why does the article keep referring to their roster from two series ago? Why not reference more recent ALCS?
How does it do that? They didn’t change it much at all so there isn’t much to discuss, really. I did mistakenly refer to an Abreu outing from the ds that was actually in the cs.
Go Nats! Lost interest in the Astros after Taubman’s sexist comments
so like an hour ago?
OMFG, people like you really exist???
how about the second they brought in the woman beater at the heart of the discussion? that’s what did it for me.
I rooted for Houston all the way through 2017, but nobody with any self respect or class can root for Osuna.
Haven’t been an Astros fan since they drove Nolan Ryan to Arlington back when.
Having creeps like Clemens and now Osuna reinforced my feelings.
But its funny being in Houston and seeing all the supposed “die hard” fans cheering for the Astros now who were nowhere to be found when the team was tanking every year to get the players they have now from the drafts. I went to games (freebies) and saw more opposing teams’ fans in the stands–and a lot of empty seats. I hate fair weather bandwagon fans. When the Astros start losing again, they’ll all vanish.
I remember the days when my Brewers would go to Houston many times a season, when they were still in the NL Central. That stadium had maybe 5,000 people there on a week night and was embarrassing to watch. And many of thoese 5,000 were Brewers fans lol
Your comments about wife beater I have to assume are directed at Roberto Osuna.
I’m from Toronto and a long time Jays fan, Osuna was charged with domestic violence in Toronto, after the crown dragged things out for months they withdrew the charges, so the allegation was just that an allegation.
As for MLB they have their Domestic Violence Policy, but they also have a nasty habit. A player is accused of Domestic Violence the MLB says they are investigating and put the player of administrative leave and they keep renewing it as they did with Osuna.
Long after the police investigation is complete MLB says they are still investigating and that their investigating does not hinge on the police or criminal court findings.
Osuna winds up sitting out most of the season on this administrative leave at which time MLB comes along and cuts him a deal. Plead guilty and your suspension will be the time you spent on administrative leave..
Osuna was mid 20’s and loves to pitch. Jays are holier then thou and deal him to the Astro’s where he has done exactly what he did with the Jays. Pitched his butt off.
Should a man strike a woman absolutely not, but prove it don’t get players admitting something but coercion.
The best time to stop writing this was before you started.
He served his punishment for what he did. This is the rule that the MLB has put in place. He broke it, he payed the consequences. If he has truly changed, lets move on. If he hasn’t, then thats another story.
They did not withdraw the charges. The woman he beat had moved to Mexico and did not want to fly back up to Toronto to testify against him and lose her son’s source of support.
So, lacking an eye witness they offered Osuna a plea bargain which he accepted so he could move on with his career. He literally pled guilty to a crime and received criminal reprimand (he could not be near her for a year, for example.)
Acting like he was coerced or exonerated is ridiculous. The woman had visible signs of abuse at the time of his arrest. She moved an entire country away from him. And he pled guilty to a crime.
Osuna is a piece of garbage. Toronto did the right thing. Houston swooped in and picked him up on the cheap because there was little to no market for him, showing they care only about winning.
My beef is more with Taubman. He directed the comment at 3 female reporters. Is it appropriate for a GM to revel in a incident of domestic violence?
There have been worse things done to male reporters over the years. If the women were offended they should step down. There will be more bad incidents to come in their career.
I’m sure Taubman was intoxicated and probably angry at the female reporters for things they have said either privately or publicly and he spouted off. He shouldn’t have done that, obviously. It’s like a stupid bat flip after a 450 foot homer; you got the job done, it’s over. No need to say that to any reporter, let alone the females. Besides, Osuna blew Game 6. I’d be concerned since Osuna’s started a pattern starting in 2015.
With a name like Grogan one may infer you may be a Patriots fan. If so, quite amusing you’d lose interest due to a sexist comment.
Wow, this idea that anyone who says or does something “wrong” or bad, both subjective, should somehow be barred from participating in life is absurd. A, if women are equals with men, why are there special laws for women? It’s illogical and absurd and in a supposed free country you’re only free to live a feminist, liberal lifestyle, or you don’t get to live. Welcome to 1984.
If you don’t idolize Teams/Players they don’t let you down,there is good and bad everywhere,the game is much more enjoyable without the Thin Skin
no lefties?
I hope Devo gives up a home run on every pitch. Way to go Hinch. No one with a +5 ERA should be in MLB.
Tucker and Alvarez can’t hit off a tee.
I could get Alvarez out. A couple of dipsy-doodling knuckleballs to set him up and then my 67 mph heater right down the middle to blow him away. 🙂
Does the astro doofus realize that the game would have been o’er soonah if they didn’t have some mediocre closer giving up the lead? Indeed, thank god the yankees got chapman. Enough already.
So osuna is some doofus but when Chapman gives up the same exact thing he’s just Chapman. Some of you people really need to be educated
da AGM is da doofus.
No lefty specialist to face Eaton, Soto or Adams. They might regret that decision.
Anyone going to get on Springer for not hustling out of the box on the ball he hit off Eaton’s glove to RF? He should have been at third with a standup triple. He scores on Altuve’s fly ball. Anyone? Is hustling on gap shots not cool or something?