How Astros' young guns will play major role in Houston’s pursuit of glory
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
13 March
A new era begins!Composite Getty Image.
The Houston Astros enter the 2025 season with intriguing roster decisions and key players working their way back from injury. With Opening Day approaching, one of the biggest questions is whether Cam Smith makes the team—and if he does, is it because of his talent or a lack of strong alternatives?
Cam Smith and the outfield puzzle
The Astros have long prioritized defense, making the possibility of starting two outfielders (Jose Altuve, Cam Smith) with no experience before this spring a curious decision. Chas McCormick is a solid defender, but his below-average arm strength limits his effectiveness in right field. If McCormick gets the nod over Smith, he'll be a better overall defender. But an outfield of Altuve, Jake Meyers, and McCormick might have one of the weakest throwing arms in the league. That’s why the Astros might take the gamble on Smith developing defensively in right—his power bat could make up for the learning curve in the field.
Plus, Altuve and Smith will gain experience as the season progresses, and by the time the playoffs roll around, both could be much-improved defensively.
Spencer Arrighetti’s new secret weapon
Spencer Arrighetti is making adjustments of his own, working on a sinker to generate more ground balls. Opposing batters slugged over .500 against his four-seam fastball in 2024, which made up about 40% of his arsenal. Given that he threw only 10 sinkers last season, per Baseball Savant, this is a major shift in approach.
Arrighetti is an extreme fly-ball pitcher, but he struggles to finish batters off and often throws too many pitches early in games. In his most recent outing, this Thursday, he needed over 50 pitches to get through the first three innings. If the sinker helps him get more weak contact and ground balls, he could take a leap similar to the one Hunter Brown made in his development.
Injury updates and roster moves
The Astros are also dealing with several injuries and rehab assignments:
- Brice Matthews was reassigned to minor league camp, with manager Joe Espada noting that second base is where he can develop into an above-average defender.
- Christian Walker has resumed hitting in the cage after missing time with a sore oblique, a promising sign for his return.
- Luis Garcia is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday as he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery.
- Lance McCullers is making steady progress in his rehab and is expected to pitch in a game next week for the first time this spring.
- Kaleb Ort threw 15 pitches in his latest rehab outing as he works his way back from an oblique injury.
Final thoughts
The Astros have some big decisions ahead, particularly in the outfield. If Cam Smith breaks camp with the team, will it be a testament to his offensive potential or a reflection of the Astros' lack of depth? Perhaps a little of both.
Meanwhile, Spencer Arrighetti’s sinker could be a game-changer for his development, potentially helping him become a more efficient starter. With key players like McCullers and Garcia on the mend, the pitching staff is looking like a strength for the ball club.
We have so much more to cover. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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How Houston Cougars' success is linked to this common NCAA Tournament theme
Mar 25, 2025, 1:28 pm
Houston and Gonzaga met in a second-round NCAA Tournament matchup last weekend in Wichita, Kansas, that could as easily have been played in the Final Four, the way Kelvin Sampson's and Mark Few's teams had played throughout the season.
The Cougars were No. 1 in scoring defense, more than a half-point better than the next-best team. The Bulldogs were No. 2 in scoring offense, trailing only Alabama in putting up nearly 87 points per game.
Yet one of the biggest reasons that Houston was able to advance to the Sweet 16 with an 81-76 victory over the Bulldogs was its ability to play any style of basketball. Sure, the Cougars managed to hold Gonzaga nearly 10 points below its season average, but they also ramped up their own scoring, proving that they are more than just a bunch of defensive stoppers.
“Just win and advance,” Sampson said afterward. “Do what it takes. That's all that matters.”
Throughout the 68-team field, those that were able to survive the first weekend were often those that were willing to change things up if the moment dictated it. The defensive dynamo was able to get into transition and pile up points, or the team that loves to score buckled down at the other end of the floor, making life difficult for its unsuspecting opponent.
That has been the case with Mississippi so far in the tournament.
The Rebels rolled into the postseason in the top 50 nationally in scoring, but their defense was middling at best: 175th out of the 364 teams in men's Division I basketball. Yet the same bunch who scored 98 points against Kentucky and 100 against Oral Roberts in the regular season stifled North Carolina in a 71-64 first-round win, then held Iowa State below its season scoring average in a 91-78 victory that pushed Ole Miss into the regional semifinals.
“Their defensive versatility is terrific,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger marveled afterward. “Their switch ability — guards on bigs, bigs on guards. They do a great job. Their defense really tries to frustrate you by not allowing the ball to get in the paint, and trying to keep it on one side of the floor. And when they're at their best, they're doing that really well.”
It will take Ole Miss doing it at their best with Michigan State up next; the Spartans are among the most versatile of any team left. They are top 50 in both scoring and defense, and they showed it off last weekend, putting up 87 points against Bryant and holding New Mexico to 63 in a pair of wins.
“We're just a team that can play multiple ways,” the Spartans' Jaden Akins said.
So is Duke, which was fourth nationally in scoring and sixth in scoring defense. And when you have that combination, the results in the opening weekend were not surprising: 93-49 over Mount St. Mary's and 89-66 over Baylor.
Kentucky was sixth nationally in scoring this season, but coach Mark Pope's bunch — 315th in scoring defense — played a more patient game with plenty of success in a 76-57 first-round win over Wofford. It wasn't a surprise that Arizona averaged 90 points in wins over Akron and Oregon, but it may have been that the Wildcats held the Zips to just 65 in the first round.
Then there's Alabama, which looked every bit like the nation's highest-scoring team in a tougher-than-expected first-round win over Robert Morris and a second-round blitz of Saint Mary's. But the Crimson Tide also looked a lot like, say, Houston the way it defended the Gaels, holding them to just 66 points in advancing to the Sweet 16.
That's where the Crimson Tide will face BYU, a team that plays much more like itself.
“I don’t know that I want to say it’s refreshing to go against somebody that plays like us,” Tide coach Nate Oats said, "because I think we’re really tough to guard, and we’ve led the country in scoring the last two years. I don’t think anybody is saying it’s refreshing to play Alabama, whoever is running the defense for the other team. I mean, maybe it’s not such a smash-mouth game like playing football out there like some of these teams, but they’re not easy to cover.
“We’re going to have to really lock in and coaches are going to have to really do a good job getting our guys ready and then our guys are going to have to execute what the plan is, whatever we decide to put in.”
