Houston Astros starting rotation X-factor could ultimately come down to this

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Now that Justin Verlander is a New York Met, many fans are wondering how the Astros will pick up the slack in his place. Typically, Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier are the first names mentioned. And we fully expect them to have great seasons.

For us, however, we make the argument that either Luis Garcia or Lance McCullers Jr would be the main reason the Astros could be capable of fading the loss of Verlander in 2023.

Check out the video above to watch the full discussion.

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Peyton Manning has Stroud's back! Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Peyton Manning had some very interesting comments recently about CJ Stroud's perceived sophomore slump last season. Much of the skepticism, Manning believes, comes from surface-level narratives. The Texans went 10-7 in the regular season last year, a step back from the lofty expectations set after C.J. Stroud’s electric rookie year and Houston’s dramatic playoff push.

And while the offense didn’t maintain its early-season explosion under Bobby Slowik, people seem to be overlooking how that same Texans team ended the year: as one of the last four teams standing in the AFC — alongside the Chiefs, Bills, and Ravens.

Stroud has now won a playoff game in his first two seasons, while Manning didn't win his first playoff game until year six of his career.

With a new OC in house, and DeMeco Ryans leading the way, Manning likes what he's seeing from Stroud and the Texans moving forward.

It’s pretty cool watching Stroud take in praise from one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. Manning gets it, and before long, the rest of the league and media will too.

Check out the video below to see the full conversation!

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