How baseball's brightest minds project dominant Astros surge following infield transformations
MLB THINK TANK
20 February 2024
With the Astros upcoming season right around the corner, we're starting to see projections for how many games the club will win in 2024.
Baseball Prospectus released its PECOTA rankings, which have the team winning the division with 95 victories. The Rangers are predicted to finish in second place with 86 wins.
95 wins is a pretty aggressive number, but if the Astros' infield lives up to expectations, it's not hard to envision them knocking on the door of nearly 100 wins.
Alex Bregman is in great shape having gained 23 pounds this offseason. With it being a contract year for him, many are expecting big things from Breggy in 2024.
Yainer Diaz should be an immediate upgrade over Martin Maldonado, and Jeremy Pena was showing off his new swing on Monday against Ryan Pressly. Manger Joe Espada said Pena is hitting to all fields with more air under the ball and an increase in power.
That’s a … really different look from Jeremy Peña, who has quieted his batting stance down a ton. Makes good contact here in a live BP against Ryan Pressly. pic.twitter.com/pDCO3OlQtJ
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) February 19, 2024
Be sure to watch the video above as we discuss the expectations for the season, examine the Astros 2024 infield, and much more!
Watch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange and Josh Jordan every week on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel.
It’s starting to look like the Astros knew exactly what they were doing.
What once felt like a risky move is quickly shaping up to be a win for Houston — and maybe a defining pivot point for the franchise. In this episode, we dig into how the Astros may actually be better off in the wake of the Kyle Tucker trade, thanks to a new wave of production and smart roster-building.
Cam Smith continues to rise with another eye-catching performance, launching two home runs and making the case that he’s already ahead of schedule. Meanwhile, Isaac Paredes has quietly emerged as a legitimate successor to Alex Bregman, offering power and presence in the infield.
And while Jeremy Peña wasn’t part of the Tucker deal, his 2024 resurgence adds even more fuel to the argument that this team is thriving — not surviving. The Astros aren’t just plugging holes. They’re planning for what’s next.
We also look at the bigger picture: What if Houston had moved on earlier from other aging or underperforming stars? Could they have been ahead of the curve even sooner?
So who’s really winning this breakup — the Astros or Kyle Tucker? We break it all down.
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