2016 Pre-Season Profile: Houston Astros

The Houston Astros were the surprise of the 2015 season.  Can they continue to take steps forward in 2016?

Last Season

My 2015 Prediction: 3rd in AL West

2015 Result: 86-76, 2nd in AL West, WILD CARD, lost in ALDS

I knew the Astros would take some steps forward in 2015, however I did not see this coming.  A few years back, the Astros tore their roster apart and made themselves next to embarrassing for several years as they made the transition to the American League.  They said they had a plan, and 2015 started to show what that plan was.  They have established a solid young core, and they were willing to go out and find help down the stretch.  If it wasn't for a bad hop in the ALDS that allowed the Royals to advance and eventually win the World Series, who knows how far the Astros would have gone.

2016 Additions / Subtractions

The great thing about having such a young roster is there aren't many adjustments that need to be made to get ready for the next year.  They traded some prospects to bring in hard-throwing reliever Ken Giles.  They let all-or-nothing slugger Chris Carter go to make room for even more youth at first base.  They brought in Doug Fister to add some depth to their rotation.  Other than that, their roster is the same as it was in September.

Most Important Hitter

Carlos Correa

Carlos Correa burst on the scene in 2015 as a 20 year old phenom and helped put the Astros into the playoffs.  Now they are counting on him to help anchor their lineup.  He has all the skills to do it, but he needs to show that he can be the superstar everyone thinks he can be.

Most Important Pitcher

Doug Fister

Last year, the Nationals boasted a rotation with five aces: Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez, and ... who was the last one?  Oh yeah, it was Doug Fister.  Fister had been the most consistent pitcher for the Nationals over the last several years.  However, a series of injuries left him looking for a job this offseason.  The Astros brought him in to add depth to their rotation, but if he can get healthy, he can help anchor the staff along with Dallas Keuchel.

Player to Watch

A.J. Reed

The first couple weeks of the season have seen an unlikely emergence of first baseman Tyler White.  One of the aspects that made it so unlikely is the fact that A.J. Reed is the future first baseman of this team.  Tyler White most likely will not keep up this pace, which can make room for Reed to hop in and be the latest young cog to keep this machine rolling.

2016 Prediction

1st in AL West, lose in ALDS

It really felt like the Astros were a year early in 2015.  Now they are ready to take the next step.  Look for them to win the division, but not get much further in the playoffs than last season.  They always said they were trying to win the World Series in 2017 or 2018.  They will definitely be in a position to do that.  All this playoff experience will do them well.

Fearless Prediction

Carlos Correa will win the AL MVP.

Everyone says Carlos Correa looks like the next Alex Rodriguez at shortstop.  If you remember, A Rod almost won the MVP in his sophomore season.  I can see Correa having a similar rise to super-stardom.  Everyone talks about Mike Trout and Bryce Harper as the best players in baseball.  By the end of 2016, Carlos Correa will be added to that elite list.

2015 Pre-Season Profile: Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers were somewhat of a surprise team last year.  Will they be able to continue their success into 2015?

Last Season

82-80, 3rd in NL Central

No one was really expecting much out of the Brewers last year.  Then they went out and had a winning season, finishing behind only the playoff-bound Cardinals and Pirates.  It was definitely an overachieving effort in 2014.

2015 Additions / Subtractions

The Brewers were almost disturbingly quiet this offseason.  For a team that seemed to be close in 2014, seeking out a few pieces to put them over the edge would have made sense.  The only acquisition made on any front was bringing in slugger Adam Lind to play first base.  On the other hand, they traded ace Yovani Gallardo to the Texas Rangers for prospects.  It almost feels like the Brewers are not quite sure what they want to be; a team of the future or a team of the present.  So instead of deciding, they have stayed in limbo not really committing to either.

Most Important Hitter

Ryan Braun

This is an easy one.  Ryan Braun has been a shell of his former self since his suspension for PEDs.  What was once a perennial MVP candidate has become just another face on his own team.  The emergence of hitters like Carlos Gomez, Khris Davis, Jonathan Lucroy, and Jean Segura, they have established a solid core to the lineup, but they need their leader.  They need their backbone to really be a force to be reckoned with in the NL Central.  That means Braun has to become the feared hitter he once was and earn back some credibility and respectability to his career.

Most Important Pitcher

Matt Garza

In his first year in Milwaukee last year, Matt Garza showed why he has bounced around so much from team to team.  He shows flashes of dominance, but is primarily inconsistent.  The Brewers brought in Garza to be help lead their rotation, but he was out performed by several others on his staff.  If the Brewers are going to have a successful season, Matt Garza needs to be the pitcher he is being paid to be.

Player to Watch

Scooter Gennett

The Brewers have one of the worst farm systems in baseball, with only one prospect cracking MLB.com's Top 100 and none of their top prospects projected to help out the big club for several years still.  This leads to a roster that has no hope of a wild card coming out of nowhere to breathe new life into the club.  With that said, I am focusing here on possibly one of the best young players in the game you haven't heard of.  Scooter Gennett burst onto the scene when he took over as the Brewers' second baseman down the stretch in 2013.  In his first full season last year, he continued to show that he is a top ten player at his position in the league.  Last year, he was second in NL batting average in my ASG-to-ASG rankings, which calculates the end of one year and the start of the next as a complete season's worth of stats.  He struggled a little down the stretch, but look for him to possibly be a surprise All Star selection this year.

Prediction

4th in NL Central

Overall, it appears the Brewers seem to be trending in the wrong direction.  After the surprise start to 2014, something needed to be done to solidify and validate their spot near the top of the division.  Instead, they stayed put and even went backward.  When Adam Lind and a backup shortstop are your only acquisitions, you lose your ace and pitching staff leader, and you don't have any help coming up through the farm system, they might be in for a long season.  I don't see Ryan Braun bouncing back they way they need him to, and I don't see Matt Garza having a dominant season.  They have some great talent, but it is far from coming all together.  They might prove me wrong like they proved everyone wrong last year, but I doubt it.