Houston Astros Starting Lineup 5/6/21 Astros Lineup
15-15, 3rd in AL West
Projected Proj
@ NYY
5:05 pm GMT , 5/6
In 2020, the Houston Astros continued a string of success that began in 2017 with their thrilling seven-game World Series victory over the Dodgers. Houston made another World Series appearance two years ago, losing a deciding seventh game to the Washington Nationals. Most of the Astros' core is still intact, but there are immediate questions. One will be how much better West Division rival Oakland is. The other will be how Houston fills empty holes. Centerfielder and team MVP George Springer took his cleats north of the U.S./Canada border, signing with Toronto. Houston will need to compensate for Springer's excellent defense and clutch hitting. It will not be easy. There are indications that Houston will already start one rookie Chas McCormick in right field.
Astros Starting Lineup
Most Common Astros Lineups
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2021 Recent Astros Lineups
| Game | Score | Starting Pitcher | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/5 @ NYY | L 3-6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5/4 @ NYY | L 3-7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5/2 @ TB | L 4-5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5/1 @ TB | W 3-1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4/30 @ TB | W 9-2 | | | | | | | | | | |
However, pitching for the Astros may be an even more pressing problem. Rookies hurled a third of the innings during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Staff ace Justin Verlander, with a lot of years already on his arm, is coming off Tommy John surgery. Verlander isn't on the preseason depth chart as part of the five-man rotation. Zack Greinke will assume his number-one role, followed by Framber Valdez. How well the Astros lineup can improve a batting average that fell below the league average will be an important development to watch. However, Houston's pitching will need to be strong to avoid an imbalance that could challenge the Astros' 11th best run-differential from last season. If there is any regression, Houston could experience a downturn in success.
