3 Things on the Astros 2021 Wishlist

Photo courtesy of Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

Major League Baseball's 2021 season is finally upon us, and the Astros, along with 29 other teams, will be taking the field for the first time since October of last year. Unlike most other teams, however, the Astros are once again poised for another deep playoff run after making their fourth straight ALCS appearance in last year's playoffs.

Despite an offseason that saw the departure of Houston legend George Springer, and the uncertainty surrounding the ability to retain certain players in the coming offseason, Houston has a full 162+ games to play during a campaign that hopes to result in the franchise's second World Series victory in team history. Here are three things that the Houston Astros should have on their wishlist heading into the 2021 season.

1) Leadoff Remains Lethal

George Springer's departure has as much of an impact on the field as it does on it. Off the field, he was a beloved leader in the clubhouse that had been around since the dark days of the early 2010s. On it, he was the best leadoff man in baseball, who could hit for average and power in tandem with his clutch gene.

Replacing his production certainly won't be easy, but it won't be impossible.

Dusty Baker has given confidence to Astros' centerpiece José Altuve, who will begin the season leading off for Houston. Altuve, who had a down year in 2020 (.219/.286/.630), surged in the playoffs, slashing a much more appealing .375/.500/1.299. It's anyone's guess as to which version of Altuve returns for this season, but with the yips seemingly behind him and in a better frame of mind, Altuve seems poised to produce in the one spot.

If the issue proves lingering, however, there are other options around it. Myles Straw, who figures to replace Springer in centerfield, had a great spring, nabbing an on-base percentage of .407. Straw also stole three bases in limited action.

Straw is a step back from the new-age leadoff man the Astros have employed in recent years, and is more of a traditional speedster serving as an agent of chaos on the base paths. Straw is one of the fastest players in baseball period, and plays a great defensive centerfield. His only issues in seasons prior were his lack of experience in the majors and hitting, both of which could be remedied with more time in the majors against professional pitching.

Straw doesn't have the pop Springer did, but he does have the speed to compensate, as does Altuve. The hope is that either can replicate the production the ex-Astro did in the coming season.

2) Yordan Returns to Form

While the Astros have lost one generational talent, they may have gained another with the return of former Rookie of the Year Yordan Álvarez.

Álvarez, 23, is a great boon to the Astros -- if he can stay healthy and return to his former stardom. His debut campaign was nothing short of electric, but his 2020 season was lost to a myriad of injury-related issues, mostly centered around his knees.

Yordan would sacrifice all but two games of his 2020 season in favor of surgery in hopes of fixing the issue long-term. Spring had been Álvarez's first time seeing live action since August of 2020, and while he obviously looked to be getting back into the swing of things at the dish, there were flashes of his 2019 self.

Of course, spring training performances hardly matter in the grand scheme of things, and more often serve as a precursor at best or an anomaly at worst. Yordan might look like Barry Bonds at the plate on Opening Day, for all we know.

But the Astros won't need Yordan to be Barry Bonds. He just needs to be the Yordan Álvarez everyone knows -- the towering hulk of a man who hits towering home runs with the ease of taking a breath -- and the rest will play itself out. Which would be more than a positive for the Astros going forward.

3) Jake Bakes, while Lance Dances

If there was anything that plagued the Astros last year, it was pitching.

Justin Verlander was lost early in the year to Tommy John, which was an early sign of things to come. While young rookies from the minors helped to plug up the holes marring the team's pitching corps, the back-end of the rotation was still lacking, and the bullpen even more so, despite the emergence of pitching mainstays like Cristian Javier, Blake Taylor and Andre Scrubb.

This year, things look much more optimistic. Zack Greinke figures to thrive in ways only he knows how. Framber Valdez, who will miss the opening month or so with a finger injury, was a legitimate Cy Young contender last year and will hope to build his case further this year. And the previously mentioned Javier, with a year of experience under his belt, figures to only improve after an impressive rookie campaign.

But the team's pitching isn't without questions, and the two biggest ones revolve around Lance McCullers Jr. and Jake Odorizzi.

Lance McCullers Jr. is a year removed from his first season since undertaking Tommy John surgery, and while some struggles were evident, he performed well under his conditions. He caught his stride late, and finished the year with a sub-4.00 ERA.

Odorizzi, meanwhile, is a former arm-of-the-future turned reclamation project by the Astros. Signed in wake of the Valdez injury, he'll take some time ramping up before joining the team presumably in early-to-mid April, targeting a return in Houston's series against the Detroit Tigers.

If the Astros figure to make a run late in the playoffs, they'll need the pitching to hold up. They should know; they've seen just how valuable good pitching is in October.

If Greinke (and eventually Valdez) maintain their elite pitching status while McCullers Jr. and Odorizzi dominate their starts, you're looking at an elite rotation in addition to an at least solid hitting core. And that's a recipe for success in the major leagues if there ever was one.