On Deck: What to look for during Astros/Mariners on Opening Day

At last, baseball is finally upon us.

After months of waiting and uncertainty, the Astros will play a regular season baseball game at Minute Maid Park tomorrow. It will mark a series of firsts for the team -- their first game since coming eight outs away from their second World Series championship in 2019, their first game since the season was delayed in late March, and their first game since word of the Astros cheating scandal reached the public.

Opening Day represents an opportunity to put all of that in the rearview mirror, however. Structure-wise, the Houston Astros are as loaded as ever despite losing some key pieces during the offseason, and are primed to make yet another run at the coveted Commissioner's Trophy. This season brings about familiar faces (the return of the majority of the hitting core and the freshly-rehabbed Lance McCullers Jr.) and newcomers (new manager Dusty Baker and General Manager James Click) to the club, all of whom hope to contribute to returning the title of World Series champions to the city of Houston.

Their path to the World Series begins tomorrow at 8:00 PM CT, when the AL West rival Seattle Mariners come in to town to face off against the Astros in a four-game series to start the year. The Astros will undoubtedly look to get off to a hot start to the abbreviated season, and the series against the talented but young Mariners squad represents an excellent opportunity for the hometown team. Here are some things to look for as the Astros begin their season.

1. Springer Starts Hot?

George Springer is notorious for starting off his seasons strong -- he's hit a home run in his first AB of the season on two separate occasions. Last season, he was batting .275 after the first month of baseball, and was hitting .313 with a 1.050 OPS before injuring himself in May. As the designated tone-setter in the Astros vaunted offense, Springer plays an integral role.

With all that said, if the Astros are going to experience success this season, Springer will have to get off to a fast start as he's done in seasons past. There's little doubt such will be the case, however -- Springer performed well in the spring and summer exhibitions (to the tune of a .320 batting average and a .949 OPS), and has been putting in plenty of work in the batting cages during the wait for the season. There's also the fact that this season in particular is a contract year for Springer, who's set to be a free agent at the season's end.

There are many cogs to this Astros offense, but when it comes to the beginning of the season, no one pushes the envelope quite like George Springer does.

2. Verlander's Age

Yes, Justin Verlander is getting older. For most pitchers, that's a sign of impending doom. Older pitchers have a tendency to lose velocity, fumble with their mechanics, and struggle with location. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule (see: Randy Johnson), but this usually is the expectation for normal pitchers.

Thankfully, Justin Verlander is no normal pitcher. The Houston ace expressed gratitude and reverence for the opening day tradition, and seemed excited to take the mound for the start of the 2020 season.

"I'm honored and excited to take the ball on Opening Day," Verlander said when asked about how he felt being named the Opening Day starter. "It’s a tradition that goes back to the beginning of time in baseball. No matter how many times I do it, each one is unique and special. I’m honored and extremely happy to have that chance.”

Verlander will need to set the tone for a pitching staff facing some uncertainty. The bottom portion of the rotation is a series of unknowns -- Lance McCullers Jr. is coming off of Tommy John surgery, and Josh James and Framber Valdez are still unproven starters at the big league level. It is unknown when fellow starter Jose Urquidy will make his return as well.

Just as George Springer gets things going from the top of the lineup, Justin Verlander will need to get things going from the top of the rotation. He'll have a chance to shake off some rust and prove Father Time wrong tomorrow against the Mariners.

3. Life Without Yordan

Former ROTY Yordan Álvarez, for reasons still yet to be explained, will not be with the team when the season starts tomorrow. That will mean one less elite hitter in the lineup for the Astros. Though he's expected to rejoin the team at some point, the Astros will have to explore other options at the DH position prior to tomorrow's game.

A big name that comes up regularly with regards to a potential temporary replacement is highly-touted prospect Kyle Tucker. The lefty has refined his swing and impressed during summer camp, which earned him a spot on the opening day roster. While he's still young and could use some more experience against big league pitching, Álvarez's absence represents the perfect opportunity for Tucker to begin to develop into the future elite hitter the Astros envision him being.

The designated hitter position could also see every-man Aledmys Díaz taking a few at-bats. A versatile player and equally versatile hitter, Díaz has done well since coming from the Blue Jays last offseason. There is also the possibility of sliding Michael Brantley into the DH spot and letting one of the younger outfielders (the aforementioned Kyle Tucker or speedster Myles Straw, for instance) taking over in left field.

With such a short season, there isn't much time to experiment with players in different positions, but the Astros luckily have a wealth of talent to plug into the lineup before Álvarez's potential return. A few tests against the Mariners might allow Dusty Baker to get a better idea of how to use the position going forward.