Opening Day has finally arrived, and teams are finalizing their 30-man rosters. The Houston Astros released their Opening Day roster, which consists of 15 position players and 15 pitchers. There are some notable names that will begin the season on the Injured List, but first here is the 30-man roster:
Position Players
Catchers: Martin Maldonado, Dustin Garneau, Garrett Stubbs
Infielders: Yuli Gurriel, Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Aledmys Diaz, Abraham Toro, Jack Mayfield
Outfielders: George Springer, Michael Brantley, Josh Reddick, Kyle Tucker, Myles Straw
Pitchers
Pitchers: RHP Justin Verlander, RHP Lance McCullers Jr., RHP Zack Greinke, RHP Josh James, LHP Framber Valdez, RHP Bryan Abreu, RHP Cristian Javier, RHP Brandon Bailey, RHP Enoli Paredes, LHP Blake Taylor, RHP Joe Biagini, RHP Chris Devenski, RHP Cy Sneed, RHP Ryan Pressly, RHP Roberto Osuna
Notable Names On The Opening Day Roster
One of the most notable names who made the Astros Opening Day roster is RHP Cristian Javier. The 23-year-old dominated the minors last year, posting a 1.74 ERA across three levels, striking out 13.5 batters per nine innings. Javier is the reigning Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
Another notable is RHP Enoli Paredes. Paredes has never pitched in Triple-A, but the Astros really like the 24-year-old. Between High-A and Double-A last year, the right-hander pitched to a 2.78 ERA, striking out 128 batters in 94 innings.
Only two left-handed pitchers made the Astros 30-man roster, Framber Valdez and Blake Taylor. Valdez is expected to be the fifth starter, at least at the start of the season. The 26-year-old has 107.2 career Major League innings under his belt, putting up a 4.60 ERA. The Astros received Taylor from the Mets in the Jake Marisnick trade. The 24-year-old posted a 2.16 ERA as a reliever in the Mets Minor League system in 2019.
Notable Names Absent From The Opening Day Roster
Injuries have prevented a number of Astros from being ready for Opening Day. Right-handed pitchers Brad Peacock, Austin Pruitt, Rogelio Armenteros, and Jose Urquidy, as well as DH Yordan Alvarez, will begin the season on the Injured List. Technically it is not known whether Urquidy and Alvarez are injured, but regardless, they will miss the start of the season at the very least.
The final notable name absent from the roster is Astros top prospect, RHP Forrest Whitley. The 22-year-old struggled in the minors last year, posting a 7.99 ERA in 59.2 innings. Whitley looked better in Summer camp but did not make the roster.
The 30-man roster will trim to 28 on August 6, before trimming down to 26 on August 20.
Main Image
Embed from Getty Images
