With three weeks until the 2026 season opener, much of the Astros’ 26-man roster for the opening game is in the spotlight. However, some issues remain unresolved. This was my first glimpse into how things were changing:
Starting pitcher: Hunter Brown/Christian Javier/Tatsuya Imai/Mike Burrows/Spencer Alehti/Lance McCullers Jr.
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Also consider: Colton Gordon, AJ Brumbaugh
Assuming health, the top four players appear to be locked in at the start of spring training, and all four players appear to be healthy. McCullers is a guaranteed out because of his contract, and his first spring start last week was encouraging.
That leaves Arrigetti, who took a hit in his only appearance of the spring, but I wouldn’t overreact to that. If he doesn’t perform well the next few games, some red flags are going to start to go up, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
Bullpen: Brian Abreu, Brian King, Steven Ocutt, AJ Brumbaugh, Ryan Weiss, Bennett Sosa, Enyel de los Santos
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Also consider: Josh Hader, Rodri Muñoz, Colton Gordon, Jason Alexander, Nate Pearson
My assumption is that Hader, who has not pitched a bullpen this spring, will start the season at Illinois, as will Pearson after Joe Espada told reporters he was feeling some elbow soreness.
Brumbaugh carried over last season’s stellar performance into the spring, and he could be a big presence as a long player early in the year when the starters increase their pitch count. The same goes for Wes, who had a solid performance in Tuesday’s first game and is on a contract worth more than $2 million.
Sosa’s performance last season should guarantee him a spot on the 2026 Opening Day roster.
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An ankle injury has put De Los Santos behind schedule, but he was scheduled to hit the bullpen on Wednesday, which should give him enough time to get up to speed. Still, the Astros could choose to slow things down to focus on Munoz longer-term, and as a Rule 5 rookie, Munoz must remain on the active roster all season or be sent back to the Reds.
Gordon has performed so well in three spring games that the Astros will likely keep him stretched and have him start the season in the rotation at Sugar Land. The same goes for Alexander, who had a strong performance on Sunday after a rough first game.
catcher: Yana Diaz, Cesar Salazar
Also consider: without any
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Diaz is locked in as the Astros’ primary catcher, and Salazar is the only catcher in training camp with 40-man roster or major league experience.
Infielders: Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Jeremy Pena, Christian Walker, Isaac Paredes, Nick Allen
Also consider: Bryce Matthews, Zach DeCenzo
The Astros have done nothing to address their infield logjam, so we’ll address that now. Matthews is having a great spring, but playing every day in Sugar Land makes more sense to him than a backup role in the majors. It would also give him a chance to get more reps in the outfield.
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Outfielder/DH: Yordan Alvarez, Jake Meyers, Zach Cole, Cam Smith, Tyler Trammell
Also consider: Joey Lopefido, Zach DeCenzo
Cole has not had a hit this spring, but he has been making hard contact and dominating the strike zone. Smith also gathered productive hitters. Lopelfido and DeCenzo have yet to play, creating opportunities for Trammell, who is 5-for-14 with two walks in six games and provides the versatility and athleticism the Astros covet.
