$Predicting The Houston Astros\' 2016 Opening Day Lineup$

Predicting The Houston Astros' 2016 Opening Day Lineup

By Brad Faber

In 2015, the Houston Astros were one of MLB‘s great surprises, posting a record of 86-76 and securing their first playoff berth in a decade. Going into this coming season, the Astros could very well be a force in the AL West once again. Here is a spring training prediction of what manager A.J. Hinch‘s lineup might look like on opening day.

$Predicting The Houston Astros\' 2016 Opening Day Lineup$

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1. Jose Altuve, 2B — After winning a batting title in 2014, Jose Altuve had another great season last year, hitting .313/.353/.459 with 15 homers and 66 RBIs. Altuve should be a great catalyst for the Astros once again in 2016.

2. George Springer, RF — Through 102 games last year, George Springer batted a solid .276/.367/.459 with 16 homers and 41 RBIs. If Springer can stay healthy for a full 162-game season, it should be quite interesting to see what he can do.

3. Carlos Correa, SS — Last year, shortstop Carlos Correa won the AL Rookie of the Year award after batting an impressive .279/.345/.512 with 22 homers and 68 RBIs. Still just 21 years old, Correa figures to be a star for many, many years to come.

4. Colby Rasmus, LF — After having a very productive season last year, hitting .238/.314/.475 with 25 homers and 61 RBIs, Colby Rasmus accepted a qualifying offer to return to the Astros over the offseason. Rasmus should be a solid source of power for Houston once again in 2016.

5. Carlos Gomez, CF — Through a combined 115 games with the Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros last year, Carlos Gomez hit .255/.314/.409 with 12 homers and 56 RBIs. Gomez had back-to-back 20-plus homer seasons in 2013 and 2014.

6. Luis Valbuena, 3B — In his first season with the Astros last year, Luis Valbuena hit .224/.310/.438 with 25 homers and 56 RBIs. Yes, the batting average and OBP were low, but a player who can provide 20-homer pop from the left-side is always a plus.

7. Preston Tucker, DH — With Evan Gattis still uncertain for opening day, Preston Tucker would be a great choice to slide into the DH slot in the meantime. Tucker provided some punch for the Astros in 2015, hitting .243/.297/.437 with 13 homers and 33 RBIs in 98 games.

8. Tyler White, 1B — With Chris Carter moving on to Milwaukee, Jon Singleton now has a prime opportunity to show what he can do with the first base job. But at the same time, it is tough to ignore the numbers that Tyler White has been putting up this spring. In 11 preseason games, White is hitting an impressive .345/.387/.517.

9. Jason Castro, C — Although he hasn't quite been able to replicate his stellar 2013 campaign in the two seasons since, the left-handed hitting Jason Castro is still a guy who can provide some occasional pop at the plate. He was also pretty good behind the dish last season, throwing out 36 percent of would-be basestealers.

Dallas Keuchel, P — Fresh off of a Cy Young-award winning campaign, Dallas Keuchel has already reportedly been named the Astros' 2016 opening day starter. Keuchel was Houston's opening day starter last year as well.

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