Houston Astros Lead the Way in Latest Pre-Season Power Rankings
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The Houston Astros are expecting to pick up right where they left off when the 2023 MLB season starts: winning.
They lost 2022 Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander in free agency to the New York Mets, but the rotation depth and talent is so elite that it almost doesn't matter.
Nearly the entire lineup is returning, save for Yuli Gurriel, and to mitigate that loss they upgraded to first baseman José Abreu.
None of that has even mentioned the bullpen which very well could be the best in all of baseball.
That is why it is no wonder that Jim Bowden of The Athletic has listed the Astros atop his power rankings ahead of MLB Spring Training.
Bowden sums it up well in his rankings on why Houston is the team to beat and are unquestionably the best team in the league going into the season.
"They have arguably the best combination of power, speed and defense in the league," wrote Bowden, "There’s no doubt: The defending world champions are the best overall team on digital (I can’t say paper anymore) heading into spring training."
Very little changed to the roster that defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2022 World Series. Perhaps the biggest offseason acquisition was that of new general manager Dana Brown.
The Astros will be firing on all cylinders come March and it is very likely that this team could be even more successful than their 2022 season.
An exciting thought indeed.
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