Houston Astros' Superstar Taking On Leadership Role This Season
The Houston Astros are looking to get back to a familiar place in the 2024 season. After losing in the ALCS to the Texas Rangers, the Astros have their eyes on returning to the World Series.
While it's never been easy to accomplish, this season might be the toughest of them all.
Houston's a talented team, there's no denying that. This season, however, there are new faces and the departure of old ones will make new players need to step up.
Hector Neris, Martin Maldonado, Ryne Stanek, Phil Maton, and Michael Brantley all moved on.
Brantley retired after an incredible MLB career, Neris signed with the Chicago Cubs, and Maldonado has a chance to bring his veteran leadership to a Chicago White Sox team that's begging for anything positive.
Stanek and Maton are still free agents, but a reunion isn't likely.
Alex Bregman spoke about what the Astros' clubhouse needs to do after losing three major voices. He had the following to say, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic.
“It falls on all of us who have been here for a while. We have to fill that void and set a tone this year, kind of set the standard that has been set here (to) continue that expectation that we have — the focus every single day and hold each other accountable."
Bregman has spent his entire big league career with Houston. This season will be his ninth at the Major League level. Jose Altuve enters his 14th season in the big leagues, spending all with the Astros.
Bregman, Altuve, Kyle Tucker, and Yordan Alvarez are the players who need to step up and prove that they can lead a team. Despite this being his first season at the big league level with Houston, Josh Hader's another name that can be a positive in the clubhouse.
This championship team has multiple veteran leaders who can pick up what Maldonado, Brantley, and Neris left.
It will be up to them to achieve it.
