How the Houston Astros Are Actually Building Their 2026 Roster

The Houston Astros are hoping to redeem themselves this year after facing persistent struggles during their last campaign, which ultimately forced them out of postseason contention.

Heading into the offseason, the Astros knew they needed to bolster their pitching staff, particularly their starting rotation. However, they have faced significant losses in recent months. The most frustrating was watching their ace Framber Valdez explore free agency and eventually sign with the Detroit Tigers.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

This prompted Houston to start considering how it can fill that massive hole on its roster. Although they were able to acquire some key names, there's still plenty of doubt surrounding the franchise.

With spring training now in full swing, the roster roles are becoming clearer. Did the Astros do enough in the offseason?

Houston Welcomed Fresh Faces With a Lot To Prove

Houston Astros Hunter Brown pitching — Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Houston's starting rotation is now led by Hunter Brown, now that Valdez is out of the picture. Aside from Brown, their rotation is somewhat unproven. There's undoubtedly immense potential here, but they could be in trouble due to their general lack of big league experience.

Tatsuya Imai is a prime example of this, as he's never thrown a pitch in a Major League game before, but that doesn't mean he doesn't come with a long line of international experience. Last year, while playing with the Seibu Lions, he logged a 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts across 163.2 innings pitched through 24 starts.

Mike Burrows was another acquisition, but he only has two years of professional time under his belt. In 2025, he registered a 3.94 ERA and 97 strikeouts across 96.0 innings pitched through 23 games, 19 of which he started.

The Astros added another notable name to the rotation, Ryan Weiss, who played with the KBO Hanwha Eagles. During his latest season, he posted a 2.87 ERA and 207 strikeouts across 178.2 innings pitched through 30 starts.

Between this trio of starters, there's very limited MLB experience here. Having said that, they have great potential and have proven themselves elsewhere over the years. Of course, Houston also has returning veterans on board, including Lance McCullers Jr. and Cristian Javier, and they will help provide leadership to their rotation.

The ballclub is banking on having its new starters thrive on the mound this year. If things don't go according to plan and the rotation sputters, the Astros could find themselves repeating yet another disastrous season.