Big Names Weigh In On An Astros Potential In 2023

The Houston Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in six games to win their second World Series since 2017.

Repeating the feat is going to be a difficult task.

But it’s certainly possible.

Brian McTaggart, beat writer for Astros.com, recently asked a number of current players and others about the team’s chances. Here's what McTaggart learned:

Astros left fielder Michael Brantley: “We definitely have the team to do it. We’re excited for the upcoming season. We have the same goal: winning the World Series. We have really put together a team and everyone is comfortable around each other. Everyone is a big family. Everyone has the same goal, and we’ll try to do it again.”

Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr.: “I know a lot of teams build up and win a World Series and make those runs, and sometimes it happens, and sometimes it doesn’t, and usually, teams have to start over. … What we’ve done here is build a very deep team [and] a deep organization, so we’re looking forward to another great run. The (AL) West is going to be tough. A lot of teams have reloaded, but we’re ready for it.”

Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña: “I know the team is still hungry. We’re going to go out and play hard like we did last year, and have fun and compete.”

Hall of Famer Derek Jeter: “It’s hard to win one, let alone back-to-back. You have to have good teams, but you have to get a lot of breaks as well. It’s difficult, but it can be done, obviously.”

Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell: “I love our chances. The whole thing comes down to health. We had tremendous health last year, especially on the pitching staff. (Justin Verlander) might be the only one who went on the (IL). … If we stay healthy, we’ve got the pieces to do this again.”

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