2013 MLB Preview: Houston Astros
By Josh Hill
Last season it didn’t get much lower than being associated with the Houston Astros, who ended up being the worst team in baseball. A recent study of salaries in baseball revealed that New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez makes more on his contract than every member of the Astros Opening Day roster combined.
So it’s not surprise that’s it’s a tough job these days to drum up interest in a team that not even the National League wanted to be associated with anymore. 2013 marks the Astros move to the American League and they go from an overloaded NL Central to a top-heavy AL West where they’ll meet regularly with the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angel, Seattle Mariners and Oakland A’s, each of whom possessing their own charm which is likely going to thwart any attempts made by the Astros.
Best Case Scenario
The 2013 season promises to be another rough one for Astros fans. In a best case scenario the team will avoid losing 100 games and some of the young players on the team will establish themselves as solid major leaguers.
Worst Case Scenario
The worst case scenario would see the Astros establish a new record for the worst season in baseball history. With Houston moving to the unfamiliar territory of the American League, that is a distinct possibility.
Most Likely To Happen
More than likely the Astros will finish in the cellar of the A.L. West. Their overall record will probably be somewhere around last season’s mark 0f 55-107.
The future may be bright, but it appears that’s all Houston has going for them at the moment, and their necessary move to the American League likely will see its novelty wear thing very quickly.