2005 Record: .549 (89-73), 2^nd place in NL Central, National League Champions

2004 Record: .568 (92-70)

Who’s Out: Jose Vizcaino (P), Charles Gipson (OF), Mike Burns (P)

Who’s In: Preston Wilson (LF), Raul Chavez (C), Trever Miller (P), Danny Klassen (INF), David Borkowski (P), Steve Sparks (P), Eric Munson (INF), Kevin Orie (INF)

Notes: The Astros made precious few changes to their club since getting swept by the white-hot White Sox in the 2005 World Series, leaving essentially the same team to take another stab at a World Series title. Like last year, there is likely to be a lot of pressure on their pitching to shut down their opponents’ offense; Astros offense did not offer much in run support in 2005 and it is not likely that they will give much more this year. Jeff Bagwell’s shoulder injury has knocked him out of the lineup—possibly for the whole season; he could even be done for good—, and Berkman had surgery to repair his knee over the winter, leaving his offensive potential for the season in question. Overall, fans can probably expect the Astros to finish behind the Cardinals again in the NLC, but a Clemens return could propel them to another wild card post-season spot.

Next Up: Atlanta Braves

Labels: 2006 team profiles