As you probably know by now, the Houston Astros‘ offense is pretty, pretty good.
It was the most productive offense in baseball last year in runs scored and other important metrics.
However, to open the 2022 MLB season, they will have to navigate through one of the best starters in MLB.
Shohei Ohtani will take the ball on Opening Day for the Los Angeles Angels.
The foe?
Yes, the Astros.
vs. the Astros https://t.co/vTNvNe7Bjb
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) March 25, 2022
It will be a truly epic showdown between two heavyweights: the American League’s best offense and one of the most talented pitchers in baseball.
Ohtani will get to show his triple-digits fastball, his filthy splitter and his effective slider against the best of the best.
New Faces In The Astros’ Offense
It should be pointed out that the Astros’ offense in 2022 will have two new faces.
Carlos Correa, their longtime shortstop, is no longer with the team, as he signed a free agent contract with the Minnesota Twins.
In his place, Jeremy Pena appears poised to log the most innings and plate appearances.
Pena is a 24-year-old infielder who hit .287/.346/.598 last year in Triple-A.
Additionally, Jake Meyers is expected to share center field duties with Jose Siri and Chas McCormick: all three will likely get a chance to run away with the job.
Other than that, the unit is as good as ever: Alex Bregman is as talented as they come, Kyle Tucker broke out in a big way in 2021, Jose Altuve remains productive, and Yordan Alvarez is a beast.
Michael Brantley and Yuli Gurriel are on the veteran side, but are still excellent hitters.
The Astros’ lineup, make no mistake, will be a challenge for Ohtani.
Yes, he had a 3.18 ERA last year in 130.1 innings, but he will have his hands full with Houston.
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