ZiPS projections are out for the Astros, and it is VERY ugly. Wesley Wright is the only pitcher projected to be above average (yikes!). On the offensive side, it projects Matt Dominguez to be the 2nd best hitter (behind Altuve) on the team! That's a bad sign. Of course the projection doesnt factor in a full season's at-bats for Lowrie otherwise i think he would be #2....

I don't think there are going to be any players that just break out like Altuve did last year. I do think that given a full year, Matt Dominguez might prove himself to be a fairly valuable 3rd baseman just based on the value of his glove. Any offense he provides will be a plus. Better defense at 3rd will be a big help to the young pitching staff.

Also, i think that if Castro can stay healthy, we might have a solid major league catcher behind the plate for the first time since...since...young Ausmus?? (whose value was tied to his defense) If Castro hits .250+ with an OPS above .700 with good defense behind the plate (for the whole season), that would be a first time for an Astros catcher since Mitch Meluskey in 2000.

So if we can improve at 3rd and Catcher this year, i think that would be a good step in the right direction.

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