HOUSTON – Much of the Houston Astros roster is set heading into 2024, with the full starting lineup revealed before spring training. We’ll get to the pitching later, but on offense there are really only two spots up for grabs - two bench spots.
Backup catcher belongs to newly signed Victor Caratini, and Mauricio Dubon, the reigning AL Gold Glove winner for Utility players, will have a major role as Houston’s everything guy. From there, a handful of players are fighting for the final two spots. Those players include 1B Jon Singleton, IF Grae Kessinger, IF David Hensley, OF Corey Julks, IF/OF Trey Cabbage, and long shots IF Will Wagner and OF Joey Loperfido. We’ll run through each player, project them out and give the pros and cons.
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1B Jon Singleton
Pros: Singleton has nothing to prove at the Triple-A level, after raking in Sugar Land. Singleton hit 12 home runs in 33 games and had an OPS of 1.176. He’s also left-handed, which is a preference for Astros GM Dana Brown when it comes to bench bats.
Cons: Singleton struggled in the big leagues last year much of the time, hitting to a .624 OPS with the Astros. He’s also limited defensively to just first base, and the Astros can use Victor Caratini as a backup first baseman as needed. Other players like Mauricio Dubon, Grae Kessinger, Trey Cabbage and David Hensley can also fill in at first in shorter stints, while also playing other positions.
IF Grae Kessinger
Pros: Kessinger plays every position in the infield, and was mostly adequate for the Astros in his limited time defensively. He’s even-keeled and professional. Kessinger started spring training with the mainline big league players, and seems to have a slight advantage over some of the other potential bench players.
Cons: Kessinger hit to a .614 OPS in limited time in the majors. His .826 OPS in Triple-A was impressive, but he also doesn’t come with a ton of power.
IF David Hensley
Pros: Hensley thrived in 2022, using his eye and power potential to make the big leagues (Hensley’s max exit velo of 114.4 in Triple-A matches up with the Corey Seagers and Mike Trouts of the world). Hensley can also adequately play at least three infield positions and can fill in at first base. So far, he’s flashed in spring training, hitting balls hard.
Cons: Hensley had a rough 2023 in the big leagues, hitting just .119 with a massive spike in strikeouts. He started spring training with the non-main players group, and seems to be behind Kessinger in the organizational pecking order. Hensley overhauled some parts of his swing and approach with former Astros minor league hitting coach Ben Rosenthal, which could help for this upcoming season.
IF/OF Trey Cabbage
Pros: GM Dana Brown is excited about Cabbage, who he plucked off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels. Cabbage brings elite power and speed, hitting 30 home runs and stealing 32 bases in Triple-A in 2023. Cabbage’s max exit velo is 121.0 on a ball he hit in Double-A in 2022. There have only been three total balls hit harder than that at the MLB level, one per year from 2021-2023. He can play both corner infield spots, and corner outfield spots. Cabbage is left-handed, and given his potential, could be a strong candidate to get an early shot.
Cons: Cabbage has a very high strikeout rate, striking out 26 times in 53 at bats at the major league level, and 142 times in 107 games in Triple-A last season. The Astros are actively working on tweaking his swing to cut down on the strikeouts, and the results in spring training haven’t been there so far.
OF Corey Julks
Pros: Julks had some good moments for the Astros in 2023, and largely held his own against Major League pitching, hitting 6 home runs and stealing 15 bases while hitting to an OPS+ of 79 (21% below league average). Julks got a ton of playing time in 2023, and is perfectly fine as a fill in player.
Cons: Julks is limited defensively to left field, and filling one of four bench roles with a one-position player is not ideal. The Astros also have three players ahead of Julks on the depth chart at the position. Julks is right handed, and the Astros would like to have a left-handed bench bat.
IF Will Wagner
Pros: The son of Billy Wagner is considered to have one of the best hit tools in the Astros organization. All he does is hit, with a career .291 pro average, while hitting .337 last season across three leagues. Much like Hensley and Kessinger, he can play a bit at every infield position.
Cons: Wagner only has 26 at bats at the Triple-A level. He’s more of a future player to watch than a player who will get an opening day roster spot.
OF Joey Loperfido
Pros: Big and versatile, Loperfido is one of the top prospects in the Astros system. He can play some infield and outfield, and hit 25 home runs in 2023 across three levels, finishing his season in Triple-A.
Cons: Loperfido has 32 games under his belt at the Triple-A level, and his numbers dropped in Sugar Land, in a league considered to be favorable to hitters. Loperfido definitely has a big league future, but at the moment is likely to need more seasoning at the minor league level. However, he’s showed well at Major League spring training so far well and showing a good eye.
EARLY PROJECTION
The Astros like versatility and I could see them giving Trey Cabbage a chance, along with Grae Kessinger, who finished the season on the Major League roster. Expect the rest of the players listed to contribute at some point this season.