Houston Astros: Ranking the best player at each position ahead of Opening Day

The Houston Astros are not the favorites, but they are a potential World Series winner in 2024. With Spring Training fixtures tantalizingly close, the MLB season is not far away. The Astros have had an interesting offseason, as general manager Dana Brown was cautious about overpaying for relievers in free agency.

That said, they signed Josh Hader to a five-year, $95 million deal and he could make a huge difference as a closer this year. With that in mind, let's take a look at Houston's best players in each position:

Best Houston Astros player at each position ahead of Opening Day

Starting Pitchers

The Astros' pitching is headlined by Justin Verlander, one of the best pitchers in the MLB, and he will be integral in 2024.

1. Justin Verlander
2. Framber Valdez
3. Cristian Javier
4. Hunter Brown
5. Jose Urquidy

Bullpen

Josh Hader's signature was bad news for closer Ryan Pressly, but Pressly handled it very professionally and the two are all-in for the team.

1. Josh Hader
2. Ryan Pressly
3. Rafael Montero
4. Bryan Abreu
5. J.P. France
6. Ronel Blanco
7. Seth Martinez
8. Bennett Sousa

Catcher

Yainer Diaz was rated the eight-best catcher in the league on MLB Network's annual top 10 positional list.

1. Yainer Diaz
2. Victor Caratini

First Base

37-year-old José Abreu is the Astros' best first baseman but is expected to have his workload managed carefully in 2024.

1. José Abreu
2. Jon Singleton
3. Yainer Diaz
4. Grae Kessinger

Second Base

Jose Altuve was ranked No. 2 in his position on MLB Network's top 10 list.

1. Jose Altuve
2. Mauricio Dubón
3. Dixon Machado
4. Grae Kessinger

Third Base

As was a theme, Astros players were everywhere on the list, with Alex Bregman ranked No. 5 among third basemen.

1. Alex Bregman
2. Mauricio Dubón
3. Grae Kessinger

Shortstop

Jeremy Peña is as dedicated as they come and is expected to play a huge role in the 2024 season.

1. Jeremy Peña
2. Mauricio Dubón
3. Grae Kessinger

Left Field

Chas McCormick was ranked No. 5 by MLB Network among left fielders, highlighting his ability.

1. Chas McCormick
2. Mauricio Dubón
3. Yordan Alvarez

Center Field

Jake Meyers is expected to be the team's starting center fielder in 2024.

1. Jake Meyers
2. Chas McCormick
3. Mauricio Dubón

Right Field

Another Astro on the list was Kyle Tucker, ranked at No. 2 for right fielders.

1. Kyle Tucker
2. Chas McCormick

Designated Hitter

Jordan Alvarez is the best left-fielder in the league per MLB Network and will be Houston's designated hitter.

1. Yordan Alvarez
2. Yainer Diaz
3. Jon Singleton

Houston could be in for a great season, especially if they can keep their stars healthy. This will be key if they are to mount a World Series challenge, especially with the LA Dodgers building a superteam and the Atlanta Braves looming large.