2026 Astros Spring Training Thread

Snake Diggit · Mar 11, 2026 at 12:52 PM

No Worries said: ↑

5 players who have a strong case to make Houston's Opening Day roster

This story was excerpted from Brian McTaggart’s Astros Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The competition at Astros camp is beginning to ramp up this week as manager Joe Espada and his staff evaluate candidates for the final few bullpen spots, the back end of the rotation and the last couple of position player slots.

Here’s a look at five players who began camp on the bubble and have put themselves in position to perhaps make the Opening Day roster:

RHP Ryan Weiss

How acquired: Signed to a one-year deal with a club option in December.

Background: Weiss posted a 3.16 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP with 305 strikeouts in 270 1/3 innings over the last two seasons with the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization. He pitched in 132 career Minor League games (47 starts) with Arizona and Kansas City, reaching Triple-A in 2021-23.

Spring performance: Threw three scoreless innings Monday in relief with six strikeouts, touching 96.5 mph, and has a 1.69 ERA in 5 1/3 spring innings.

What Espada said: “There is a presence about him now where he’s starting to take it to a different gear, reaching back and getting some fastballs by people, executing the slider. He’s got good stuff. The command is coming where he can throw his pitches any time in the count. It’s exactly the guy we say we really liked. He’s showing up at the right time.”

RHP Peter Lambert

How acquired: Signed to Minor League contract in November

Background: A 2015 second-round Draft pick, Lambert has 74 career games (35 starts) in his career with the Rockies. He pitched in 28 games in ’24 and had a 5.72 ERA in 61 1/3 innings. He spent last year pitching with the Yakult Swallows in Japan.

Spring performance: Has thrown six scoreless innings, allowing six hits and three walks with four strikeouts. He threw three scoreless Monday, hitting 96.3 mph.

What Espada said: “There’s a lot of upside to his stuff. I think playing away from Colorado can help him use his pitches better and the shape of his pitches. Could be a starter, can come out of the ‘pen. His stuff can play much higher out of the ‘pen. He’s definitely someone who has caught our attention.”

RHP Christian Roa

How acquired: Signed to Minor League contract in January

Background: Had a solid 2025 at Triple-A Jacksonville (Marlins) in which he posted a 2.83 ERA in 60 1/3 innings, with 64 strikeouts, 28 walks and 38 hits allowed. Roa made his Major League debut on Sept. 6 and threw two scoreless innings against the Phillies.

Spring performance: Allowed one run (a homer) with no walks and eight strikeouts in five innings, including one scoreless inning Sunday, touching 97.6.

What Espada said: “He has had a resilient arm for quite a while. We like the demeanor on the mound. We have presented some ideas about his usage and offspeed pitches and getting more in the zone, and so far he’s doing just that.”

OF Taylor Trammell

How acquired: Trade from Yankees on Nov. 4, 2024

Background: Posted a .629 OPS in 52 games with the Astros last year and spent time with Triple-A Sugar Land. He split the 2024 season between the Dodgers' and Yankees' organizations, playing five games in the Majors for each team, but was in Triple-A most of the season.

Spring performance: Slashing .318/.423/.636 with a homer, five RBIs, four walks and a steal in 26 plate appearances.

What Espada said: “Trammell is getting quality at-bats, getting some walks, driving the ball and running the bases aggressively.”

OF/IF Brice Matthews

How acquired: First-round Draft pick (No. 28 overall) in 2023

Background: Matthews was slashing .283/.400/.476 with 10 homers, 39 RBIs and 25 steals at Triple-A last year when he was called up to the Major Leagues on July 11. He homered three times in a two-game span in Arizona in July and wound up posting a .674 OPS with four homers in 47 big league plate appearances.

Spring performance: Slashing .250/.333/.333 with seven RBIs and five steals while splitting time between center field and second base.

What Espada said: “Brice, he knows he can control the strike zone. He can hit the ball out of the ballpark. I love the speed and his goal is, and he’s heard me say this before, we just need to get barrel on the ball. If he gets barrel on the ball, puts more balls in play, he is going to find himself doing some damage with power and also on the bases. He’s very dynamic, very explosive. It’s getting him to make quality of contact so he can be productive.”
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I’m getting pretty excited about how Houston’s pitching staff is looking. Brown, Imai, and Burrows have shown signs of dominance. Lambert, Roa, Weiss, Blubaugh, Carlson, and VanWey all look like great upside RP options.

Not as stoked about how Javier, McCullers, King, and Arrighetti have looked, and obviously Hader being hurt sucks. But overall I think Houston could be really really good on the pitching side.

Htown Stros · Mar 11, 2026 at 2:00 PM

Snake Diggit said: ↑

I’m getting pretty excited about how Houston’s pitching staff is looking. Brown, Imai, and Burrows have shown signs of dominance. Lambert, Roa, Weiss, Blubaugh, Carlson, and VanWey all look like great upside RP options.

Not as stoked about how Javier, McCullers, King, and Arrighetti have looked, and obviously Hader being hurt sucks. But overall I think Houston could be really really good on the pitching side.
Click to expand...

Imai consistently throwing 97+ mph today and reaching 98.5…yeah this guy is going to be good

Snake Diggit · Mar 11, 2026 at 3:05 PM

Htown Stros said: ↑

Imai consistently throwing 97+ mph today and reaching 98.5…yeah this guy is going to be good
Click to expand...

And Arrighetti with 6 ks with his velo right where it should be. I wish Javier had looked sharper because he’s the only key guy who hasn’t looked great.

Rockets34Legend · Mar 11, 2026 at 3:08 PM

Snake Diggit · Mar 11, 2026 at 3:18 PM

Stros gonna have some gas. 10 guys who could be on their opening day staff throwing 96+:

Roa
Brown
Munoz
Lambert
Imai
Abreu
Weiss
Sousa
Blubaugh

McCullers, Arrighetti, Javier, Okert, and King would be the only guys not offering premium velo.

Htown Stros · Mar 11, 2026 at 4:07 PM

Snake Diggit said: ↑

Stros gonna have some gas. 10 guys who could be on their opening day staff throwing 96+:

Roa
Brown
Munoz
Lambert
Imai
Abreu
Weiss
Sousa
Blubaugh

McCullers, Arrighetti, Javier, Okert, and King would be the only guys not offering premium velo.
Click to expand...

Have to think we'll be up there in K/9 as a team, especially if Hader returns relatively soon after opening day. Even those guys you've listed who don't throw as hard all have high K potential.

No Worries · Mar 12, 2026 at 5:46 PM

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