HOUSTON – The Houston Astros set their 30-man roster Thursday, ahead of Opening Day against the Seattle Mariners Friday at Minute Maid Park.
The roster includes 15 position players and 15 pitchers.
There weren’t too many surprises and most of the names are quite familiar to Astros fans including Justin Verlander, Lance McCullers, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer and Alex Bregman, among others.
There are some other players fans may know little about so here’s a look at three who could make an impact:
Catcher Garrett Stubbs
The 27-year-old made his Major League Baseball debut last season. He played in 19 games. He didn’t tear the cover off the ball (7 hits in 35 at-bats) but Stubbs is solid behind the plate and will back-up Martin Maldonado and newcomer Dustin Garneau. He was drafted in the eighth round by the Astros in 2015 out of Southern California.
Infielder Jack Mayfield
Mayfield can play second base, shortstop and third base. He’s 29 years old and got his first taste of the big leagues last season, playing in 26 games for the Astros. On June 6 against the Angels, he hit his first MLB homer, one of two home runs for Mayfield in 2019. He’s a steady back-up for the team if any of their superstars need a break.
Pitcher Cristian Javier
It’s been a fast ride for Javier to the big leagues. He started 2019 in High-A ball and ended the year in Triple A Round Rock. With the Express, he worked 11 innings, striking out 16 while allowing 5 hits. He’s young and the club believes he has plenty of upsides.