The Astros’ Wild Card Series roster brings a little bit of everything: plenty of postseason mileage at the top, and a whole lot of first-timers filling out the rest.
Houston is carrying 26 players for its best-of-three set against the White Sox, which opens with Game 1 at 4 p.m. CT on Tuesday at Daikin Park. Twelve pitchers and 14 position players made the cut, and half of the roster - five position players and eight pitchers - has never been through October before.
That said, the Astros are hardly short on experience where it matters most. Jose Altuve is set to play in his 106th career postseason game on Tuesday, and his 27 home runs rank second all-time in playoff history.
Yordan Alvarez has 60 career playoff games behind him, while Jeremy Peña, the 2022 World Series Most Valuable Player, has already logged 26. Backup catcher Christian Vázquez brings 31 postseason games and two World Series titles to the group.
The biggest surprise on the roster is the absence of rookie right-hander Ethan Pecko. Pecko started games for Houston down the stretch, but a nagging injury kept him off the Wild Card Series roster. His spot went to Tatsuya Imai.
Houston also added infielder Raynel Delgado for extra infield coverage, with the possibility of moving Altuve to designated hitter and sliding Alvarez into left field.
Another roster call went in favor of Joey Loperfido, who made the team over LaMonte Wade Jr. despite collecting only one at-bat with the Astros in the final two months of the season. Reliever Steven Okert, who threw a bullpen on Monday while working back from a hamstring injury, was not included.
In Other News...
White Sox Wild Card Hopes May Hinge On One Astros Problem
The Astros and White Sox are headed for a familiar October rematch, with the two clubs having already seen plenty of each other during the regular season and Houston taking five of those seven meetings. That backdrop gives this wild-card series a little extra edge, especially with Houston leaning on a lineup that can still tilt a game through Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez, while Jeremy Pena and Hunter Brown loom as important pieces on the other side of the matchup equation.
Chicago comes in with its own set of young names to watch, including Chase Meidroth and Sean Burke, but this still looks like a series where pitching and timely offense will decide everything. The White Sox have reason to believe they can keep it close if their run prevention holds up, yet Houstons deeper track record in this pairing suggests the margin for error is thin, and one Astros weakness could end up being the difference in a short series. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Playoff Roster Leaves One Bullpen Decision Under The Microscope
The White Sox have settled on their 26-man roster for the American League Wild Card Series against the Astros, and the breakdown already hints at the kind of tight, matchup-driven choices teams make in October. Chicago carried 14 position players and 12 pitchers, a setup that gave the club room to keep Tommy Pham on the roster instead of adding another arm, while also finding spots for rookies Noah Schultz and David Sandlin. Jake Rogers was kept as the backup catcher, another sign that the Sox leaned toward flexibility and familiar pieces as they finalized the group.
The one move that stands out most from Houstons perspective is the absence of Trevor Richards, who had been part of the White Sox regular-season pitching mix. In a short series, every bullpen spot matters, and leaving a veteran reliever off the roster can reshape how a manager navigates the late innings and the middle frames. Chicago clearly made a judgment call here, and whether that choice helps or hinders them against an experienced Astros club is one of the more interesting subplots hanging over the series. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Game 1 Plan Rests On A Risky A.J. Blubaugh Bet
The Astros are leaning on an unusual opening move for Game 1 against the White Sox, lining up a bullpen game with A.J. Blubaugh in the lead role. It is a notable assignment for a pitcher who has spent most of the season in relief, but one Houston has every reason to consider after Blubaugh handled a heavy workload and led all MLB relievers in innings pitched.
Still, the choice comes with real uncertainty. Blubaugh has not been as sharp of late, with his ERA climbing and his multi-inning outings becoming less frequent, which puts added pressure on Houston's pitching plan behind him. How long he can keep the game moving could shape the Astros' entire bullpen usage for the night, and that is the part worth watching as the series opens. [Read more 🡒]