In many ways, breakout performances from Hunter Brown and Jeremy Pe\u00f1a helped to keep the Houston Astros afloat in 2025 much longer than they should’ve been. Houston is going to need more of the same in 2026, and there is no shortage of candidates who may rise to the occasion.<\/p>\n
For most teams, having a group of players take the next step is important. For a team with limited financial resources like the Astros, it is imperative. Fortunately, there’s a group that seems primed to do just that. But unfortunately, others should have fans ready to give up before the season gets underway.<\/p>\n
2 Astros players who are poised for breakout performances in 2026Cristian Javier, Astros pitcher<\/p>\n
The Astros have been searching for a No. 2 starter for most of the offseason, and after paying a high price for Mike Burrows, they believe the former Pittsburgh Pirate could be it<\/a>. What the Astros may learn, however, is that they had one all along in Cristian Javier.<\/p>\n Javier made a relatively quick recovery from Tommy John surgery<\/a>, returning in 2025 after about a 14-month layoff. At first glance, his 4.62 ERA after being reinserted to the rotation is why Houston has been looking elsewhere for help. But there are a few things that work in his favor.<\/p>\n Javier’s 59.4% left on-base rate was laughably low and is in no way sustainable. Javier’s expected ERA per Baseball Savant was 3.41, thanks to a very solid 38.3% hard hit rate, which produced a .212 xBA. With more time to rebuild his arm strength this offseason, Javier should be able to recapture some of that juice that made him a promising young starter before he was injured.<\/p>\n Cam Smith<\/p>\n Cam Smith made quick work of the minor leagues after being drafted in 2024, and broke camp with the Astros last spring. Not only was Smith adjusting to life in the big leagues, but he was also learning an entirely new position on the fly.<\/p>\n Smith has proven to be a well-above-average defender. But with a 90 wRC+, Smith still has a long ways to go. Diving into the mental aspects of the game is tough to quantify, but going from college to the minors, to a new organization, and a new city would be dizzying for anyone; especially a 22-year-old.<\/p>\n Consider this: Smith has top-tier athleticism and ridiculously violent bat speed that’s in the 84th percentile in baseball. Those are some real tools to work with. Additionally, from May 1 through June 30, Smith looked like a star, hitting .305\/.370\/.451 and spraying line drives all over the field at a stellar 28% rate. As pitchers adjusted, he struggled, but now with that valuable experience under his belt, Smith be better prepared for what’s to come. He’ll need to earn his way back during spring training, but doubt him at your own risk.<\/p>\n 2 Astros players fans should already be giving up on heading into 2026Zach Cole, Astros outfielder<\/p>\n Zach Cole’s cup of coffee in 2025 has piqued Houston’s interest and put him in a position to get a long look this spring<\/a>. His .255\/.327\/.553 slash line was tantalizing, even if it came in only 15 games. Cole was already an important prospect for Houston<\/a>, but trading Jacob Melton has put even more pressure on his shoulders to emerge as a consistent left-handed outfield bat.<\/p>\n Cole has some serious tools, but that comes a fatal flaw. He struck out 38.5% of the time in his brief Major League stint. That’s nothing new. In 2024, when Cole first hit Double-A Corpus Christi, he struck out 38.3% of the time. In 82 games again at Corpus Christi in 2025, he went down swinging 36.3% of the time.<\/p>\n Fan will ultimately find that he has too many holes in his swing to consistently tap into his immense power, especially as the book comes out on him and pitchers learn how to best attack him. He turns 26 in August, so if he hasn’t figured out how to avoid the strikeouts by now, there’s a good chance that he never will.<\/p>\n Jes\u00fas Sanchez, Astros outfielder<\/p>\n