5 Houston Astros storylines to follow for the 2022 MLB season

The Houston Astros have been one of MLB's most dominant teams over the last five seasons. Their dominance continued last season, and they made another World Series. They lost to the Atlanta Braves, but making the World Series is still a huge accomplishment.

The Houston Astros will likely have another successful season this year, but there are still some questions. Let's take a look at those questions going into the season.

Answering the top 5 questions about the Houston Astros

Minnesota Twins v Tampa Bay Rays

5. Who will replace Carlos Correa at shortstop?

Carlos Correa signed with the Minnesota Twins on a three-year, $105.3 million contract. This signing caught some Astros fans off-guard, as Correa had spent seven seasons in Houston and won one World Series with the Astros.

With the departure of Correa, the Astros needed a replacement at shortstop. That replacement came in the form of Jeremy Pena. Pena is yet to make his MLB debut, but there is some hype around him. He hit quite well for the Class AAA Sugar Land Skeeters (now known as the Sugar Land Space Cowboys) last season. He only played in 30 games, but hit .287 with ten home runs and 19 RBIs.

Pena has some big shoes to fill, but the Astros are confident in his abilities.

"Jeremy Peña turns a SLICK double play with the bases loaded to preserve the 1-0 lead. #JP3" -@BenDuBose

4. Will Justin Verlander return to form?

World Series - Washington Nationals v Houston Astros - Game Six

Justin Verlander is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He is an eight-time All-Star, one-time World Series Champion, one-time AL MVP, one-time Triple Crown Winner, and two-time AL Cy Young Award winner. Verlander, however, has missed almost all of the last two seasons and is most likely in the last couple of years of his career at the age of 39.

Verlander underwent Tommy John surgery in September of 2020, so there are questions about whether he can return to dominance. We have seen pitchers perform well after recovering from Tommy John, but rarely do you see a pitcher in his late-30s undergo this surgery.

Verlander's performance will be critical to the Astros. He is their Opening Day starter, so it is safe to say that they have high expectations for him.

"Justin Verlander, 4Ks thru 2 innings." -@PitchingNinja

3. Can Alec Bregman get his power back?

Third baseman Alec Bregman missed over 70 games last season with a quadriceps injury. Even though his injury was a huge concern, his play when healthy was even more concerning. Bregman hit .270 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs in 91 games played.

Bregman has definitely had a decrease in power over the last two seasons. He has hit 18 home runs in that time. The season before that, in 2019, Bregman hit 41 home runs. He will be looking to get that power swing back as the season begins.

Regardless of how many home runs Bregman hits, Astros fans are hoping he can have a healthy season. When healthy, Bregman is one of the best third basemen in baseball.

2. Can Martin Maldonado get on base?

Houston Astros v Oakland Athletics

Catcher Martin Maldonado has never been a good hitter. The veteran has a career .212 average and .290 on-base percentage.

Maldonaldo is a defensive catcher and does not have high expectations at the plate. However, that does not mean that the Astros do not want him to hit well. He is coming off a season where he hit .172 with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs.

It is not critical that Maldonaldo improves at the plate, but it would help his team a lot.

1. Can Ryan Pressly maintain his dominance?

Championship Series - Boston Red Sox v Houston Astros - Game Six

Closer Ryan Pressly had a dominant 2021 season out of the Astros' bullpen. The 11th year player had a 2.25 ERA and 26 saves in 28 opportunities.

The 2021 season was arguably Pressly's best season. He is a key cog in this Houston Astros' bullpen and one of the best closers in the MLB. He will likely be heavily depended on again this season. However, if he cannot maintain last season's dominance, the Astros will be in trouble.