Houston Astros: lineup and rotation patterns
How the Astros set their lineups and used their rotation in 2023–2025: a right-handed lineup that changed almost daily, new leaders at the infield and outfield corners, and two starters carrying the rotation.
A record of past seasons, not a forecast: 2027 projections will be added once rosters take shape. About these team pages.
A right-handed lineup in constant motion
Houston's 2025 lineup leaned further right than almost any other. Against right-handed starters it averaged 1.1 left-handed hitters per game, the second fewest in baseball, and against left-handers 0.6, the fewest. Two years earlier the figure against right-handers had been 1.9, and in 2024 it was 2.8. With so few left-handed bats to begin with, the opposing starter's hand changed Houston's lineup less than almost anywhere else: only the Angels had a smaller drop in left-handed hitters against left-handed starters. Houston also faced a left-handed starter only 33 times, tied for the second fewest.
Yet the batting order moved more than almost anywhere. The Astros used 154 different orders, second only to Minnesota, up from 140 in 2023 and 147 in 2024, and 27 different players started at least one game. The exact same order as in the previous game appeared only 3 times all season.
Where the names changed
Three seasons of position leaders show how much of the lineup was replaced. Alex Bregman led third base in 2023 and 2024 (160 and 142 starts); in 2025 Isaac Paredes led with 88, and Carlos Correa, who made his first start for the club that season in August, was next with 48. Kyle Tucker led right field in 2023 and 2024; Cam Smith led it in 2025 with 122 starts. First base went from Jose Abreu to Jon Singleton to Christian Walker, whose 150 starts made it the most settled spot on the field. Only three spots kept the same leader in all three seasons: Jeremy Pena at shortstop, Jose Altuve at second base and Jake Meyers in center field. Pena was also the usual leadoff hitter (96 games). Yainer Diaz caught 111 games, with Victor Caratini (48) the only other regular catcher.
The DH spot and left field absorbed the rest. Thirteen players started at DH, led by Jose Altuve (49) and Yordan Alvarez (32), who had led it in each of the two previous seasons. Ten players started in left field, where the starter changed from the previous game in 70% of games. Smith and Mauricio Dubon were used more against left-handers: Smith started 32 of the 33 games against them.
Two starters and a long list
Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown made 31 starts each. After them no one made more than 14, and the top five starters made the second smallest share of starts in the league. Ronel Blanco's last start came on May 17, while Colton Gordon (first start May 14), Lance McCullers (May 4) and Jason Alexander (June 17) made their first starts later in the season. Houston also rarely started anyone on short rest: starts on four days or fewer were the second least common in the league. The best month was June (19–7); August was the only month below .500 by more than one game (13–15).
For 2027, this is a record to compare against rather than a forecast. The questions worth watching are whether Houston's lineup keeps leaning this far to the right side, whether the batting order settles after a season of near-constant change, and who takes over the two spots that moved most, DH and left field.
Where the Houston Astros ranked in 2025
| Houston Astros | Avg | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | 87 | 81.0 | T-11 |
| Different batting orders | 154 | 135.9 | 2 |
| Same order as previous game | 1.9% | 4.8% | T-22 |
| Most uses of one order | 3 | 4.8 | T-21 |
| Same leadoff as previous game | 87% | 75% | 8 |
| Players in the lineup | 27 | 24.4 | T-6 |
| Games vs LHP | 33 | 42.6 | T-28 |
| Lefty hitters vs RHP | 1.1 | 3.6 | 29 |
| Lefty hitters vs LHP | 0.6 | 2.0 | 30 |
| Starting pitchers | 15 | 13.2 | T-8 |
| Top-five starters' share | 64% | 76% | 29 |
| Starts on 4 days' rest or less* | 15% | 31% | 29 |
| Starts after 10+ days* | 8% | 5% | 5 |
| Primary catcher's starts | 69% | 58% | T-7 |
| Players at DH | 13 | 10.7 | T-9 |
| Top DH's share | 30% | 51% | 24 |
Three seasons at a glance
| Season | W–L | Games vs RHP / LHP starters | Different batting orders | Different players in the starting lineup | Starting pitchers used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 90–72 | 113 / 49 | 140 | 19 | 10 |
| 2024 | 88–73 | 115 / 46 | 147 | 23 | 12 |
| 2025 | 87–75 | 129 / 33 | 154 | 27 | 15 |
Who played where, 2023–2025
| Position | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Martin Maldonado (116) | Yainer Diaz (99) | Yainer Diaz (111) |
| 1B | Jose Abreu (134) | Jon Singleton (88) | Christian Walker (150) |
| 2B | Jose Altuve (88) | Jose Altuve (146) | Jose Altuve (61) |
| 3B | Alex Bregman (160) | Alex Bregman (142) | Isaac Paredes (88) |
| SS | Jeremy Pena (149) | Jeremy Pena (157) | Jeremy Pena (120) |
| LF | Corey Julks (59) | Yordan Alvarez (53) | Jose Altuve (44) |
| CF | Jake Meyers (87) | Jake Meyers (126) | Jake Meyers (96) |
| RF | Kyle Tucker (152) | Kyle Tucker (68) | Cam Smith (122) |
| DH | Yordan Alvarez (73) | Yordan Alvarez (94) | Jose Altuve (49) |
Month by month in 2025
| Month | Games | W–L | Games vs LHP | Different batting orders | Starting pitchers used | First start of the season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March/April | 30 | 16–14 | 4 | 28 | 7 | – |
| May | 28 | 15–13 | 2 | 27 | 8 | none |
| June | 26 | 19–7 | 6 | 24 | 7 | 5: Cooper Hummel, Jacob Melton, Luis Guillorme and others |
| July | 25 | 12–13 | 7 | 24 | 7 | Brice Matthews, Jon Singleton, Kenedy Corona, Zack Short |
| August | 28 | 13–15 | 7 | 26 | 8 | Carlos Correa, Cesar Salazar, Jesus Sanchez, Ramon Urias |
| September | 25 | 12–13 | 7 | 25 | 9 | Zach Cole |
Batting order and positions in 2025
Most starts by batting slot: 1. Jeremy Pena (96); 2. Isaac Paredes (58); 3. Jose Altuve (82); 4. Christian Walker (83); 5. Yainer Diaz (42); 6. Yainer Diaz (46); 7. Jake Meyers (29); 8. Cam Smith (34); 9. Mauricio Dubon (50).
| Position | Next most starts (leader: see above) | Players who started there | Starter changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Victor Caratini (48) | 3 | 57% |
| 1B | Victor Caratini (10) | 4 | 12% |
| 2B | Mauricio Dubon (37) | 7 | 61% |
| 3B | Carlos Correa (48) | 6 | 18% |
| SS | Mauricio Dubon (25) | 4 | 17% |
| LF | Cooper Hummel (22) | 10 | 70% |
| CF | Chas McCormick (20) | 7 | 33% |
| RF | Jesus Sanchez (18) | 8 | 37% |
| DH | Yordan Alvarez (32) | 13 | 74% |
Against left- and right-handed starters
| Opposing starter | Left-handed | Right-handed | Switch-hitters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right-handed | 1.1 | 7.1 | 0.7 |
| Left-handed | 0.6 | 7.8 | 0.6 |
| Player | Bats | Start rate vs RHP (starts) | Start rate vs LHP (starts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Caratini | switch-hitting | 61% (79) | 24% (8) |
| Cam Smith | right-handed | 70% (90) | 97% (32) |
| Mauricio Dubon | right-handed | 59% (76) | 85% (28) |
Gaps may reflect timing, not a platoon (guide).
Rotation and rest in 2025
| Pitcher | Throws | Starts | First start | Last start | Median days of rest | Starts on 4 days or fewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Framber Valdez | LHP | 31 | March 27, 2025 | Sept. 25, 2025 | 5 | 6 |
| Hunter Brown | RHP | 31 | March 28, 2025 | Sept. 24, 2025 | 5 | 5 |
| Ryan Gusto | RHP | 14 | April 12, 2025 | July 30, 2025 | 5 | 3 |
| Colton Gordon | LHP | 14 | May 14, 2025 | Sept. 5, 2025 | 5 | 1 |
| Lance McCullers | RHP | 13 | May 4, 2025 | Sept. 28, 2025 | 5 | 0 |
| Jason Alexander | RHP | 13 | June 17, 2025 | Sept. 26, 2025 | 5 | 4 |
| Ronel Blanco | RHP | 9 | March 31, 2025 | May 17, 2025 | 5 | 2 |
| Brandon Walter | LHP | 9 | May 20, 2025 | July 23, 2025 | 5 | 1 |
| Rest before start | Houston Astros | League average |
|---|---|---|
| 4 days or fewer | 15% | 31% |
| 5 days | 59% | 49% |
| 6 to 10 days | 18% | 15% |
| More than 10 days | 8% | 5% |
Catcher and DH in 2025
| Games | Team-games | Primary catcher started | League average |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 162 | 69% | 58% |
| Day game after a night game | 39 | 62% | 44% |
| All other games | 123 | 71% | – |
| Player | DH starts | Share of DH starts |
|---|---|---|
| Jose Altuve | 49 | 30% |
| Yordan Alvarez | 32 | 20% |
| Victor Caratini | 29 | 18% |
Most common lineups in 2025
The most common exact batting order was used only 3 times (club average 4.8).
Lineup 1 (3 times, last on Aug. 24, 2025): 1. Jeremy Pena SS, 2. Carlos Correa 3B, 3. Jose Altuve DH, 4. Christian Walker 1B, 5. Yainer Diaz C, 6. Ramon Urias 2B, 7. Mauricio Dubon LF, 8. Cam Smith RF, 9. Chas McCormick CF.
Lineup 2 (2 times, last on March 28, 2025): 1. Jose Altuve LF, 2. Isaac Paredes 3B, 3. Yordan Alvarez DH, 4. Christian Walker 1B, 5. Yainer Diaz C, 6. Jeremy Pena SS, 7. Cam Smith RF, 8. Brendan Rodgers 2B, 9. Jake Meyers CF.
Lineup 3 (2 times, last on April 15, 2025): 1. Jose Altuve LF, 2. Isaac Paredes 3B, 3. Yordan Alvarez DH, 4. Christian Walker 1B, 5. Jeremy Pena SS, 6. Yainer Diaz C, 7. Jake Meyers CF, 8. Cam Smith RF, 9. Mauricio Dubon 2B.
Top nine vs RHP (6/129): Brendan Rodgers, Cam Smith, Christian Walker, Isaac Paredes, Jake Meyers, Jeremy Pena, Jose Altuve, Yainer Diaz, Yordan Alvarez.
Top nine vs LHP (4/33): Cam Smith, Christian Walker, Cooper Hummel, Isaac Paredes, Jake Meyers, Jeremy Pena, Jose Altuve, Mauricio Dubon, Yainer Diaz.
Our own calculations from Retrosheet game logs, regular seasons only: notes, methodology.