​Image 1: Erik Williams-Imagn Images, Image 2: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images, Image 3: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images The Houston Astros are heading into the 2027 season with a handful of priorities. After a disappointing 2026 season, here are the three biggest areas the Astros need to address if they want a different outcome next season.1. Sorting Out the Crowded InfieldWith Christian Walker at first, Jeremy Peña at shortstop, and Isaac Paredes at third, Carlos Correa returns with no open spot. Talent isn’t the issue, but giving each of these players the playing time they deserve will be tricky. Should they trade Walker, move Paredes to first, and let Correa go back to third? Should they move Yordan Alvarez to left field and put Correa as the primary DH? Or should they just alternate positions throughout the season?Lots of solutions, but which one is best for success?To give everyone the playing time they want, trading Walker or moving Alvarez to left field is really the only way to get everyone in the lineup consistently.2. Strengthening the Pitching StaffThe Astros’ pitching performance was all over the place. They had a few players really step up, like Peter Lambert. Then, on May 25, Tatsuya Imai, Steven Okert, and Alimber Santa combined for a no-hitter in a 9-0 win over the Texas Rangers. Yet inconsistent performances on the mound led to many of their brutal losses.The Astros spent a large part of the past season attempting to beef up their pitching staff, and it didn’t really pay off. Their most anticipated addition, Imai, really struggled, and a small handful of pitchers were left to carry the rotation. Injuries also hit their rotation early on, and they lost their ace for a good part of the first half of the season. That is not to undermine some of the outstanding performances from Lambert, Hunter Brown, and Josh Hader, but they can’t pitch an entire season between the three of them. Their staff needs some new arms and some work.3. Finding Consistency at the PlateThe Astros may have the strongest bat in the league in Yordan Alvarez, who took the batting title by finishing the season batting .316. But the hot and cold streaks from this lineup kept them riding the edge of the division lead for weeks, and a little consistency could have taken them further into the postseason.The biggest slump came from Christian Walker. Looking at Walker’s performance at the plate before and after the All-Star break, we saw a serious decline. Before the break, Walker was batting .237 with 20 home runs. After the break, his batting average dropped to .208, and he hit nine home runs. It was a significant drop during a time when Houston needed consistency the most.Despite dealing with an injury early on, Jeremy Peña put together a solid season, ending with a .277 batting average, 22 home runs, and 56 RBI. Paredes put together a season above his career marks in AVG, OBP, and OPS. He ended the season batting .262, with 25 home runs, 94 RBI, and a .807 OPS. Jose