The greatest strength of the 103-win, 2018 Houston Astros was the starting rotation. It led both leagues in ERA at 3.16, and most other statistical categories. It accounted for 21.7 Wins Above Replacement according to Fangraphs, which surprisingly to me, was second behind the Indians...barely. The Indians’ ERA- was also slightly better than the Astros. Still, it’s hard to beat a rotation of five All-Stars, three of whom appeared in last year’s summer classic.
Unfortunately, three of those five stellar performers will not reappear in an Astros uniform in 2019. Charlie Morton signed a free agent contract with the Tampa Bay Rays.