We’re past the soft part of the season where you just show up and feel good about talent on paper — this is where the real versions start to show. Every outing feels like an answer to something we’ve been arguing about since spring break.

The rotation sets the tempo now. Hunter Brown takes the ball and the park breathes easier — electric stuff, sinking fastball, big strikeouts that flip the game instantly. Imai’s arrival from Japan adds a new storyline we can’t ignore — how will his arsenal handle MLB pressure in April and May? Behind those two it’s a mix of Javier, Burrows, Arrighetti, and Weiss battling for consistent length so the bullpen isn’t running hot before the ninth. 

Up the middle, Peña doesn’t need to be loud to matter. When he’s on, he frames innings, sparks the lineup, drives guys in — we notice. Yordan came back late but when he’s healthy his at-bats have a gravity you feel in the seats. Altuve’s name is still everywhere in the clubhouse conversation, even if WBC insurance quirks kept him from Venezuela this spring. 

And the bullpen — it’s that same mix of thrill and dread. Who locks the seventh? Who bridges to Abreu or Hader without turning it into a guessing game? Every close lead makes the crowd lean in. Minute Maid knows how fast momentum can swing here.

So we check every home date like a pulse. We watch innings more than box scores. When Brown hits his rhythm, when Peña stays hot, when the bridge holds, you feel it before anyone else does — sitting there, glove on your knee, waiting for the next out.