A two-time All-Star with the Houston Astros, Hunter Pence displayed some serious offensive acumen with three seasons if 160 Hits and 25 Home Runs.  Pence would become atwo-timee World Series Champion with the San Francisco Giants, but the truth is that his best campaigns took place in Houston.

Kevin Bass joined the Houston organization in late 1982 via a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, a move that sent veteran Don Sutton to the American League in exchange for the young, switch-hitting outfielder. After spending his first few seasons in South Texas as a developing part-time player, he broke through as a full-time starter in 1985 and quickly became the definitive versatile threat of the "Orange Force" era.

Between 1985 and 1987, he recorded three consecutive seasons with at least 140 hits, 15 home runs, and 15 stolen bases.  In the ’86 campaign, he had a career-high .311 batting average and a .364 on-base percentage. He showed the organization that he was a foundational star by earning his first All-Star selection and finishing seventh in the NL MVP voting.

His first departure following the 1989 season was a matter of seeking stability; the Astros refused to include a no-trade clause in their offer, leading Bass to sign a three-year deal with his hometown San Francisco Giants. However, after stints in the Bay Area and with the Mets, he realized that the Astrodome was the environment that best fit his game. He returned to Houston in early 1993.  Even in a reserve role during this second run, he was efficient, batting .310 during the strike-shortened 1994 season.

He played one more MLB season with the Baltimore Orioles, and as an Astro, compiled 990 hits, a .278 batting average, and 102 stolen bases.

An All-Star and Silver Slugger in 1983, Dickie Thon appeared to poised for something special in Major League Baseball.  Coming off a season where he finished 7th in MVP voting and led the NL in bWAR for Position Players, he was beaned early in 1984 by Mike Torrez causing him to miss the rest of the season.  He would return, but his vision was never the same, and he became one of the “what might have beens” in baseball.  As an Astro, he would have 492 Hits with a .270 Batting Average, and a 6.7 Defensive bWAR.

Ken Caminiti would become a National League MVP with the San Diego Padres but it was a member of the Houston Astros where he would make the first of his three All Star Games.  Caminiti was not putting up his best career power numbers in Houston (though still had 103), but he was actually at his best defensively playing for the Astros.