Former Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy once said you should not ignore in victory what you wouldn’t ignore in defeat. For all the truth packed into that statement, it’s easy to forget, particularly when you have been as successful as the Houston Astros. Coming off a second World Series championship makes keeping that in mind doubly difficult.
This season the AL West, which the Astros have dominated for years, if not out of reach is certainly in jeopardy. Yet, it feels a little like the team continues to act as if they are leading the division by double digits, and the fans have begun chirping.
Yes, injuries have been an issue. Yes, the are just (currently) five-and-a-half game back of the Rangers. But, we have questions and it feels like this is the time to ask them.
Why is Rafael Montero still pitching…especially in high leverage situations?
To a degree, we can answer this ourselves. There are only so many relievers and the Astros have not been involved in many low leverage blowouts this season. Simple math dictates that Montero will have to play at some point simply so others can rest. But, given how bad he has been, particularly lately, it’s practically a crime to put him on the mound. Jim Crane has never had to eat a bad contract, but maybe this is the time. Without the ability to put Montero in the minors, there will come a point, and it’s getting sooner and sooner, when the team will need to make a tough decision. Until then, they simply cannot put him on the field in any situation with the game even remotely on the line.
What is Jose Abreu doing hitting cleanup?
Even with a solid June in which he hit four homers with an OPS of .797, Jose Abreu simply has no business hitting this high up in the lineup right now. Maybe he will at some point, but with one of the worst OPS’s in the majors for an everyday position player, it makes no sense to put him in such a critical position in the lineup. Consider that only Martin Maldonado has a lower OPS than Abreu among the team’s regulars. That’s even with his bounce back June. His 75 strikeouts and just 19 walks also help to underscore why he is just .283 in OBP. And his dreadful .326 slugging looks more like a guy hitting eighth than fourth. Maybe he fully comes around, but when scoring runs is at such a high premium as it is for this team, this is not the time to hope for the best.
Why is Yainer Diaz not getting more reps at catcher?
Diaz is slashing .276/.289/.512/.801 in 135 plate appearances. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is still too high (what’s new for a rookie), but he is clearly one of the team’s most consistent hitters when he is actually in the lineup. He is also, by virtually every metric, a better catcher than Maldonado. Yes, we know that Maldy is great at calling games, but his 19 percent caught stealing rate is well below Yainer’s 38 percent in a league where 22 percent is the average. And with a .8 WAR to Maldonado’s -.1, it is a no brainer that Diaz should be getting more time in the field and the lineup. He can even play first, a position that appears to need some help at the moment. Setting all that aside, the kid needs reps. He is clearly the future for the Astros behind the dish. They are better with him out there now and he (and the team) will benefit from it later.
Is Chas McCormick really in the doghouse?
McCormick is second on the team in slugging and third in OPS. His 1.1 WAR is barely behind Jake Meyers 1.2, which Meyers gets for being one of the better defensive center fielders in the AL. McCormick can play every spot in the outfield and take time at DH. He should be playing every day. But, he isn’t and there are reports it is because Baker is just not that fond of McCormick’s game. If so, a certain manager needs to get over himself. This is a team that is floundering offensively and he’s still managing like they have a 10-game lead in the division and are smoking the league at the plate. Quite the opposite and McCormick is yet another example of not getting guys in who can help the situation.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
