After a slow start, the Houston Astros have gone on a tear
A quarter of the 2015 MLB season has gone by, and yet even among the doubters and critics, this year’s Houston Astros ball club continues to find ways to score runs and win games. What’s even more of a welcomed surprise is that they are doing so both with AND without the help of the long ball. After losing five of their first eight games of the season, the Astros have gone on a tear.
It is a team full of key players, all of which contributes something incredibly special to a club that has struggled over so many recent years. And first-year skipper, A.J. Hinch, is the captain at the helm of this more than capable crew. The American League West leading Astros are up six games over the Los Angeles Angels, who are only 1 game over .500 on the season. Not only that, but their 27-14 start is the best in Houston Astros’ franchise history.
So how are they achieving this? Simple; a strong ace of a pitcher, equally strong and supportive rotation and bullpen, and game-changing batters in the lineup.
Let’s examine all three of these elements in depth. Starting with the ace, Dallas Keuchel.
As of Wednesday’s series clinching 6-1 victory against the Oakland Athletics, Keuchel has a record of 6 wins with a couple of no-decisions and no losses, tying “King” Felix Hernandez in leading the American League in wins. Additionally, Keuchel has an ERA of 1.67. He has the best start of any Astros pitcher since Roger Clemens back in 2004. No easy feat, to be sure. Both Keuchel and Colin McHugh have been the pitching gems for this club that have kept them on top.
The other pitchers of the rotation, including Scott Feldman, Roberto Hernandez, Brad Peacock, Brett Oberholtzer, Asher Wojciechowski, and newcomer, Lance McCullers, have also made beneficial contributions as a unit so far this season. Astros’ starters currently sit with a 4.13 ERA, 16 wins and 11 losses in the first 41 games over nearly 246 innings pitched.
Next we’ll examine the bullpen, and extreme weakness in 2014. A lot of key additions and returns have helped in this department, including:
This bullpen has the third-best ERA in baseball, 2nd overall in the American League, at 2.24. They also have a collective 16 saves, 11 wins and only 3 losses over the first 41 games in nearly 125 innings.
Now to the fun-to-watch part of the team; the lineup.
Admitably, there are a handful of these players with averages below the Mendoza line (.200).
- George Springer (RF)
- Evan Gattis (DH)
- Chris Carter (1B)
In spite of the low averages, however, these three have found ways to not only hit for power, but also to get on base and score runs. Even as of Wednesday, Gattis hit a two-run home run, over the Crawford Boxes and onto the tracks at Minute Maid Park, that probably would have launched out into the city had the roof had not been closed. This play led Gattis to tie the team’s lead-off man and unofficial captain, Jose Altuve (2B), for the club lead in RBI (24).
When you combine that with these other regulars:
- Luis Valbuena (3B)
- Colby Rasmus (LF)
- Jason Castro (C)
- Jake Marisnick (CF)
- Marwin Gonzalez (SS)
And even these bench players:
- Hank Conger (C)
- Jonathan Villar (SS/3B)
- Preston Tucker (LF)
What you have is the right formula and team chemistry for a winning ball club, something this team hasn’t been in a long time. Not to mention the fact that Houston has one of the best farm systems in the majors. It is very difficult to pick out only ONE specific thing that has allowed for the Astros to be at the position they currently are. Could it be Hinch’s coaching style? The comradery of the players? The use of the farm system? Sheer luck? A combination thereof? No one knows. But the one thing that is known for sure is this; Houston has liftoff!
James Zeankowski is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from James, check out his archive and follow him @tvwizard85.
