*Random 2017 Astros fact:
Mike Fiers led the team in regular season innings pitched with 153.1, making the Astros the first World Series champion without a 200IP guy since the strike-shortened 1981 season.
*Matt Young notes the following autograph sessions at Academy:
-Carlos Correa, 5:30-6:30 today at the 9734 Katy Freeway location
-Lance McCullers, 7:00-8:00 today at the Pearland location
-Alex Bregman, 7:00-8:30 tomorrow (Thursday) at the Webster location
-Jose Altuve, 5:30-6:30 on November 20 at the Katy location.
Note:
The autographs are free, but passes will be distributed two hours before each appearance on a first-come, first-served basis. Each player will only sign a copy of the Houston Chronicle poster series, provided by Academy. The players will not be able to sign any outside items or merchandise.
*Jeff Luhnow said the Astros are considering starting Spring Training a few days later and making other changes to February/early March in an effort to prevent a Cubs-esque World Series Hangover:
Our workhorses are probably going to get a later start in spring, but we'll need to have those innings early so we'll probably have more Triple-A and Double-A guys or guys that we sign between now and then.
Gonna have to take a day off from work when Forrest Whitley pitches this Spring.
*Brent Strom talked to MLB Network Radio yesterday about how Carlos Beltran made his job easier. Strom:
He wore me out telling me how my pitchers are tipping. It finally got to the point where I said, 'I know, I know.' He really helped me a great deal with Lance McCullers Jr and Chris Devenski and everybody. It's really frustrating sitting there, watching your pitcher, and he's whispering in my ear that a changeup is coming. And there it was. Or a curveball is coming, and there it was.
*Lance McCullers Jr talked to Mad Radio yesterday morning about the use of his curveball, the postseason, and his frustration with how he was used at the end of the regular season.
*Carlos Correa visited kids at Memorial Hermann Children's Hospital.
*You need to see this tribute video from Quan CM Tran:
*A.J. Hinch finished 3rd behind Paul Molitor and Terry Francona in AL Manager of the Year voting. I mean, Hinch had the division won by June, dealt with all those injuries, and a hurricane but hooray Twins and a 22-game win streak!
*Jake Kaplan notes that Mike Minor is a near-perfect fit for the Astros this offseason.
*USA Today picked Jose Altuve as their AL MVP, which will be announced tomorrow.
*The Royals are interested in Early September MVP Cameron Maybin.
*Here are FanGraphs' Top 50 Free Agents.
*Fox Sports has been accused of bribing South American soccer officials.
*I'm off to go pick up 15 dozen donuts, kolaches, milk, and orange juice for 125 11th graders. Pictures (maybe) later. #TylerWhiteDay
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
Showing posts with label Awards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Awards. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Thursday, November 9, 2017
Thursday Morning Hot Links
*Random 2017 Astros fact of the day:
*Jose Altuve won his 2nd straight AL Outstanding Player award and MLB Player of the Year from the MLBPA at the the Players Choice Awards.
*So the New York chapter of the BBWAA honored some Astros last night:
-Jose Altuve/Justin Verlander: Postseason Co-MVPs
-George Springer: Arthur and Milton Richman You Gotta Have Heart award
-Carlos Correa: Joan Payson/Shannon Forde award for community service
*Bill Virdon, the first Astros manager to lead a team to the playoffs (1980) was happy for the 2017 team.
*Albuquerque natives Alex Bregman and Ken Giles are being honored by the state of New Mexico today.
*Carlos Correa surprised the little girl who was heartbroken by his engagement.
*Jharel Cotton's pitch to Josh Reddick on August 20 is Jeff Sullivan's worst called ball of the season.
*Scott Boras is apparently looking in the $200m range for J.D. Martinez. Same.
*A.J. Hinch will be Stanford's honorary captain against Dante Pettis' Washington Huskies this weekend.
*The Red Sox' 17-year old #5 prospect died of cancer yesterday.
*Two Boston douchebags said Roy Halladay "got what he deserved."
*How's your day? Oh, really? Could be worse. Your wife could have found out you were cheating on her while you were sleeping on a plane and then attacked you so viciously that the pilot had to make an emergency landing.
Amazing stat: The #Astros played 3 elimination games (27 innings) this postseason. Innings they trailed in those games: 0. #clutchcity— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) November 5, 2017
*Jose Altuve won his 2nd straight AL Outstanding Player award and MLB Player of the Year from the MLBPA at the the Players Choice Awards.
*So the New York chapter of the BBWAA honored some Astros last night:
-Jose Altuve/Justin Verlander: Postseason Co-MVPs
-George Springer: Arthur and Milton Richman You Gotta Have Heart award
-Carlos Correa: Joan Payson/Shannon Forde award for community service
*Bill Virdon, the first Astros manager to lead a team to the playoffs (1980) was happy for the 2017 team.
*Albuquerque natives Alex Bregman and Ken Giles are being honored by the state of New Mexico today.
Hello, beautiful. 😍 pic.twitter.com/y5e4Qrpq0W— Houston Astros (@astros) November 8, 2017
*Carlos Correa surprised the little girl who was heartbroken by his engagement.
*Jharel Cotton's pitch to Josh Reddick on August 20 is Jeff Sullivan's worst called ball of the season.
*Scott Boras is apparently looking in the $200m range for J.D. Martinez. Same.
*A.J. Hinch will be Stanford's honorary captain against Dante Pettis' Washington Huskies this weekend.
*The Red Sox' 17-year old #5 prospect died of cancer yesterday.
*Two Boston douchebags said Roy Halladay "got what he deserved."
*How's your day? Oh, really? Could be worse. Your wife could have found out you were cheating on her while you were sleeping on a plane and then attacked you so viciously that the pilot had to make an emergency landing.
It was a week ago and it seems like five years already. What a time to be alive and an @astros fan in Houston.... pic.twitter.com/FFc4ZsBx5C— Adam Clanton (@adamclanton) November 9, 2017
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Tuesday Morning Hot Links
A couple of things for you this morning...
*The County Mountie wrote up options at 1B and SP options in free agency.
*Chris Devenski, who did not get selected in last year's Rule 5 draft, finished 4th in AL Rookie of the Year voting.
With Correa winning the award in 2015 and Devenski receiving votes in 2016, it's the first time since Mitch Meluskey/Lance Berkman (2000) and Roy Oswalt (2001) that the Astros have had players receive votes for ROY in consecutive seasons.
Just as an aside, and I'm sure that I'll get my dander up about it soon enough, but how in the actual hell did Lance Berkman - who hit .297/.388/.561 with 21 homers in 114 games - finish 6th! Behind Meluskey! - and Rafael Furcal, who hit .295/.394/.382 in 131 games, win the damn thing?
*Jayson Stark's MLB Awards Week piece says that Mike Trout should win the AL MVP award, but Mookie Betts will win it.
*The Astros are Anthony Castrovince's Most Interesting Team in the AL West. Castrovince:
The Astros are loaded with young talent, but they are also loaded with needs, and the flexibility they've "bought" themselves by, you know, not spending much money in recent years means they can address those needs...in meaningful, eye-catching ways.
*Former Astros prospect Matt Duffy (who ended 2016 in the Rangers' organization) has signed with Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese League.
*Joe Thatcher, who ended his nine-year MLB career in 2015 with the Astros (22.2IP) has retired.
*Former Astros reliever Anthony Bass, who played in Japan last season, is now a free agent and looking for an MLB team.
*In honor of Buck O'Neil's birthday on Sunday, Joe Posnanski reposted Buck's Best Day.
*Houston celebrity chef Bryan Caswell - who was responsible for some of the nicer dining options at Minute Maid Park - will no longer be associated with Jim Crane's new downtown establishments to focus on his own ventures. CultureMap has a press release from Crane indicating that Caswell's other ventures prevented him from devoting the time Crane wanted him to devote.
This post has been updated to show that Rafael Furcal hit .295 in 2000, not .395 as I put at 5:25am.
*The County Mountie wrote up options at 1B and SP options in free agency.
*Chris Devenski, who did not get selected in last year's Rule 5 draft, finished 4th in AL Rookie of the Year voting.
With Correa winning the award in 2015 and Devenski receiving votes in 2016, it's the first time since Mitch Meluskey/Lance Berkman (2000) and Roy Oswalt (2001) that the Astros have had players receive votes for ROY in consecutive seasons.
Just as an aside, and I'm sure that I'll get my dander up about it soon enough, but how in the actual hell did Lance Berkman - who hit .297/.388/.561 with 21 homers in 114 games - finish 6th! Behind Meluskey! - and Rafael Furcal, who hit .295/.394/.382 in 131 games, win the damn thing?
*Jayson Stark's MLB Awards Week piece says that Mike Trout should win the AL MVP award, but Mookie Betts will win it.
*The Astros are Anthony Castrovince's Most Interesting Team in the AL West. Castrovince:
The Astros are loaded with young talent, but they are also loaded with needs, and the flexibility they've "bought" themselves by, you know, not spending much money in recent years means they can address those needs...in meaningful, eye-catching ways.
*Former Astros prospect Matt Duffy (who ended 2016 in the Rangers' organization) has signed with Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese League.
*Joe Thatcher, who ended his nine-year MLB career in 2015 with the Astros (22.2IP) has retired.
*Former Astros reliever Anthony Bass, who played in Japan last season, is now a free agent and looking for an MLB team.
*In honor of Buck O'Neil's birthday on Sunday, Joe Posnanski reposted Buck's Best Day.
*Houston celebrity chef Bryan Caswell - who was responsible for some of the nicer dining options at Minute Maid Park - will no longer be associated with Jim Crane's new downtown establishments to focus on his own ventures. CultureMap has a press release from Crane indicating that Caswell's other ventures prevented him from devoting the time Crane wanted him to devote.
This post has been updated to show that Rafael Furcal hit .295 in 2000, not .395 as I put at 5:25am.
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Tuesday Morning Hot Links
A merciful God gave us the off-day yesterday. The Astros begin a two-game series against the Cheatin-ass Cardinals tonight.
*The Rangers won but lost Shin-Soo "Mr. Glass" Choo with a broken forearm. The Mariners won, too. Seattle is 10-2 in their last twelve games.
*Wild Card: the Red Sox won, the Tigers lost, the Yankees beat the Blue Jays.
*North Hillsboro: -
*Seattle: -5.5
*Houston: -8
*Baltimore/Toronto: +1
*Boston: -
*Seattle: -2
*Detroit: -2.5
*New York/Houston: -4.5
*Carlos Correa hit .429/.467/.857 last week and earned AL Player of the Week honors. As McTaggart notes, this is the first time since 2008 that an Astros team had five Player of the Week wins.
*As alluded to yesterday, Yulieski Gurriel - who went 2x17 with no extra-base hits and 6Ks for Corpus - will report to Fresno today, instead of Houston. Luhnow:
There is no specific timetable for him joining our big league club, but he is getting close.
*Ken Giles has been activated from the paternity lost (they had a boy) and large adult Jandel Gustave is going back to Fresno.
Speaking of Giles:
*The Dodgers are trying to boost their pitching prospects' velocity.
*A Cubs employee was fired after playing the Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up" after suspected domestic abuser Aroldis Chapman left the mound on Sunday night.
*A human rider of a dancing horse choreographed a routine to Smooth.
*The Rangers won but lost Shin-Soo "Mr. Glass" Choo with a broken forearm. The Mariners won, too. Seattle is 10-2 in their last twelve games.
*Wild Card: the Red Sox won, the Tigers lost, the Yankees beat the Blue Jays.
*North Hillsboro: -
*Seattle: -5.5
*Houston: -8
*Baltimore/Toronto: +1
*Boston: -
*Seattle: -2
*Detroit: -2.5
*New York/Houston: -4.5
*Carlos Correa hit .429/.467/.857 last week and earned AL Player of the Week honors. As McTaggart notes, this is the first time since 2008 that an Astros team had five Player of the Week wins.
*As alluded to yesterday, Yulieski Gurriel - who went 2x17 with no extra-base hits and 6Ks for Corpus - will report to Fresno today, instead of Houston. Luhnow:
There is no specific timetable for him joining our big league club, but he is getting close.
*Ken Giles has been activated from the paternity lost (they had a boy) and large adult Jandel Gustave is going back to Fresno.
Speaking of Giles:
*Sad news about former Astros GM Bob Watson, who is battling kidney failure.He absolutely can, he’s gotta figure out the mental part, but the stuff is legit -Lidge #AskLidge https://t.co/282wFsi1mY— MLB Network Radio (@MLBNetworkRadio) August 15, 2016
*The Dodgers are trying to boost their pitching prospects' velocity.
*A Cubs employee was fired after playing the Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up" after suspected domestic abuser Aroldis Chapman left the mound on Sunday night.
*A human rider of a dancing horse choreographed a routine to Smooth.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Thursday Morning Hot Links
*Dallas Keuchel became the first Astro to win the Cy Young award since Roger Clemens back in 2004 when he received 22 of 30 1st place votes - David Price received the other eight - from the BBWAA. Keuchel, Clemens, and Mike Scott are the only Astros pitchers to win the Cy Young.
*Clemens welcomed Keuchel to the Cy Young club
*Keuchel told his mother that he was going to win...a week before the season started.
*Collin McHugh received five votes and finished 8th.
*Here's a big something from Jeff Passan:
Three sources told Yahoo Sports that Freeman's name came up in conversations with the Houston Astros as part of a mega-trade that would've included more than five players. It went nowhere.
...Man, it would be fun to know what those conversations were like.
*Holy crap, read about the Marlins clubhouse.
*With HOF voting time ongoing, we get to read extremely bad opinions.
*Clemens welcomed Keuchel to the Cy Young club
*Keuchel told his mother that he was going to win...a week before the season started.
*Collin McHugh received five votes and finished 8th.
*Here's a big something from Jeff Passan:
Three sources told Yahoo Sports that Freeman's name came up in conversations with the Houston Astros as part of a mega-trade that would've included more than five players. It went nowhere.
...Man, it would be fun to know what those conversations were like.
*Holy crap, read about the Marlins clubhouse.
*With HOF voting time ongoing, we get to read extremely bad opinions.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Tuesday Morning Hot Links
*It's funny how I'm way more in favor of players winning awards in part because of excellence on a playoff team when it's my favorite team who made the playoffs. That said, Carlos Correa is totally deserving of winning the AL Rookie of the Year award over Francisco Lindor (who, it must be said, makes excellent chocolates).
Here's the voting breakdown:
Correa: 17 1st Place votes, 13 2nd Place votes (124 points)
Lindor: 13 1st Place votes, 14 2nd Place votes (109 points)
Correa said that the metal plate in his leg - from breaking his ankle last season at Lancaster - caused him pain over the course of the season. I don't know if that's something that will get better, because I'm soft and rarely put myself in a position to break a bone, but it's still notable.
*Correa:
If you told me before the season started this was going to happen, I would not believe you. I started the year in Double-A. A few years back, in 2012, they drafted me with the first pick overall, and everybody was saying I was not supposed to be the first pick and was not the best player, but the hard work came through and I've been working hard all these years to be able to get to this level and be able to accomplish some things.
*Correa joins future Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell as the only Astros to win the Rookie of the Year award.
Bagwell's 1991 (156 games): .294/.387/.437, 26 doubles/15 home runs, 139 OPS+
Correa's 2015 (99 games): .279/.345/.512, 22 doubles/22 home runs, 132 OPS+
*I'm always fascinated by how the voters vote based on geography, so...
*Luhnow, on Correa (back in July):
It was so quick, the light bulb went off, realizing this kid was meant to be at the highest level. And if there's a higher level than this, he's probably meant to be there, because he rises to the occasion of the competition around him, and usually beyond it. It's really impressive.
*Dallas Keuchel won the Warren Spahn Award as baseball's top lefty pitcher. Greg Spahn, Warren's son:
I am ecstatic that Dallas Keuchel, an Oklahoman, wins my father's award.
*Astros' Assistant hitting coach Alan Zinter is now the hitting coach for the Padres.
*The Rangers and Mariners made a trade yesterday, with Leonys Martin and former Astros great Anthony Bass headed to Seattle for fireballing reliever Tom Wilhelmsen joining the Rangers' bullpen.
*So you want Aroldis Chapman? Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans - one of the best - said yesterday that it would take "Two Top 100 prospect guys, and another prospect" to get him.
Here's the voting breakdown:
Correa: 17 1st Place votes, 13 2nd Place votes (124 points)
Lindor: 13 1st Place votes, 14 2nd Place votes (109 points)
Correa said that the metal plate in his leg - from breaking his ankle last season at Lancaster - caused him pain over the course of the season. I don't know if that's something that will get better, because I'm soft and rarely put myself in a position to break a bone, but it's still notable.
*Correa:
If you told me before the season started this was going to happen, I would not believe you. I started the year in Double-A. A few years back, in 2012, they drafted me with the first pick overall, and everybody was saying I was not supposed to be the first pick and was not the best player, but the hard work came through and I've been working hard all these years to be able to get to this level and be able to accomplish some things.
*Correa joins future Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell as the only Astros to win the Rookie of the Year award.
Bagwell's 1991 (156 games): .294/.387/.437, 26 doubles/15 home runs, 139 OPS+
Correa's 2015 (99 games): .279/.345/.512, 22 doubles/22 home runs, 132 OPS+
*I'm always fascinated by how the voters vote based on geography, so...
Lindor swept N.Y., Correa swept Tampa Bay. They split the rest of AL East. Correa won by securing his West & stealing Minnesota from Lindor.
— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) November 17, 2015
*Jayson Stark noted that Correa is the 1st #1 overall pick in the American League to win the Rookie of the Year, while the NL has done it three times.*Luhnow, on Correa (back in July):
It was so quick, the light bulb went off, realizing this kid was meant to be at the highest level. And if there's a higher level than this, he's probably meant to be there, because he rises to the occasion of the competition around him, and usually beyond it. It's really impressive.
*Dallas Keuchel won the Warren Spahn Award as baseball's top lefty pitcher. Greg Spahn, Warren's son:
I am ecstatic that Dallas Keuchel, an Oklahoman, wins my father's award.
*Astros' Assistant hitting coach Alan Zinter is now the hitting coach for the Padres.
*The Rangers and Mariners made a trade yesterday, with Leonys Martin and former Astros great Anthony Bass headed to Seattle for fireballing reliever Tom Wilhelmsen joining the Rangers' bullpen.
*So you want Aroldis Chapman? Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans - one of the best - said yesterday that it would take "Two Top 100 prospect guys, and another prospect" to get him.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Wednesday Morning Hot Links
*Lance McCullers' 2015 was a "whirlwind."
You blink an eye and you pitch 22 regular season starts in the big leagues, and then you pitch in the first postseason the Astros has (sic) had in 10 years. It was a whirlwind.
*Ivy-League white guys are *finally* getting a fair chance in MLB executive-level positions. It's about time those dudes caught a break.
*The Stacey & Bo Porter Foundation will honor Dave Winfield in Houston on November 19. Porter interviewed for the Marlins' managerial spot this month and also has ties to the Nationals, who need a manager. I know Porter was a divisive figure among Astros fans, but I do hope he gets another chance to manage - he wasn't given much of one in Houston.
*A.J. Hinch finished 2nd to Paul Molitor in the AL Manager of the Year awards, as tallied by the Sporting News and selected by Major League managers. This Twins/North Midwest Bias is getting out of control.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Correa named TSN Rookie of the Year, headed to Kansas City
Carlos Correa was given the AL Rookie of the Year award by the Sporting News yesterday, an award voted on by players.
Springer:
He has been everything as advertised. For being 21, he's got incredible poise. The skill-set is there.
Correa received 98 of the 176 votes to win, with Francisco Lindor - likely Correa's main competition in the BBWAA vote to be announced on November 16 - coming in 2nd, with 30 votes. Lance McCullers picked up a couple of votes, as well.
Correa is also the first Astro to win the award since Willy Taveras in 2005. Jeff Bagwell won it in 1991, Jeffrey Leonard in 1979, Greg Gross in 1974, and Joe Morgan won it, too.
Correa is off to Kansas City to serve as a "social media correspondent" for MLB.com during the World Series.
UPDATE:
(NOT HANK) here. I looked this up, and felt like it was worth sharing. Since the Sporting News dropped the Pitcher/Batter distinction and awarded only one Rookie of the Year in each league in 2004, the BBWAA AL ROY and Sporting News AL ROY matched up 9 of 11 times, with the exceptions coming in 2010 (Neftali Feliz BBWAA and Austin Jackson SN) and 2011 (Jeremy Hellickson BBWAA and Mark Trumbo SN). It's happened more in the NL, with Willy T beating out Ryan Howard in the SN in 2005, J.A. Happ beating Chris Coughlin in 2009, Jason Heyward beating Buster Posey in 2010 and Wade Miley beating Bryce Harper in 2012.
In other words, the SN is not terribly predictive on the BBWAA results, but it is a good sign.
Springer:
He has been everything as advertised. For being 21, he's got incredible poise. The skill-set is there.
Correa received 98 of the 176 votes to win, with Francisco Lindor - likely Correa's main competition in the BBWAA vote to be announced on November 16 - coming in 2nd, with 30 votes. Lance McCullers picked up a couple of votes, as well.
Correa is also the first Astro to win the award since Willy Taveras in 2005. Jeff Bagwell won it in 1991, Jeffrey Leonard in 1979, Greg Gross in 1974, and Joe Morgan won it, too.
Correa is off to Kansas City to serve as a "social media correspondent" for MLB.com during the World Series.
UPDATE:
(NOT HANK) here. I looked this up, and felt like it was worth sharing. Since the Sporting News dropped the Pitcher/Batter distinction and awarded only one Rookie of the Year in each league in 2004, the BBWAA AL ROY and Sporting News AL ROY matched up 9 of 11 times, with the exceptions coming in 2010 (Neftali Feliz BBWAA and Austin Jackson SN) and 2011 (Jeremy Hellickson BBWAA and Mark Trumbo SN). It's happened more in the NL, with Willy T beating out Ryan Howard in the SN in 2005, J.A. Happ beating Chris Coughlin in 2009, Jason Heyward beating Buster Posey in 2010 and Wade Miley beating Bryce Harper in 2012.
In other words, the SN is not terribly predictive on the BBWAA results, but it is a good sign.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Silver Slugger/Wet Noodle
It was announced yesterday that Jose Altuve won the AL Silver Slugger award for 2B. On the year, Altuve put up a .341/.377/.453 line while leading the league in batting average. While his 7 home runs may lend some to think the "Slugger" portion of the award was overlooked, his 47 doubles were 2nd in the league. His 135 wRC+ was barely edged out by Robinson Cano's 136 wRC+, but such advanced statistics are silly, right? My favorite stat comparison between the two, though, is that Cano was paid $22.75M more for his production than Altuve. Typical, cheap Astros, right? No integrity!
Altuve's award got me wondering how other Astros stacked up compared to their fellow positional colleagues. For the most part, it made me glad there's not a Wet Noodle award handed out each year. Here's how Houston stacks up in the battle for the Wet Noodle:
C - Among those with at least 400 PA, Castro ranked last with an 84 wRC+, barely loosing out to Seattle's Mike Zunino, who hit .199 on the season but added 22 HR to just avoid the Wet Noodle
1B - To find Houston's rank here, we had to lower the threshold to 350 PA. Jon Singleton finished 3rd for the award here, though it was a close race. Singleton put up a 79 wRC+, losing out to Kendrys Morales' 72 wRC+. In the end, Singleton's walk rate, 3rd highest in this group, boosted him just off the podium.
2B - We already know how Altuve did. The worst everyday 2B in the AL was Omar Infante, who hit .252/.295/.337 for a 76 wRC+
SS - We again had to lower the threshold to find an Astro, this time to 300 PA. Surprisingly, Marwin Gonzalez had the 2nd highest wRC+ in this group at 108, behind Danny Santana's 133 wRC+. Stephen Drew gets the Wet Noodle with a 44 wRC+.
3B - Another award for the Astros!!! Matt Dominguez wins this one limping away, as his 63 wRC+ was the lowest of all qualified AL batters in 2014. "But his defense!" you may say. Yeah, didn't help him any. His -1.7 WAR was also lowest among all AL players. Matt Dominguez was literally the worst player in the AL last year, and tied with Dominic Brown of the Phillies for worst in the entire major leagues, as measured by WAR.
LF - With a minimum of 400 PA, Robbie Grossman placed 4th for the Wet Noodle. His 95 wRC+, buoyed by his LF leading 13% walk rate, was "topped" by Dayan Viciedo's 88 wRC+.
CF - Dexter Fowler acquitted himself well this season, as only MVP finalists Mike Trout and Michael Brantley had higher marks than Fowler's 124 wRC+. Austin Jackson wins the award here with his 85 wRC+.
RF - We had to drop the PA requirements to 300 to find an Astros player. George Springer actually put up the 3rd highest wRC+ in this group. His 127 wRC+ was behind only Jose Bautista and some guy named J.D. Martinez. Huh, never heard of him. Last year's ROY Wil Myers flops around the Wet Noodle this year with a 78 wRC+.
DH - Chris Carter finished about mid-pack here with a 123 wRC+. Not surprisingly, DHs hit pretty well, with Billy Butler's 97 wRC+ taking home the award.
P - Hahahaha...yeah, right. Peacock led the team with 5 PA, and I'm not sorting through 108 pitchers when over half of them had "perfect" -100 wRC+.
Altuve's award got me wondering how other Astros stacked up compared to their fellow positional colleagues. For the most part, it made me glad there's not a Wet Noodle award handed out each year. Here's how Houston stacks up in the battle for the Wet Noodle:
C - Among those with at least 400 PA, Castro ranked last with an 84 wRC+, barely loosing out to Seattle's Mike Zunino, who hit .199 on the season but added 22 HR to just avoid the Wet Noodle
1B - To find Houston's rank here, we had to lower the threshold to 350 PA. Jon Singleton finished 3rd for the award here, though it was a close race. Singleton put up a 79 wRC+, losing out to Kendrys Morales' 72 wRC+. In the end, Singleton's walk rate, 3rd highest in this group, boosted him just off the podium.
2B - We already know how Altuve did. The worst everyday 2B in the AL was Omar Infante, who hit .252/.295/.337 for a 76 wRC+
SS - We again had to lower the threshold to find an Astro, this time to 300 PA. Surprisingly, Marwin Gonzalez had the 2nd highest wRC+ in this group at 108, behind Danny Santana's 133 wRC+. Stephen Drew gets the Wet Noodle with a 44 wRC+.
3B - Another award for the Astros!!! Matt Dominguez wins this one limping away, as his 63 wRC+ was the lowest of all qualified AL batters in 2014. "But his defense!" you may say. Yeah, didn't help him any. His -1.7 WAR was also lowest among all AL players. Matt Dominguez was literally the worst player in the AL last year, and tied with Dominic Brown of the Phillies for worst in the entire major leagues, as measured by WAR.
LF - With a minimum of 400 PA, Robbie Grossman placed 4th for the Wet Noodle. His 95 wRC+, buoyed by his LF leading 13% walk rate, was "topped" by Dayan Viciedo's 88 wRC+.
CF - Dexter Fowler acquitted himself well this season, as only MVP finalists Mike Trout and Michael Brantley had higher marks than Fowler's 124 wRC+. Austin Jackson wins the award here with his 85 wRC+.
RF - We had to drop the PA requirements to 300 to find an Astros player. George Springer actually put up the 3rd highest wRC+ in this group. His 127 wRC+ was behind only Jose Bautista and some guy named J.D. Martinez. Huh, never heard of him. Last year's ROY Wil Myers flops around the Wet Noodle this year with a 78 wRC+.
DH - Chris Carter finished about mid-pack here with a 123 wRC+. Not surprisingly, DHs hit pretty well, with Billy Butler's 97 wRC+ taking home the award.
P - Hahahaha...yeah, right. Peacock led the team with 5 PA, and I'm not sorting through 108 pitchers when over half of them had "perfect" -100 wRC+.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
A.J. Reed wins award
Baseball America named Astros 2nd-Round pick A.J. Reed as their college baseball player of the year...
Using deadened BBCOR bats, Reed smacked 23 home runs as well, matching Olerud’s total with supercharged bats. Reed led the nation in homers, slugging percentage (.735) and OPS (1.211), while ranking second in total bases (164) and third in RBIs (73). He hit .336 with a .476 on-base percentage, walking (49) more than he struck out (48). That offensive season alone would make him worthy of the Player of the Year award, but Reed also went 12-2, 2.09 in 112 innings as Kentucky’s Friday night ace in the rugged Southeastern Conference. He ranks just one win shy of the national lead and tops the SEC.
Click the link for all kinds of nice quotes from various ESS EEE SEE coaches.
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In other draft news, the Astros have apparently agreed to terms with 7th Round pick Derick Velazquez and 26th Round pick Mott Hyde.
From NumberFire: Why the Houston Astros won the 2014 Draft
Using deadened BBCOR bats, Reed smacked 23 home runs as well, matching Olerud’s total with supercharged bats. Reed led the nation in homers, slugging percentage (.735) and OPS (1.211), while ranking second in total bases (164) and third in RBIs (73). He hit .336 with a .476 on-base percentage, walking (49) more than he struck out (48). That offensive season alone would make him worthy of the Player of the Year award, but Reed also went 12-2, 2.09 in 112 innings as Kentucky’s Friday night ace in the rugged Southeastern Conference. He ranks just one win shy of the national lead and tops the SEC.
Click the link for all kinds of nice quotes from various ESS EEE SEE coaches.
-
In other draft news, the Astros have apparently agreed to terms with 7th Round pick Derick Velazquez and 26th Round pick Mott Hyde.
From NumberFire: Why the Houston Astros won the 2014 Draft
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Dallas Keuchel named AL Pitcher of the Week
Dallas Keuchel had himself a week: 2-0, 17.2IP, 9H/2ER, 14K:1BB, 1.02 ERA/0.57 WHIP.
And that means he has been named as the AL Pitcher of the Week, the first time that an Astros pitcher has been named Pitcher of the Week since Roy Oswalt got the honor in 2008. And even more bizarrely Keuchel is only the 3rd Astros lefty to win the award, joining Bob Knepper in 1981 and Joe Sambito in 1980.
And that means he has been named as the AL Pitcher of the Week, the first time that an Astros pitcher has been named Pitcher of the Week since Roy Oswalt got the honor in 2008. And even more bizarrely Keuchel is only the 3rd Astros lefty to win the award, joining Bob Knepper in 1981 and Joe Sambito in 1980.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Weekly Awards
A couple of Nice Things today for you:
*Jon Homerton was the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week. Homerton is hitting .325/.438/.725 and is the fourth Player of the Week award of his career.
*Vince Velasquez was the California League's Pitcher of the Week. Velasquez threw 13IP, allowing 3H/1ER, with 16K:3BB and damn well better be in Corpus by July.
*Jon Homerton was the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week. Homerton is hitting .325/.438/.725 and is the fourth Player of the Week award of his career.
*Vince Velasquez was the California League's Pitcher of the Week. Velasquez threw 13IP, allowing 3H/1ER, with 16K:3BB and damn well better be in Corpus by July.
Friday, March 28, 2014
March Players of the Year
While I realize that there are still a few games left in the pre-season, given that the Astros have left Kissimmee, we can go ahead and anoint our...
J.R. Towles Memorial March Hitter of the Year:
Marc Krauss. In 16 games, Krauss was 12x39 with five extra-base hits, 13K:6BB, for a slash line of .308/.391/.564 and the highest OPS of any player who received 10+ PAs.
Taylor Buchholz Memorial March Pitcher of the Spring:
Mike Foltynewicz. In 10.1IP, Bad MF allowed 8H/2ER, 7K:1BB, and a .211 BAA. His final line was a 1.74 ERA/0.87 WHIP.
Congratulations to both Krauss and Foltynewicz.
Previous March Players of the Year:
2013: Rick Ankiel (.413/.463/.826) / Phil Humber (1.73 ERA/0.77 WHIP)
2012: Chris Johnson (.355/.375/.710) / Wilton Lopez (0.90 ERA/0.40 WHIP)
2011: Jason Michaels (.373/.409/.610) / Enerio Del Rosario (0.00 ERA/0.84 WHIP)
2010: Chris Johnson (.323/.391/.790) / Sam Gervacio (1.38 ERA/0.62 WHIP)
2009: Edwin Maysonet (.333/.385/.875) / Jeff Fulchino (1.88 ERA/0.91 WHIP)
J.R. Towles Memorial March Hitter of the Year:
Marc Krauss. In 16 games, Krauss was 12x39 with five extra-base hits, 13K:6BB, for a slash line of .308/.391/.564 and the highest OPS of any player who received 10+ PAs.
Taylor Buchholz Memorial March Pitcher of the Spring:
Mike Foltynewicz. In 10.1IP, Bad MF allowed 8H/2ER, 7K:1BB, and a .211 BAA. His final line was a 1.74 ERA/0.87 WHIP.
Congratulations to both Krauss and Foltynewicz.
Previous March Players of the Year:
2013: Rick Ankiel (.413/.463/.826) / Phil Humber (1.73 ERA/0.77 WHIP)
2012: Chris Johnson (.355/.375/.710) / Wilton Lopez (0.90 ERA/0.40 WHIP)
2011: Jason Michaels (.373/.409/.610) / Enerio Del Rosario (0.00 ERA/0.84 WHIP)
2010: Chris Johnson (.323/.391/.790) / Sam Gervacio (1.38 ERA/0.62 WHIP)
2009: Edwin Maysonet (.333/.385/.875) / Jeff Fulchino (1.88 ERA/0.91 WHIP)
Friday, December 13, 2013
2013 Astros win Texas Monthly's Bum Steer Award
Build a new trophy case! The 2013 Houston Astros - depicted by a 2011 Michael Bourn, apparently - are co-recipients of the 2013 Bum Steer Award from Texas Monthly.
(Image via Texas Monthly)
(Image via Texas Monthly)
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Yahoo's All-Minor League team
Jeff Passan posted Yahoo's All-Minor League team (polling scouts and executives) today and, as you can imagine, there are a few PreStros on the list:
Catcher
Honorable Mention: Max Stassi
Second Base
Honorable Mention: Delino DeShields
Shortstop
Honorable Mention: Carlos Correa
Outfield
George Springer
Most Awesome Fat Guy
Japhet Amador
Player of the Year
George Springer
Catcher
Honorable Mention: Max Stassi
Second Base
Honorable Mention: Delino DeShields
Shortstop
Honorable Mention: Carlos Correa
Outfield
George Springer
Most Awesome Fat Guy
Japhet Amador
Player of the Year
George Springer
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
First-Half Awards
While we try to fill the wonderful void left by the All-Star Break, let's hand out some awards, eh?
Most Valuable Astro
Jason Castro. It cannot be argued that Castro has the highest OPS on the team (.806) and is the only player to hold a bat for the Astros with an OPS over .800. Among regular players, he has the second-highest average, highest OBP, and highest SLG. He also has 37 extra-base hits, highest on the team. And I like him. (James)
Ditto. This one is pretty obvious. Castro currently has 2.2 WAR. The rest of the batters on the team? -3.4. ((Not Hank) Aaron)
Castro. See above. Other than fellow catcher Carlos Corporan, Castro is the only position player with at least 1 WAR at the break. In addition to the offensive improvements, he's also improved his caught stealing percentage this season. Passed balls are still an issue, but I think that's as much to do with our sinker-heavy pitching staff as anything else. (Bryan)
Jason Castro. He's becoming the player everyone expected prior to his knee injury and it's delightful to watch. He's improved across the board (offensively and defensively) and with the smarts to run a game from behind the plate, I think he's the perfect catcher to help usher in a host of new and young pitching talent. Plus, those eyes.... (Terri)
Astros Cy Young:
Bud Norris. But only because I couldn't vote for Jarred Cosart. The future ex-Astro is having a career year, assisted by cutting his home run rate in half, and his walks below 3.0 per nine innings for the first time in his career. Strikeouts are down and hits are up, but we should savor these last few starts before he goes off to a farm in Connecticut. (James)
Ditto. Although its closer than you might think. Jordan Lyles has not been in the rotation all year, but is matching Bud in most categories. Similar K rate, walk rate, similar FIP and much better xFIP and SIERA. Still, because he's done it all year, I go with Bud. ((Not Hank) Aaron)
Jose Veras. Really, I'm only saying Veras to keep this from turning into a Rush Limbaugh parody (MEGA DITTOS!!). But, honestly, Veras has been more than anyone really expected. Best K/BB of his career, 18 saves to just three blown saves, best WHIP of his career...I'm not big on bad teams buying saves, but Veras has more than held up his end of the contract so far. (Bryan)
Jordan Lyles. First of all, yes, Bud Norris is currently a better pitcher, but I think the improvements that we've seen in Lyles coupled with the fact that as Aaron mentioned, he reaches Bud's level in numerous comparisons earns him the Astros Cy Young. Just the fact that he can make it through the batting order a third time without getting lit up this season earns high praise from me. Plus, he's a level headed kid that you'll NEVER catch saying the wrong thing to the media - bonus points for that this season. (Terri)
Least Valuable Astro
Lucas Harrell. Not good on the mound, not good in the clubhouse.
Hector Ambriz. Its not really his fault he's not that good. He has never been that good. But for some reason he was still expected to be the 8th inning set up guy. Before mercifully being sent down, he racked up 9 melt downs, still tied for 9th most in the majors. ((Not Hank) Aaron)
Jimmy Paredes. Not only has he stunk at the plate (32POS OPS+) and in the field (he's -0.3 WAR on defense alone in about 250 innings) but he's been fine tuning his Carlos Lee impression while colliding with our infielders on the regular. (Bryan)
Lucas Harrell. Once you start struggling as an athlete it seems your show your true colors. In the case of the Lucas Harrell those colors have been all the ugly ones. On a roster of kids, he's poison and the sooner the Astros realize that last season was a fluke and he has no business being where he is now, the sooner they'll keep his negative blame game away from impressionable young players. (Terri)
Most Delightful Win
March 31. In the only opportunity the Astros will have until 2014 - at the very earliest - to be on national television, they beat up on Matt Harrison on Opening Night, sending a flood of "Rangers fans" to their local Academy to buy "Ankiel" shirts. The next game didn't happen. (James)
June 20. An afternoon baseball game featuring an 8th inning homerun to tie it and a walkoff 3-run dinger from Pena is my definition of a great baseball day. Plus, it was my brothers' birthday, and I promised him a team win, so the win prevented me from having to get a real present. ((Not Hank) Aaron)
June 12. Down 1-0 in the top of the ninth against Seattle, the offense blew up for this sequence of events: single, single, sac bunt, walk, double, walk, single, strikeout, single, stolen base, single, walk, strikeout. The game quickly went from an "oh no, not another of these losses" to a 6-1 win over a division "rival". (Bryan)
July 12. With 23 year old Jarred Cosart on the mound, Astros fans collectively held their breath for nine straight innings. It was the most intense game of the season for me - more so even than the "almost" no hitter by Darvish. the excitement of a pitcher who is pitching well, combined with the fact that it was his MLB debut and that he kept a no-no going for oh-so-long? Exciting. If nothing else, this game wins for me because it showcased the talent to come and the hope that is keeping us alive. (Terri)
Most Crushing Loss
61 games tied at (1). Every Astros loss eats at my soul, just a little bit, until I'm a shell of a person who fights the urge to kick puppies every chance I get. (James)
April 13. Taking a 4-1 lead into the bottom the 8th, the Astros finally lost the game on a two run double by Albert Pujols with 2 outs in the 9th inning. The 8th and 9th innings were just complete melt downs, with shoddy defense and a leaky bullpen snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Plus, the game started a 9:05, lasted 3 hours, and I stayed up that late to watch Albert Pujols celebrate a walk off win. Freakin Albert Pujols. ((Not Hank) Aaron)
May 4. This was the 17-2 back alley prostate exam that the Tigers gave to Houston. The Astros simply didn't show up for this game, which is harder for me to stomach than any hard-fought but emotional loss. In this game we couldn't field and we couldn't hit, but we made up for it by not pitching, either. This game was so out of hand that when Paul Clemens gave up three runs in the last two innings it didn't even move the win probability needle; it was pegged by the fifth inning. (Bryan)
The most recent one. No matter when this post gets published, the hardest loss for me is always the most recent. I'm just nutty enough to go into every game thinking the Astros have a chance and whether that is blown in the 1st inning with poor starting pitching or in the 8th or 9th inning by an inept bullpen - it breaks my heart a a little bit. (Terri)
Biggest Surprise
Jason Castro can hit lefties! In 35 games in 2012, Jason Castro hit .148/.175/.175 with two doubles, 21 strikeouts and two walks. His OPS+ vs. LHP was 12. This season, in 34 games, he's hitting .204/.259/.426 with six extra-base hits and a .685 OPS (109 OPS+). It's not a great batting average, but the league-average for Lefty-on-Lefty hitting is a .682 OPS. (James)
Jose Cisnero can pitch. Cisnero never posted an ERA under 3.4 at any stage of the minors, and put up a 5.40 ERA in 48 AAA innings. He was called up on April 19, despite posting a 9.35 ERA to start the season. So he has, of course, been the Astros most effective relievers, with a 2.87 a 3.06 FIP and 7 shut downs against only 4 meltdowns. His rise was so out of nowhere that he didn't even make it into the Baseball Prospectus Player Annual. ((Not Hank) Aaron)
Bud Norris seems to have transformed himself in one season. Before this year, Norris was a strikeout pitcher that also walked a lot and allowed a bunch of home runs. This year he's cut his strikeout rate by over 25% but by pitching to contact he's dramatically cut his home run rate, reigned in the walks, and is pitching deeper into game, too. (Bryan)
The return and seeming-success of Brett Wallace. Since he returned to the big club from AAA, Brett Wallace has been an offensive machine. He's hitting .351/ .415 / .730 with an OPS of 1.144. Wowza. After he struggled at the start of the season and the club sent him back to Oklahoma City I truly believed that was it for the first baseman. I figured he'd hit well at AAA again, but if the Astros gave him another shot, he'd fall apart as he had so many times before at the major league level. There's still time for that to happen, but this has been the most successful reintroduction to the majors he's had yet and I'm now cheering him on to prove me wrong. (Terri)
Most Crushing Disappointment
This is probably just the emotion of the last 24 hours, but Lucas Harrell's innate tittybabyness.(James)
The rest of the bullpen. Excepting Cisnero and Veras, who have been pleasantly surprising, the Astros bullpen has been atrocious. The relievers' ERA of 4.95 is over half a run worse the next worse team (the Phillies), and amazingly, they have actually been a little lucky, with a FIP of 5.06. They, collectively, have been worth -2.4 WAR. In the month of May the Astros had a losing record when taking a lead into the 8th inning, which is one of the most depressing stats I can imagine. ((Not Hank) Aaron)
I'll go with Harrell, too, because he has serious control issues: his pitches, his attitude, his mouth, etc.
The bullpen as a whole kills me on a regular basis. In fact, I can't talk about it anymore or I may puke on my keyboard. (Terri)
What Helps You Get Through The Night
Jarred Cosart, Mike Foltynewicz, Asher Wojciechowski, Mark Appel, Lance McCullers, Carlos Correa, Jon Homerton. (James)
That this was all part of the plan. ((Not Hank) Aaron)
That our readers are more coherent than those of the Chronicle (Bryan)
Maker's Mark. (Terri)
Most Valuable Astro
Jason Castro. It cannot be argued that Castro has the highest OPS on the team (.806) and is the only player to hold a bat for the Astros with an OPS over .800. Among regular players, he has the second-highest average, highest OBP, and highest SLG. He also has 37 extra-base hits, highest on the team. And I like him. (James)
Ditto. This one is pretty obvious. Castro currently has 2.2 WAR. The rest of the batters on the team? -3.4. ((Not Hank) Aaron)
Castro. See above. Other than fellow catcher Carlos Corporan, Castro is the only position player with at least 1 WAR at the break. In addition to the offensive improvements, he's also improved his caught stealing percentage this season. Passed balls are still an issue, but I think that's as much to do with our sinker-heavy pitching staff as anything else. (Bryan)
Jason Castro. He's becoming the player everyone expected prior to his knee injury and it's delightful to watch. He's improved across the board (offensively and defensively) and with the smarts to run a game from behind the plate, I think he's the perfect catcher to help usher in a host of new and young pitching talent. Plus, those eyes.... (Terri)
Astros Cy Young:
Bud Norris. But only because I couldn't vote for Jarred Cosart. The future ex-Astro is having a career year, assisted by cutting his home run rate in half, and his walks below 3.0 per nine innings for the first time in his career. Strikeouts are down and hits are up, but we should savor these last few starts before he goes off to a farm in Connecticut. (James)
Ditto. Although its closer than you might think. Jordan Lyles has not been in the rotation all year, but is matching Bud in most categories. Similar K rate, walk rate, similar FIP and much better xFIP and SIERA. Still, because he's done it all year, I go with Bud. ((Not Hank) Aaron)
Jose Veras. Really, I'm only saying Veras to keep this from turning into a Rush Limbaugh parody (MEGA DITTOS!!). But, honestly, Veras has been more than anyone really expected. Best K/BB of his career, 18 saves to just three blown saves, best WHIP of his career...I'm not big on bad teams buying saves, but Veras has more than held up his end of the contract so far. (Bryan)
Jordan Lyles. First of all, yes, Bud Norris is currently a better pitcher, but I think the improvements that we've seen in Lyles coupled with the fact that as Aaron mentioned, he reaches Bud's level in numerous comparisons earns him the Astros Cy Young. Just the fact that he can make it through the batting order a third time without getting lit up this season earns high praise from me. Plus, he's a level headed kid that you'll NEVER catch saying the wrong thing to the media - bonus points for that this season. (Terri)
Least Valuable Astro
Lucas Harrell. Not good on the mound, not good in the clubhouse.
Hector Ambriz. Its not really his fault he's not that good. He has never been that good. But for some reason he was still expected to be the 8th inning set up guy. Before mercifully being sent down, he racked up 9 melt downs, still tied for 9th most in the majors. ((Not Hank) Aaron)
Jimmy Paredes. Not only has he stunk at the plate (32
Lucas Harrell. Once you start struggling as an athlete it seems your show your true colors. In the case of the Lucas Harrell those colors have been all the ugly ones. On a roster of kids, he's poison and the sooner the Astros realize that last season was a fluke and he has no business being where he is now, the sooner they'll keep his negative blame game away from impressionable young players. (Terri)
Most Delightful Win
March 31. In the only opportunity the Astros will have until 2014 - at the very earliest - to be on national television, they beat up on Matt Harrison on Opening Night, sending a flood of "Rangers fans" to their local Academy to buy "Ankiel" shirts. The next game didn't happen. (James)
June 20. An afternoon baseball game featuring an 8th inning homerun to tie it and a walkoff 3-run dinger from Pena is my definition of a great baseball day. Plus, it was my brothers' birthday, and I promised him a team win, so the win prevented me from having to get a real present. ((Not Hank) Aaron)
June 12. Down 1-0 in the top of the ninth against Seattle, the offense blew up for this sequence of events: single, single, sac bunt, walk, double, walk, single, strikeout, single, stolen base, single, walk, strikeout. The game quickly went from an "oh no, not another of these losses" to a 6-1 win over a division "rival". (Bryan)
July 12. With 23 year old Jarred Cosart on the mound, Astros fans collectively held their breath for nine straight innings. It was the most intense game of the season for me - more so even than the "almost" no hitter by Darvish. the excitement of a pitcher who is pitching well, combined with the fact that it was his MLB debut and that he kept a no-no going for oh-so-long? Exciting. If nothing else, this game wins for me because it showcased the talent to come and the hope that is keeping us alive. (Terri)
Most Crushing Loss
61 games tied at (1). Every Astros loss eats at my soul, just a little bit, until I'm a shell of a person who fights the urge to kick puppies every chance I get. (James)
April 13. Taking a 4-1 lead into the bottom the 8th, the Astros finally lost the game on a two run double by Albert Pujols with 2 outs in the 9th inning. The 8th and 9th innings were just complete melt downs, with shoddy defense and a leaky bullpen snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Plus, the game started a 9:05, lasted 3 hours, and I stayed up that late to watch Albert Pujols celebrate a walk off win. Freakin Albert Pujols. ((Not Hank) Aaron)
May 4. This was the 17-2 back alley prostate exam that the Tigers gave to Houston. The Astros simply didn't show up for this game, which is harder for me to stomach than any hard-fought but emotional loss. In this game we couldn't field and we couldn't hit, but we made up for it by not pitching, either. This game was so out of hand that when Paul Clemens gave up three runs in the last two innings it didn't even move the win probability needle; it was pegged by the fifth inning. (Bryan)
The most recent one. No matter when this post gets published, the hardest loss for me is always the most recent. I'm just nutty enough to go into every game thinking the Astros have a chance and whether that is blown in the 1st inning with poor starting pitching or in the 8th or 9th inning by an inept bullpen - it breaks my heart a a little bit. (Terri)
Biggest Surprise
Jason Castro can hit lefties! In 35 games in 2012, Jason Castro hit .148/.175/.175 with two doubles, 21 strikeouts and two walks. His OPS+ vs. LHP was 12. This season, in 34 games, he's hitting .204/.259/.426 with six extra-base hits and a .685 OPS (109 OPS+). It's not a great batting average, but the league-average for Lefty-on-Lefty hitting is a .682 OPS. (James)
Jose Cisnero can pitch. Cisnero never posted an ERA under 3.4 at any stage of the minors, and put up a 5.40 ERA in 48 AAA innings. He was called up on April 19, despite posting a 9.35 ERA to start the season. So he has, of course, been the Astros most effective relievers, with a 2.87 a 3.06 FIP and 7 shut downs against only 4 meltdowns. His rise was so out of nowhere that he didn't even make it into the Baseball Prospectus Player Annual. ((Not Hank) Aaron)
Bud Norris seems to have transformed himself in one season. Before this year, Norris was a strikeout pitcher that also walked a lot and allowed a bunch of home runs. This year he's cut his strikeout rate by over 25% but by pitching to contact he's dramatically cut his home run rate, reigned in the walks, and is pitching deeper into game, too. (Bryan)
The return and seeming-success of Brett Wallace. Since he returned to the big club from AAA, Brett Wallace has been an offensive machine. He's hitting .351/ .415 / .730 with an OPS of 1.144. Wowza. After he struggled at the start of the season and the club sent him back to Oklahoma City I truly believed that was it for the first baseman. I figured he'd hit well at AAA again, but if the Astros gave him another shot, he'd fall apart as he had so many times before at the major league level. There's still time for that to happen, but this has been the most successful reintroduction to the majors he's had yet and I'm now cheering him on to prove me wrong. (Terri)
Most Crushing Disappointment
This is probably just the emotion of the last 24 hours, but Lucas Harrell's innate tittybabyness.(James)
The rest of the bullpen. Excepting Cisnero and Veras, who have been pleasantly surprising, the Astros bullpen has been atrocious. The relievers' ERA of 4.95 is over half a run worse the next worse team (the Phillies), and amazingly, they have actually been a little lucky, with a FIP of 5.06. They, collectively, have been worth -2.4 WAR. In the month of May the Astros had a losing record when taking a lead into the 8th inning, which is one of the most depressing stats I can imagine. ((Not Hank) Aaron)
I'll go with Harrell, too, because he has serious control issues: his pitches, his attitude, his mouth, etc.
The bullpen as a whole kills me on a regular basis. In fact, I can't talk about it anymore or I may puke on my keyboard. (Terri)
What Helps You Get Through The Night
Jarred Cosart, Mike Foltynewicz, Asher Wojciechowski, Mark Appel, Lance McCullers, Carlos Correa, Jon Homerton. (James)
That this was all part of the plan. ((Not Hank) Aaron)
That our readers are more coherent than those of the Chronicle (Bryan)
Maker's Mark. (Terri)
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Three River Bandits named to Midwest League All-Star team
The Quad Cities River Bandits have announced that Carlos Correa, Jordan Jankowski, and Lance McCullers have been named to the Midwest League All-Star team.
SS Carlos Correa - last year's 1.1 pick, of course - is hitting .275/.383/.401 with 36K:26BB.
RHP Jordan Jankowski has allowed 42H/14ER, 42K:9BB in 48.1IP
RHP Lance McCullers has allowed 37H/9ER, 51K:22BB in 47.2IP
SS Carlos Correa - last year's 1.1 pick, of course - is hitting .275/.383/.401 with 36K:26BB.
RHP Jordan Jankowski has allowed 42H/14ER, 42K:9BB in 48.1IP
RHP Lance McCullers has allowed 37H/9ER, 51K:22BB in 47.2IP
Friday, September 14, 2012
Baseball America's 2012 Minor-League All-Star Team
Baseball America posted their (see above) today. Why do we care? Because, for once, the Astros are getting some minor-league love...
Click the link for the write-ups, but it includes Jon Singleton and Delino DeShields on the First Team at 1B and 2B, respectively.
UPDATE: Now, with link.
UPDATED UPDATE: Now with this link, we find that DeShields was the Low-A Player of the Year.
Click the link for the write-ups, but it includes Jon Singleton and Delino DeShields on the First Team at 1B and 2B, respectively.
UPDATE: Now, with link.
UPDATED UPDATE: Now with this link, we find that DeShields was the Low-A Player of the Year.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Tyler Heineman wins NYPL batting title
ValleyCats catcher Tyler Heineman - the 8th Round pick of the 2012 draft - wrapped up the New York-Penn League title last night by hitting .358.
In 233 PAs (55 games: 37 at catcher, 18 at DH), Heineman had 69 hits, fourteen of them doubles, to go with a .452 OBP (2nd in the NYPL) and a .430 SLG (9th in the NYPL). Heineman struck out 12 times, with 26 walks. His .882 OPS was 2nd in the NYPL behind Jamestown's Jesus Solorzano.
Over those 55 games, Heineman had...
Games with Three Hits: 3
Games with Two Hits: 18
Games with No hits: 10
Games with 2+ strikeouts: 0
In 233 PAs (55 games: 37 at catcher, 18 at DH), Heineman had 69 hits, fourteen of them doubles, to go with a .452 OBP (2nd in the NYPL) and a .430 SLG (9th in the NYPL). Heineman struck out 12 times, with 26 walks. His .882 OPS was 2nd in the NYPL behind Jamestown's Jesus Solorzano.
Over those 55 games, Heineman had...
Games with Three Hits: 3
Games with Two Hits: 18
Games with No hits: 10
Games with 2+ strikeouts: 0
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Foltynewicz named Sally League's Most Outstanding Pitcher
The South Atlantic League named Lexington's Mike Foltynewicz 2012's Most Outstanding Pitcher today.
In 26 starts for Lexington, Foltynewicz posted a 2.91 ERA/1.34 WHIP with 121K:59BB and 9HR allowed in 148.2 IP. He threw 6+IP in 18 of his 26 starts, with 15 quality starts, including five starts with 7+IP and 1ER or less. Foltynewicz's K-rate improved significantly from 2011, when he had a disappointing full-season debut (4.97 ERA) aided by a .327 BABIP. Foltynewicz had a 5.91 K/9 rate in 2011, which bounced back to 7.33 K/9 in 2012.
Zach Johnson and Delino DeShields were also named to the SAL Postseason All-Star team.
In 26 starts for Lexington, Foltynewicz posted a 2.91 ERA/1.34 WHIP with 121K:59BB and 9HR allowed in 148.2 IP. He threw 6+IP in 18 of his 26 starts, with 15 quality starts, including five starts with 7+IP and 1ER or less. Foltynewicz's K-rate improved significantly from 2011, when he had a disappointing full-season debut (4.97 ERA) aided by a .327 BABIP. Foltynewicz had a 5.91 K/9 rate in 2011, which bounced back to 7.33 K/9 in 2012.
Zach Johnson and Delino DeShields were also named to the SAL Postseason All-Star team.
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