Tuesday Morning Hot Links

First things first: Shoutout to Dem Apollo Boiz:

🔥 Here Come The Astros 🔥

Astros 2020 Playoffs Hype Vid #ForTheH pic.twitter.com/B2xrFWuDNS

— Apollo Media (@ApolloHOU) September 28, 2020

Now: Well the Astros didn't lose last night, so that's a good thing. Houston begins a best-of-three series at Minnesota in the 1st Round. My official preview of the series: It doesn't matter what the pitching staff does if the offense can't string together hits, and occasionally for power. In a September in which the Astros went 10-17, the pitching staff as a whole posted a 4.45 ERA / 1.26 WHIP and struck out 2.975 batters for every one they walked (and if you take out those idiotic last two games - which I know you're not supposed to do - against the Trinity River Rangers, it's a 4.19 ERA). Pitching wasn't the liability. Hitting was and is. If the 2020 Astros want to see Friday as a team, Jose Altuve has to find something, as does Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman, and Yuli Gurriel. September numbers for those cats:

Altuve: .237/.308/.461, six extra-base hits, 11K:6BB

Correa: .235/.267/.341, five extra-base hits, 23K:2BB

Bregman: .197/.315/.377, six extra-base hits, 11K:10BB

Gurriel: .154/.168/.209, three extra-base hits, 9K:2BB

If these four dudes, specifically, keep this up, they'll have plenty of time to start preparing for 2021 on, say, Wednesday or Thursday. Astros in Three. 

*FanGraphs' Jake Mailhot: AL Wild Card Series Preview - Houston @ Minnesota. The Twins have the edge in pretty much every major metric...so far [puts on sunglasses...but pokes self in eye in doing so].

*We will find out if the Twins have Josh Donaldson and Byron Buxton in the lineup today.

*FanGraphs: Presenting the low-seed dark horses. Eric Longenhagen:

Every single hitter in the starting lineup has an in-zone contact rate above league average but only George Springer and Kyle Tucker have barrel rates above the league average. Can they do enough damage to give the bullpen cushion? I'm doubtful.

*ESPN: Everything you need to know about the postseason.

*ESPN: Expert picks for the 2020 Postseason. 21 out of 30 experts picked Minnesota. Not a single one picked the Astros to win their 3rd Pennant in four years. Not a single MLB.com expert picked Houston over Minnesota.

*The Athletic: Beat-writer Breakdown of the Twins/Astros series.

*Josh James is back with the team. This - presumably - is good news, if it means September Josh James is back with the team and not August Josh James. Also, Martin Maldonado is good to go.

*Chandler Rome: Is this the last hurrah for the Core Four?

*The Astros do not feature at all in SI's World Series predictions.

My predictions, and I already regret this:

NL 1st Round

Dodgers/Brewers: Dodgers

Padres/Cardinals: Cardinals

Cubs/Marlins: Cubs

Braves/Reds: Braves

NL 2nd Round

Dodgers/Cardinals: Dodgers

Cubs/Braves: Braves

NLCS

Dodgers/Braves: Braves

AL 1st Round

Rays/Blue Jays: Rays

Spiders/Yankees: Spiders

Twins/Astros: Astros

A's/White Sox: A's

AL 2nd Round

Rays/Spiders: Spiders

Astros/A's: Astros

ALCS

Spiders/Astros: Spiders

World Series

Braves/Spiders: Braves

Looking forward to this being null and void by next Tuesday.

*Bill Withers: The Soul Man Who Walked Away.

*Ready for another COVID-19 surge? Or is it not raining anywhere because you're not currently wet?

*Vice: What you need to know about the obscure occult group linked to a Toronto murder.

*A Musical Selection:

Thursday Evening Hot Links

Yeah, I know there was one this morning. But! Baseball is back. We can debate the wisdom of even attempting to fly around the country and play in front of zero fans in the middle of a global pandemic. I've caught heat for being a "Corona Bro" (actually it was "Cornoa Bro" but that tweet was deleted) which, if I recall from the context, means that I think the government should be more proactive in stopping the spread of a virus that at least four million Americans have caught by implementing the European model of paying employers to keep their payrolls intact. And I do think that! There's a very clear playbook on how to weather an economic storm created by a global pandemic, and we just...threw it out the window. This is the first time I'm actually not excited about baseball being played since 2011. It's not that I don't want baseball to be played, I just think it's a high-risk/low-reward scenario. We have no idea of the long-term impacts of COVID-19. We know that you can be asymptomatic and spread it, we know that actual symptoms vary from person to person, from a stuffy nose, to permanent organ damage. I do not think we should just shut everything down until there's a vaccine. But as someone who does actually look at history for a living, you can't Business-As-Usual it. You just have to understand that these things come along periodically throughout human history, and I don't think it's unreasonable to allow for time to adjust to a Brand New Virus. For me, the last four months have shown me who I really am - and lot of who I regularly interact with really are. It's not been a pleasant journey, and I would like it to end (the virus, not my journey). Anyway, Baseball, I think!

Welcome back, old friend. It is so good to see you. #OpeningDay

🖊️ Written by Tom Verducci
🎙️ Narrated by Jon Hamm pic.twitter.com/wO1R01rWrG

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 23, 2020

*The Astros set their 30-Man Roster in advance of tomorrow night's alleged season opener. Here they are, with their number of MLB games played in parentheses:

Infielders
Jose Altuve (1243)
Alex Bregman (517)
Carlos Correa (546)
Aledmys Diaz (389)
Yuli Gurriel (455)
Jack Mayfield (26)
Abraham Toro (25)

Outfielders
Michael Brantley (1199)
Josh Reddick (1195)
George Springer (744)
Myles Straw (65)
Kyle Tucker (50)

Catchers
Dustin Garneau (123)
Martin Maldonado (717)
Garrett Stubbs (19)

Pitchers
Bryan Abreu (7)
Brandon Bailey (0)
Joe Biagini (217)
Chris Devenski (221)
Zack Greinke (488)
Josh James (55)
Cristian Javier (0)
Lance McCullers (83)
Roberto Osuna (310)
Enoli Paredes (0)
Ryan Pressly (362)
Cy Sneed (8)
Blake Taylor (0)
Framber Valdez (34)
Justin Verlander (453)

That's 13 players out of 30 who have played in fewer than 100 MLB games (postseason not included), nine who have played in less than 50, and six - all pitchers - who have played in less than ten MLB games.

*Chandler Rome has your 30-Man Roster analysis.

For me, the only roster surprise is that Brandon Bielak didn't make it. He seemed ahead of Brandon Bailey throughout summer camp and has experience in Triple A whereas Bailey hasn't pitched above Double A.

— Jake Kaplan (@jakemkaplan) July 23, 2020

*Check out this great Joe Trezza story on Brandon Bailey.

*There is no update on Yordan Alvarez, or Jose Urquidy. Perhaps they never were... James Click, on the timetable for their return:
Unfortunately, I can't comment on timelines or expectations on that. We're doing everything we can to get them back on the field as soon as we possibly can.

*Here's how the 2020 Postseason will go:
-Top two teams in each division qualify for the postseason (12 teams)
-Two next best teams in each league qualify for the postseason (4 teams)
-1st Round: Best-of-Three Wild Card series, all played at the park of the team with the better record.
-1st Round winners advance to Best-of-Five division series
-Championship Series and World Series are Bests-of-Seven

*Dan Szymborski: The Official 2020 Preseason ZiPS projections. He projects the Astros at 35-25, two games better than Oakland, with a 43.9% to win the division, 15.9% to win a Wild Card (God knows there's gonna be 10 Wild Cards), 7.5% to win the World Series, behind only the Dodgers and Yankees.

Meanwhile, FanGraphs has their own Playoff Odds, which puts the Astros at 35.7-24.3, 62.5% to win the division, 17.2% to win a Wild Card spot, and 16.1% to win the World Series, behind only the Dodgers.

So, circling back (I'm a "Circle-Back" guy now), if we use FanGraphs' Playoff Odds as a guide for what the postseason would look like using their simulated numbers:

AL East: Yankees, Rays
AL Central: Twins, Spiders (the rebranded team in Cleveland)
AL West: Astros, A's
AL Wild Cards: Red Sox, White Sox

NL East: Nationals, ATLiens (the rebranded team in Atlanta)
NL Central: Cubs, Brewers
NL West: Dodgers, Padres
NL Wild Cards: Mets, Reds

The six division winners - which would be the Astros, Yankees, and Twins in the AL; Dodgers, Nationals, and Cubs in the NL - would then pick their opponents in a five-hour selection show, leaving the two teams that did not get picked, I guess, to play each other. It's insane, I think. It just might be genius. Because let's say the Astros are blessed enough to pick their opponent. You think that, if they choose the White Sox (just throwing a name out there), that the White Sox won't feel the immense disrespect? To win the World Series this year, I think it means you have to win 13 games.

*Jake Kaplan, on what Mookie Betts' extension means for George Springer. TL;DR: Maybe not all that much.



*Dusty Baker and the Astros Foundation are giving 3,000 masks to people in homeless encampments around Houston.

*The Astros are still waiting on the results from their COVID tests after learning of Hunter Dozier's positive test.

*Juan Soto - who is still somehow 21 - tested positive for COVID-19 on the day the Nationals are to play the AL Silver Medalists to start the season.

*The Astros are 3rd in SI's Opening Day Power Rankings.

*Get your new Astros gear at ApolloHOU.

*Sam Miller: A Newbie's Guide to the 2020 Season.

*MLB players plan to stand for a "Moment of Unity" before this evening and Friday's games.

*SI's Emma Baccellieri: The end of missing baseball.

*Vice: 21 Non-Boring And Safe Ways To See Friends This Summer.

*Buzzfeed: Facebook's employees reckon with the social network they built.

*NY Times: How some janitors are asked to keep you virus-free.

*A Musical Selection:



Be happy in every moment you possibly can, but remember that there's comfort in grief.

Thursday Morning Hot Links

"Baseball!" they threatened. There was an intersquad game. I guess it went okay. The Astros won. The deadline to submit the 30-Man Roster is today at noon.

*Tags: How Ryan Pressly got his groove back, and how Taylor Jones is hitting his way to a roster spot.

*Jose Altuve was thrown out trying to steal 2nd base, so I guess his leg is okay.

Astros 2019 American League Championship rings given to players & staff today include 11 baguette diamonds in the “H” representing the 11 postseason wins it took to win the AL title, 25 blue sapphires: # of home runs hit in 2019 postseason & 107 diamonds for club record 107 wins: pic.twitter.com/42AA6wGwW0

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) July 22, 2020

*The Royals' Hunter Dozier tested positive for COVID-19. He played against the Astros on Monday night. Hozier > Hunter Dozier. Dusty and the coaching staff are confident that no Astro came really anywhere near him (sick way of saying "he didn't get on base.")

*Check out Jake Kaplan's Astros 2020 Season Preview, or Do the Astros Have the Pitching To Stay On Top of the AL West?

*Then click here for McTaggart's really bold season preview.

*Here's ESPN's Baseball Writer Roundtable, with predictions and whatnot. Houston also came in at #4 in ESPN's Power Rankings.

*Mookie Betts is apparently signing a 12-year $360m extension with the Dodgers. Betts, who will be 28 in October, debuted on June 29, 2014. George Springer will be 31 in September, but also debuted just a couple of months before Betts, on April 16, 2014.

Betts: 794 games, 3629 PAs, .301/.374/.519, 134 OPS+, 139 HRs, 229 doubles, 470 RBI, 37.2 fWAR
Gerorge: 744 games, 3345 PAs, .270/.361/.488, 131 OPS+, 160 HRs, 131 doubles, 426 RBI, 24.6 fWAR.

Springer is probably the best outfielder to potentially hit free agency this off-season, now that Betts is off the board. George isn't going to get Mookie Money, but he's going to get some serious coin. Boston's Blunder: How LA got Mookie Betts for the next 13 years.

*No Astros feature in SI's MLB season preview of potential MVP and Cy Young picks.

*Dusty Baker, on protests and social justice.

*MLB and MLBPA are working on a last-minute deal to expand the 2020 postseason to 16 teams. Gotta hand it to Manfred, nobody tries to fix what doesn't need to be fixed quite like him.

*ESPN's Marly Rivera: How Gerrit Cole bought into the power of pinstripes.

*The Toronto Pittsburgh Buffalo Blue Jays?

*Space City WX: Heads-up this weekend.

*Shoutout to the Houston Dash

.@HoustonDash beat Portland 1-0 to advance to the NWSL Challenge Cup Final on Sunday. First final in club history pic.twitter.com/7oqv9DyiGr

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) July 22, 2020

*If you have not watched "Home Game" on Netflix, specifically the first episode on "Calcio Storico," then you need to remedy that ASAP.

*A Musical Selection:

Thursday Morning Hot Links

Good morning. Temporarily altering your life for the greater good is fine. The Astros lost 6-2 after Washington scored six runs in the top of the 9th.

Lance McCullers: 2IP, 1H/0ER, 3K:1BB.
Forrest Whitley: 2.1IP, 4H/2ER, 2K:1BB. Three 2Bs allowed.
Willy Collado: 0.0IP, 3H/4ER, 0K:2BB
Bryan De La Cruz: HR
Kyle Tucker: 1x2.

Tucker played 1B. Dusty:
I asked him how much first base had he played. I guess he played some last year. You want to have as many interchangeable parts as possible. We've got to get Yuli some time at third base - he's been working out there. You don't want it to be the championship season when you get out there for the first time. We're just trying to cover ourselves the best we can

Within that link we also find that Brandon Bielak, Ralph Garza, Andre Scrubb, Osvaldo Duarte, Lorenzo Quintana, and Stephen Wrenn were reassigned to minor-league camp.

*Check this Alyson Footer article on Lance McCullers' role in Verlander's absence. LMJ:
I'm very happy with the velo and happy with the way I'm able to move the fastball around, with the changeup early - swing-and-miss changeup. I couldn't ask for anything more except maybe being a little more efficient with my pitch count.

Chandler Rome: McCullers wants to be smart about pushing his limit.

*In SI's season preview, they're predicting the Yankees over the Astros (93-69) in the ALCS.

*According to MLB Pipeline, the Astros have the worst set of Top 30 Prospects in the Majors.

*March Madness games will go on, just without fans. The NBA has suspended its season. So has La Liga. California has recommended postponing or canceling gatherings of 250+ people, putting the home openers of California MLB teams in doubt. The opening series between the Mariners and Rangers will likely be played in Arizona. As of yesterday morning, there were no plans to alter the Astros' home opener.

*FanGraphs: A look at what a pandemic scare could mean for MLB.

*Ken Rosenthal (unlocked): A list of the questions MLB is facing with COVID-19.

*What will you do if you start coughing?

*SBNation: The Fukushima Surf Revival.

*A Musical Selection:

Wednesday Morning Hot Links

Well I didn't feel like doing the Hot Links on Monday night. However, Monday we found out that Justin Verlander has a mild lat strain and will likely die miss possibly a significant amount of time. Verlander:
I would say it would take a miracle to be back by Opening Day. But I don't want to leave miracles off the table. 

Verlander clarified within earshot of Chandler Rome, who has, you know, access:
You can turn something that's not a significant injury into something that is significant - you're talking about missing months. This is one of those things you don't want to go full-throttle. You need to listen yourself, listen to your body and be truthful with yourself.

This is bad news. Nothing good about it at all. Unless! your name is Austin Pruitt, Framber Valdez, Josh James or...wait for it...Bryan Abreu! Dusty:
Abreu, I'm not going to discount him. This is a kid that I foresee being a big-time starter at the big-league level for a number of years.

Strom:
If you ask me, yes (Abreu could be in the bullpen). I want the 13 best pitchers I can find. We'll figure out how to (adjust) it, but I want the 13 best pitchers I can find.

Abreu was only asked to get four outs on Tuesday, so that's a good indication as to how this is going to go for the first part of 2020.

You know who would have been a good fit as a possible rotation candidate? Forrest Whitley. Alas, he's taking a gap year and backpacking in Europe. Au revior, Shoshanna!

*Yordan Alvarez's return to the field was pushed back, yet again, due to knee soreness, and he had an MRI. Dusty:
It's not a setback. It just didn't progress. To have a setback, you have to progress. He's just not progressing as quickly as we wanted to.

Both Yordan and GM James Click insist there's no official worry for Opening Day, but Yordan only has 12 PAs this Spring, and Opening Day is in less than two weeks.

*Zack Greinke feels great! Make sure to click on this Chandler Rome article to read about how Greinke's encouraging Spring Training is the best he's felt at this point than in his previous Springs. Chandler Rome has, you know, access.

*Be sure you read Chandler Rome, who has, you know, access, on Jose Altuve's quiet March. Altuve:
Actually, I feel really good. I've been hitting balls hard every single game - some hits, some not - but you're looking for some momentum. I like feeling the way I am right now.

*Jake Kaplan wrote about the evolution of Lance McCullers' pitch mix. Kaplan:
As he comes back from Tommy John surgery, McCullers appears to be working with as complete a repertoire as he's had in his career. The 26-year old right-hander is back to throwing a four-seam fastball in addition to the two-seamer he's leaned on since the middle of 2016, the changeup he significantly improved in 2018 and, of course, his power curve.

Prediction: LMJ gets some Cy Young votes in 2020.

*Check Kaplan's Opening Day Roster Prediction 4.0, allowing for the Verlander Shuffle.

*ESPN ranked MLB's best players from 1-100. Astros on the list (click the link for short write-ups on each):

12. Alex Bregman
14. Justin Verlander
29. Jose Altuve
37. George Springer
49. Carlos Correa
59. Zack Greinke
62. Yordan Alvarez
93. Michael Brantley

Altuve at #29 is a joke. With eight players, the Astros have the most players in the Top 100, one more than the Yankees and Dodgers.

*ESPN also posted Over/Unders on season wins and the line on winning the division and the Pennant.
Houston: 94.5 wins
Win Division: -240
Win Pennant: +325

*Doug Glanville: I played clean in the Steroid Era. PEDs hurt worse than stealing signs.

*Click this link to read about the steps MLB is considering to combat sign-stealing. It's legit crazy, and I'm here for it.

*How MLB has previously managed infectious diseases.

*Crazy story from Boob Nightengale on Arizona pitching coach Matt Herges on being a replacement player and then getting named in the Mitchell Report.

*Four days in a New Rochelle hospital.

*How Coronavirus took down SXSW.

*Why this oil crash is different.

*A Musical Selection:

Monday Morning Hot Links

Not much happening, and the last few days have been pretty crazy for me, personally. So let's just round up what we've learned. If something happens that warrants a post, I'll be back. If not, I hope you have a Merry Christmas and, if you're traveling, you make it to your destination safely. Best wishes to you and your families.

*Martin Maldonado took less money to sign with the Astros, at 2yrs/$7m.

*Jake Kaplan projected the Astros' 2020 26-Man Roster.

*Roster Resource says the Astros' 2020 payroll is right about $237m. Players (and their salaries) coming off the books - as of right now - after this season:

George Springer ($21.4m based on arbitration projections)
Michael Brantley ($16m)
Josh Reddick ($13m)
Yuli Gurriel ($8.3m)
Brad Peacock ($4.6m)

That's about $63.3m and the entire outfield.

*Brian McTaggart ranked the Top 10 Astros of the decade.

*Beyond the Box Score has the Yankees at 3/1, Dodgers at 6/1, and Astros at 7/1 to win the 2020 World Series.

A's: 30/1
Angels: 30/1
Arlington: 50/1
Seattle: 5000/1

*Don't let MLB insult you.

*Statistical oddities for every MLB team in 2019.

*The White Sox signed Dallas Keuchel to a 3yr/$55.5m deal, with a vesting option for a 4th year. This offseason the White Sox have acquired Keuchel, Gio Gonzalez, Yasmani Grandal, Nomar Mazara, and James McCann.

*The MLB Umpires Association has agreed to a 5-year labor contract, part of which Teh Umpires have agreed to cooperate with a test of an automated strike zone.

*FanGraphs' Craig Edwards: Gerrit Cole's monster contract, historically speaking.

*Wade Miley signed a 2yr/$15m deal with Cincinnati, with a club option for 2022. FanGraphs says his cutter should be better in 2020.

*ESPN has way-too-early starting rotation rankings.

*1843: The death of the calorie.

*The New Yorker: A suspense novelist's trail of deceptions.

*GQ: Secrets of the world's greatest art thief.

*A Musical Selection:

Thursday Morning Hot Links

It is now Opening Day. Depending on when you are reading this, there are mere hours until the beginning of the 2019 season. Opening Day is finally here. A day where everyone starts out level and every a lot of team teams at least start with a chance at playing in October. Will there be losses? Of course. Will the Astros infuriate us? Of course. But will they amaze and entertain us? Most definitely. It's here, my dudes. The longest off-season in recorded history is behind us. Our livers are (mostly) intact. Let's go watch them win another one.

*Today is Verlander vs. Snell. And with DeGrom and Scherzer also going, it's the first time in MLB History that 1 and 2 in the previous season's Cy Young voting face each other on Opening Day.

Justin Verlander's previous Opening Day starts: 58IP, 46H/26ER, 60K:20BB, 4.03 ERA / 1.14 WHIP. Eight of those runs came on Opening Day 2009 at Toronto.

*Let's pick it up with the first of what will be a weekly look at odds and postseason chances:
-FiveThirtyEight (98-64): 86% to make the playoffs, 74% to win the division, 16% to win the World Series. It's the best chance of any AL team to win another World Series.
-FanGraphs (97-65): 95.4% to make the playoffs, 90.2% to win the division, 17.8% to win the World Series, just behind the Yankees.
-Baseball Prospectus (94-68): 93.4% to make the playoffs, 85% to win the division, 14.9% to win the World Series, highest of any team.

*Allow me to drop some predictions of my own:
-105-57
-Bregman hits 38 home runs.
-Correa hits .310.
-Michael Brantley has 110 RBI.
-Altuve reclaims his Hits title.
-Forrest Whitley wins five games for Houston this year.

*Sports Illustrated's Jack Dickey has your 2019 Astros season preview. Four of nine "Baseball Experts" from SI picked the Astros to win it all. And here are The Ringer's 2019 Predictions, in which all five experts have the Astros winning the AL, and four of them picking the Astros to throw another parade at the end of October.

*The Astros rank #2 in ESPN's Opening Day Power Rankings.

*Robert Ford spent about 20 minutes with ESPN 1660 and talked all things Astros.

*Jeff Luhnow previewed the 2019 Astros on 790.

*Chandler Rome has the two most important factors for the 2019 Astros: Health, and SPs 3-5.

*Jake Kaplan has five questions for the Astros going into 2019.

*Brian T. Smith wonders where Dallas Keuchel is.

*The Astros have set their minor-league rosters.

*Jake Kaplan has ten prospects who could impact the 2019 Astros.

*Noted Asshat Stefan Stevenson remarks that the Rangers "still run Texas" because they have more Texas counties (148) in which the majority of the population identify as Rangers fans, as opposed to Astros fans (98). This ridiculous exercise is courtesy of something called Vivid Seats includes Loving County (pop. 74), King County (pop. 289), Borden County (pop. 602), etc.

*One former prospect who won't is Houston's 2009 44th Round pick Michael Schurz, who was arrested for online solicitation of a minor.

*Aaron Gleeman projects the next decade's biggest superstars, featuring Altuve, Correa, and Bregman.

*FanGraphs' Sheryl Ring: Minor-league players might actually get a raise.

*From 2013: Sam Miller in Baseball Prospectus - Mark Reynolds is Totally Blind.

*Bayern and Real Madrid will play at NRG Stadium on July 20.

*The Man with the Last Perfect Bracket.

*A Musical Selection:

Tuesday Morning Hot Links

Two days until Opening Day. Why hasn't anyone signed an extension this week this is ridiculous. I found out that one of my responsibilities at work will keep me away from the entire G1. That's probably good news for everyone else's enjoyment of the day.

*The Astros played Pittsburgh and a 7-run 3rd inning was able to hold off a Pirate 5-run 6th inning for a 12-9 win. Notable:

-Forrest Whitley: 3IP, 6H/3ER, 2K:1BB
-Framber Valdez: 1.2IP, 3H/5ER, 1K:2BB
-Myles Straw, Nick Tanielu, Tyler White, and Garrett Stubbs all homered.

FOAC Cody Stoots has the recap of Whitley's outing. David Barron hopes that Whitley's next start in Houston will go a little better.

*Houston leads MLB.com's first Power Rankings of the year.

*A.J. Hinch literally loves the 2019 Houston Astros. Hinch:
I have as much confidence as I have ever had. I love the edge we have, and we all know what it takes to get to the finish line. 

*Justin Verlander still thinks that free agency is broken, but that isn't why he signed a 2yr extension last week. Verlander, on Houston:
I just can't see a better situation. 

*Sean Pendergast has four thoughts on the Verlander extension.

*The Bold Prediction for the 2019 Astros is that Carlos Correa will be the best player on the team.

*Somehow the Astros' bullpen ranks 4th in MLB, behind the Yankees, A's (?), and Pirates.

*Jake Kaplan has a really good Q&A with Hero Charlie F. Morton.

*The Astros released Ryne Birk (13th Round, 2016), Alex Winkelman (21st Round, 2015), and Carlos Sierra (2016 international signing).

*SI says that Indians and Pirates fans should strongly consider boycotting their teams.

*Cool story in The Athletic about Andre Hal's internship with Headspace - an app The Wife and I use on the reg.

*A Musical Selection:

Wednesday Morning Hot Links

*Another exhibition against the Brewers, another grand slam - this time by Carlos Correa - as the Astros win 8-1. Charlie Morton threw 5.1IP, 1H/0ER, 8K:0BB. And that puts a wrap on Spring Training 2018. The Astros went 21-9-4, and the 67 points puts them 14 points behind Manchester City, though a late-season push could send them to the top. The Astros' next game is in the very mouth of hell: Arlington, at 2:40pm Central on Thursday for Game 1.

*Kyle Tucker went 0x3 with 2Ks and - solely because of that - he will start the season in the minors. Hinch:
He's not starting in the big leagues. That's pretty clear, but he's had a remarkable spring, and a very good impact and a good impression. His time is coming. It's not right now. No matter where he starts, the plan for him will remain the same.

In that link we find that:
-Gurriel is hopeful he can avoid the DL.
-Former 1B coach Rich Dauer is throwing out the first pitch in Monday's home opener.

*Despite Kyle Tucker's disaster yesterday, he is Astros County's 2018 J.R. Towles Memorial March Hitter of the Year. Tucker put up a .385/.406/.662 slash line, with five home runs and an MLB-leading 21 RBIs.

David Paulino is Astros County's Taylor Buchholz Memorial March Pitcher of the Year. Paulino threw 10.1IP, 2H/2R (0ER), with 10K:4BB, a 0.00 ERA / 0.58 WHIP this Spring.

*ESPN's Tim Keown has a wonderful interview with A.J. Hinch:
In 2010, the manager was a failed experiment. Now he's a World Series winner. What changed? Only the entire philosophy of MLB.

*The four-man outfield is not a gimmick. The Astros plan on using it against lefty pull hitters on the road.

*Here's a good piece from Chandler Rome on Collin McHugh and his quest to find a different routine in the bullpen.

*12 of ESPN's 29 writers picked the Astros to win the AL, eight of them picked Houston to repeat.

*The Astros saw a 115% jump in ticket sales from last year to this year - highest jump in MLB. Some guy:
Houston has grown into one of the top markets the last few years. They're one of our fastest-growing MLB teams in terms of sales four to five seasons. They have really built a following there...

Over the last four to five seasons? You mean ticket sales are up in 2018 compared to 2013? YOU. DON'T. SAY. Wonder what could have changed in the last four to five seasons.

*GUEST POST. Reader Jeff Richey took a look at the game-ending play in the July 17, 2017 game against the Mariners.

*Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. hit a two-out walk-off homer in Montreal and this is why baseball is the Best Sport.

*Eno Sarris has a fascinating look at three days in the life (and finances) of a minor-league baseball player. It's infuriating how MLB owners basically got Congress to go along with screwing these guys over so they didn't have to pay them a living wage. (Related: Students get a subscription to The Athletic for 50% off.)

*Clayton Kershaw at 30.

*The Mariners signed Jayson Werth.

*Oakland's top prospect needs Tommy John surgery.

BASEBALL NEEDS MORE OF THIS

Mookie Betts, during an in-game interview, gets ball hit over his head: “I ain’t getting this one, boys.” pic.twitter.com/McfNeuEnXT

— Joon Lee (@iamjoonlee) March 27, 2018

Tuesday Morning Hot Links

Kyle Tucker hit a grand slam in his first AB at Minute Maid Park as the Astros beat the Brewers 5-2. Tucker:
It was awesome. The atmosphere from the first inning, or even yesterday coming to the field was awesome. I was super pumped. To finally get to play on this field was awesome. It's a dream ever since you were a little kid. It was a great night.

Ted! Tucker! - Grand slam, of course. #Astros @astros @MLBNetwork pic.twitter.com/N2TTVDe4ff

— Baseball Lawyer (@Bballlawyer) March 27, 2018

*A.J. Hinch is getting tired of the "complacency" talk:
Pretty soon we're going to stop talking about that and just get to playing games. You're going to hear the same stuff you've heard from me for a couple seasons: we need to have winning series, winning weeks, and winning months. 

*Justin Verlander:
What I said to the team right before we broke camp, I was so impressed with how passionate these guys were, how hard they worked in Spring Training. No complacency. Everybody is getting ready for the start of the season. Whether it's infield drills or a game, or World Series Game 7, it's fun to be a part of.

*Dallas Keuchel is ready to go:
Spring is long in the sense of the monotony of everything, but the routine of starting pitchers is crucial and every day counts. I was able to take each day and figure out what my plan of attack was. At the end, this last start, I feel like I accomplished a lot and got myself ready for a good outing on Friday.

Friday will be G2 at Arlington, a game at which The Wife and I will be in attendance.

Also within that link, we find that Yuli Gurriel took BP against a "high-velocity pitching machine," (presumably not Justin Verlander, who is also a high-velocity pitching machine), and that Evan Gattis is okay despite taking a pitch off the left elbow.

*Keuchel is a happy dude, telling Tyler Kepner:
I honestly didn't think that we could, potentially, be this good, just knowing what we did last year. Never in my wildest dreams did I think, in the off-season, we were going to get Gerrit. That's pretty cool to me. We got better.

*Lance McCullers is experimenting with a variety of leg kicks.

*The home run spike has pitchers rethinking the idea of keeping the ball down.

*Will Harris is "sneakily elite."

*In The Athletic: The Astros feel comfortable enough to break out the 4-man outfield during the season.

*Try to wrap your head around this one: The consensus among MLB.com reporters is that the Astros will win the World Series again, after the Yankees beat the Astros in the ALCS.

*J.D. Davis is MLB.com's Astros' impact prospect.

*What do you do you're a reporter and when you're married to your newspaper's competition?

*Jim Crane will #NeverForget:

#Astros owner Jim Crane acknowledges it's a little extra special to open the regular season against the Rangers: "We had a few problems with Texas last year, not wanting to switch games with us. There's plenty incentive to want to try to beat up on Texas, that's for sure." pic.twitter.com/cBRxc9KORW

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) March 26, 2018

Sunday Morning Hot Links

It is four days until Opening Day at Arlington.

*Frankie Tuesday got rocked, allowing three runs in the 1st inning against Boston yesterday afternoon in a 6-0 Astros loss.

-Martes threw 4IP, 8H/3ER, 3K:1BB
-Derek Fisher was 2x2 with a double.
-J.D. Davis was 1x3 and hit Chris Sale in the hip with a screaming line drive
-The Astros were 0x13 w/RISP.

*As predicted, Derek Fisher and J.D. Davis made the Opening Day roster. Hinch:
Davis really performed well this Spring and was arguably one of our best offensive players and earned the right to make an Opening Day roster. He swung the bat extremely well, especially against left-handed pitching. 

Fisher:
It's a dream come true, and it's something you work for your entire life. To be a part of Opening Day is really special. It's my first one, and I'll definitely remember it forever. 

*Kyle Tucker, Tony Kemp, and Tyler White will make the trip to Houston today (after they play the Marlins) for the final two exhibition games. Hinch, on Kemp and White:
They both deserved to be in the big leagues. But on this team and breaking camp the way we are, they just don't fit right now.

*A.J. Reed isn't thrilled about going back to Triple-A:
It was upsetting. I felt like it was going to happen, and then it didn't. That's something that I've just got to get over. I feel like I did what I needed to do in the off-season to show improvement...They say you're always playing for 29 other teams. My time will come; whether it's with the Astros or whether it's someone else, you've gotta be patient, you've gotta keep working for that next opportunity.

*The Astros took the top spot in Anthony Castrovince's Top 10 Rotations list, just a couple of days after getting the nod as MLB's best lineup, and 3rd-best bullpen.

*The New York Daily News' John Harper, who allegedly called the Astros' World Series and Jose Altuve's AL MVP award, is picking the Yankees over the Cubs in 2018, Carlos Correa to win MVP, and for the Mariners to make the playoffs.

*Brian McTaggart did a Q&A with Alex Bregman, whose sole goal is to turn up at another downtown parade this year.

*Charlie Morton: Good pitcher, good person.

*MLB.com's Matt Kelly lists five reasons why Justin Verlander could win another Cy Young.

*The Wall Street Journal says 16 Astros are being taken in the first 276 fantasy picks: The 2018 Astros are really good.

*The OC Register's J.P. Hoornstra says the era of the superteam is here.

*KHOU talks about humanitarian superstar Carlos Correa, who turned down the White House:
It was a difficult decision because it's an invitation to the White House to meet the president of the United States. As I've said before, it's an honor to be invited to such a historic place. But I also had my people in Puerto Rico who are in need and suffering and dying because they don't have food on the table, so I decided to go that way.

Keuchel, on Correa skipping the Washington trip:
It was an off-day and nobody had to go. I commend him for keeping his home country on his mind and helping them out. Whether you went or not didn't really matter. He could have been sleeping in for all I know. That doesn't bother me one bit. 

*Cool story by Jake Kaplan in The Athletic about how Brad Peacock's breakout postseason helped Slim's Fish Camp in Belle Glade, Florida.

*And here's another one from Kaplan about how former NASA researcher Sig Mejdal is back in uniform in 2018. Mejdal:
I think a lot has been written about the us-versus-them, the experienced baseball people versus the analysts. But Jeff has been great. There's no confusion. We're on the same team. And if an analyst puts on a uniform with the hopes of making the organization better, to me that doesn't seem that outrageous.

You should subscribe to The Athletic.

*The Washington Post's Neil Greenberg says the only interesting races will be in the AL East and the Wild Card spots.

*Boston Guy begrudgingly thinks there's an outside chance Dallas Keuchel could win the Cy Young, and Carlos Correa could win MVP.

*Ft Worth Star-Telegram's Mac Engel:
There are many positions in this world no one should envy - garbage collector, press secretary for the White House, etc. - add Ticket Sales Rep for the 2018 Texas Rangers.

*Scary moment in Arizona as Rangers' Triple-A Hitting Coach Howard Johnson was hit in the face by a line drive while in the dugout.

*ESPN's Bradford Doolittle wrote about the slow demystification of defensive statistics.

*The great Marc Topkin wrote 20 nuggets from 20 years of covering the Rays that he previously hadn't told.

*Scott Kazmir got released by the Braves.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mac-engel/article206517409.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mac-engel/article206517409.html#storylink=cpy

Tony Kemp is only 26 and will be a valuable player for years. But he's one guy who when he chooses will go right to a front office or the route to managing

— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) March 24, 2018

Wednesday Morning Hot Links

*The Astros were off yesterday. We are ten days away from Opening Day, nearing the end of the most interminable offseason ever. FanGraphs has given us a gift, however, and there will be more on this later, but their first Playoff Odds projection has gone live.

The Astros, as of the projections, are at:
96.3% to win the AL West
98.7% to make the playoffs
60.1% to win the ALDS
36.3% to win the Pennant
24.5% to win the World Series

World Series odds as of this morning:
Houston: 24.5%
Chicago: 13.4%
Los Angeles: 12.3%
Cleveland: 12.1%
New York: 11.6%
Washington: 7.6%

God bless us, everyone.

*Check out Jeff Sullivan's pre-season explainer on the 2018 Strength of Schedule.

*Mike Lupica says GMs are looking for their own A.J. Hinch.

*Sports Illustrated made their prediction: Nationals over Yankees. Oh and be sure to check out the sweet two SI covers that feature the Yankees (of course) and the [squints] Angels.

*The Astros as a team are excited for Jose Altuve. Justin Verlander, on Altuve's extension:
Even in my short time here, I've easily seen what he means to that city and how that city has embraced him. In this clubhouse, I think everybody is ecstatic for him. This is a very unique clubhouse...it seems like family; everybody gets along so well. I think everyone is so excited for him and his family and truly, truly happy to see somebody like Jose be able to sign a contract like that. 

*Hunter Atkins writes that, if Jay Bruce can steal a base on the Astros' catchers, the rest of the league is probably going to try.

*Jenny Dial Creech: Alex Bregman is living his best life.

*Eno Sarris has a good look in The Athletic ($) on the two adjustments that J.D. Davis made this offseason.

*Jonathan Mayo has a Q&A with 2017 1st Round pick J.B. Bukauskas, in which he talks about getting ready for his first full season of pro ball and working on his changeup.

*There will be a free event - Domecoming - on April 9, where you can go inside the Astrodome before the renovations start. Registration starts today.

*Jesse Rogers talked to Ted Barrett about life behind the catcher.

Friday Morning Hot Links

Welcome to your second weekend as reigning World Series champs. What are you doing to make someone else feel badly about their favorite team?

*Brian McTaggart has a rundown of what the Astros need going in to 2018. The biggest flaw? The bullpen, of course. McTaggart's likeliest additions: Mike Minor, Tony Watson, Boone Logan - all lefty relievers.

Mike Minor declined his option with the Royals, so he's a free agent this winter. He had a 2.55 ERA/2.62 FIP to go along with striking out 10.2 batters/9 innings, and he's predominantly a fastball/slider guy who saw his 91.7mph average fastball jump to 94.9mph in 2017.

Tony Watson, he of the National League Champion Dodgers, had more limited success in 2017. Between the Pirates and the Dodgers, Watson posted a 3.38 ERA/4.45 FIP with a 15% HR/FB rate, which doesn't factor in to his abnormally-high .309 BABIP (he had a career .261 BABIP allowed).

Boone Logan's $7m option was declined by the Indians last week thanks to concerns over his shoulder, which limited him to 21IP in 2017.

Minor is going to be the highest-paid of the three, and the other two would automatically get the Charlie Morton treatment from fans (oh wow he wasn't great/was injured now the Astros are going to turn him into a soul-eating machine!) We should be careful with thoughts like those. They're dangerous.

*Here's Jon Heyman's predictions (matched up against an expert's predictions) for the contracts of the Top 80 free agents this offseason.

*Random Astros fact of the day:
Jose Altuve has accumulated 26.2 fWAR in 982 career games, good enough for 10th all-time among batters in franchise history. He's played about 600 fewer games than 9th on the list, Terry Puhl, and is just 0.6 fWAR behind him. Altuve's 7.5 fWAR season ranks 8th among Astros batters all-time, and was just the 11th 7+ fWAR for a batter in franchise history.

*Jose Altuve and George Springer won AL Silver Slugger awards last night. Well, they won them during the season, of course, but come on you know what I mean. It's Altuve's 4th-straight Silver Slugger, and Springer's first.

*Tom Verducci: How the Astros mastered applying their pitching data, with great looks into McHugh, McCullers, Peacock, and Morton.

*Wednesday Jeff Sullivan noted that the Astros were the beneficiaries of the worst called ball of the season. Yesterday he noted that the Astros threw the worst called strike of the season. We should have known all along this was our year.

*Joe Musgrove visited the DeBakey VA Medical Center yesterday in honor of Veterans Day.

*KPRC interviewed Jeff Luhnow yesterday. Luhnow, on what needs to happen this off-season:
...There's not any major surgery here. This team is good enough to go out and repeat just as-is, so we're going to keep working at it, but we're pretty excited about what the prospects are for next year.

*If the Astros sign a player who received a Qualifying Offer, they will forfeit their 3rd-highest pick in the 2018 draft.

*The Paul Wall/Johnny Dang grills are pretty legit.

*Chronicle photographer Karen Warren picked her favorite photos of the season.

*The Astros have the smallest number of minor-league free agents in baseball, with seven.

*So there was a men's only gala (*eyes roll out of head*) at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston last night and a server bumped into a guy who dropped the World Series trophy. Although, if you're going to damage an artifact, MFA Houston is probably a good place to do it.

*Mike Fiers was inducted into the Nova Southeastern University Hall of Fame last night.

Much love @JoseAltuve27!!! #MVP pic.twitter.com/uEa1tLd1Ux

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) November 10, 2017

Monday Morning Hot Links

Well things are starting to die down as the despair casts its shadow on to the Houston Texans. If you are emotionally invested in the Texans, please accept my apologies and best wishes for your livers.

For Astros County, though, we shift a little bit into walks down memory lane, reactions to what the Astros do ("The Astros signed Player X. It doesn't make sense, but I'm not going to question it. Back to watching ALCS Game 2 and laughing my head off"), etc. Sometimes the Hot Links will be shorter, there may be days that we don't post anything at all. Winter is here in all its 86-degree glory.

One thing, before we start, though: today (November 6) is the 9th anniversary of the first post on Astros County. Later that day I recapped Brandon Backe's 2008 season and the financial outlook for the 2009 team. It must have been a slow day at work. In the Hot Links post on Thursday morning, you know, the one a few hours after the Astros WON THE WORLD SERIES, a lot of you left very nice comments about this blog. I didn't respond because the most Facebook thing you can do is to copy-and-paste "Thanks!" to every comment, which manages to cheapen the original comment. I read every single one and want you to know that I truly appreciate all of you. Writing about the Astros has been cathartic for me. I'm about four years into off-and-on research on a non-fiction (non-Astros) book, and hitting "publish" around 6:15am every morning gives me the pleasure of having finished...something. I have a lot more to research before I can even start writing the book, and I don't have a ton of free time as it is. The idea that you come to this website each morning, even if the only thing new is a list of what you should read, is humbling. Thank you.

*Richard Justice writes that the Astros' grit and determination (*checks FanGraphs for Grit+) started with A.J. Hinch. Hinch, on talking to Altuve after the 2014 season:
We talked a lot about getting better. We talked about the 100-loss seasons. We talked about the grind that had taken its toll. I asked him one question: 'Why don't we talk about winning?'

*Buster Olney: The Astros look ready to launch a dynasty, but so did the Cubs in 2016. (Also comes with a great story about how Charlie Morton misunderstood the Astros' offer, and was thrilled with the idea of making half of what he's actually making).

*Jim Duquette doesn't think the Astros land any of the Top 25 Free Agents (which starts later today).

*Meet 32-year old Kyle Hamsher, also known as Orbit.

Tuesday Morning Hot Links

Like many of you, I'm sure, I just couldn't sleep. Fell asleep fine, woke up about 2:15am and tossed and turned for a couple of hours before deciding to just get up. Are the Astros playing tonight? Oh, yes they are. Must be an Arizona Fall League game. No, wait, it's the daggum World Series.

*FiveThirtyEight gives the Dodgers a 55-45 edge on the World Series. But while the Dodgers have a 60-40 edge for Game 1 and 52-48 in Game 2, they actually favor the Astros in Games 3-5.

*FanGraphs gives the Astros a 52.6-47.4 nod in their World Series simulations.

*Check out new AC contributor Nory's account of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

*Friend of Astros County's Steven Goldman: Everyone and no one is a winner in the World Series. Goldman:
The postseason is a churn that produces random finalists like a washing machine spits out mismatched socks. It sounds lame, but, hey, Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, Twins, Astros, Cubs, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Nationals, Dodgers, stand up! You're all already winners! It happens that this year the selection process may have produced the two best teams in each league, but quite often it doesn't, and regardless it would be better to just stop there. 

*Tonight's Game 1 temperature may be the hottest ever recorded in World Series history. Mike Petriello talks about the heat and the impact it has on runs scored.

*Ticket prices for Games 3-5 are stupid.

*FiveThirtyEight: This World Series just might actually feature the two best teams in baseball.

*A.J. Hinch and Dave Roberts go back a ways to San Diego - and now are temporary rivals.

*Man, the Diamondbacks put A.J. Hinch in an unwinnable situation.

*The Astros are dealing with not having a DH in Games 1 & 2.

*Josh Reddick is prepared to hear some boos tonight. Reddick:
It's always tough when you come out for your first home game and get booed. That definitely wasn't a sign I was expecting. It hurts you a little bit, but you try to move on and play the game the right way. It just didn't work out. 

Reddick was traded to the Dodgers - with Game 2 starter Rich Hill - from Oakland at the 2016 trade deadline. He hit .258/.307/.335 in the regular season and .308/.333/.308 in eight postseason games before falling to the Cubs in the NLCS.

*Yahoo's Tim Brown: Yasiel Puig's transformation into a championship player

*FanRag's Jon Bernhardt breaks down the favorites for World Series MVP. Bernhardt:
Springer's odds would be better if not for how stacked his own team is with offensive talent - and the fact that the Dodgers are probably going to win the Series.

*Two out of six USA Today baseball writers picked the Astros.

*All of CBS' baseball writers picked the Dodgers in either five or six.

*22 of ESPN's 35 baseball experts picked the Dodgers.

*Bovada lists the Dodgers as 1.5-run favorites tonight.

*It's going to go Keuchel, Verlander and then either McCullers/Morton or Morton/McCullers.

*Lance McCullers is back, baby.

*Jake Marisnick will not make the World Series roster.

*ESPN's Bradford Doolittle: The Dodgers' dream season could turn into a nightmare.

*Shoutout to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Jeff Gordon, for being the Cal Ripken Jr of hating Jeff Luhnow:
During a four-year span, they finished 56-106, 55-107, 52-111*, and 70-92 while general manager Jeff Luhnow traded veterans for prospects and "earned" great draft position. That sell-off allowed the franchise to operate with a tiny payroll and a large profit margin, but it also took a toll on the franchise's fan base.

*It was 51-111, idiot. Take that extra win and shove it up your tailpipe.

*OG Evan Drellich: Alex Cora must keep his conviction and honesty as the next Red Sox manager.

Monday Morning Hot Links

We are now 36-ish hours from Game 1 of the World Series, presented by Some Corporate Shill. Still having a hard time believing this is actually happening. I spent most of yesterday afternoon with my daughter in my lap watching videos of the final out, videos of the celebration (but not Reddick's speedo, she doesn't need to see that), etc. Friends, I'm here to tell you that yes, this is still real.

*Tim Kurkjian has five questions about the World Series, and predicts the Dodgers win in seven games.

*The Astros talked about facing the Dodgers. Beltran:
They're a good team. There's a lot of similarities when I look at the Dodgers and look at our team. They've got good talent and they seem like they really enjoy themselves, they seem like they have good chemistry in the clubhouse, which is great. It's going to be a good series.

*Sports Illustrated broke down the Astros/Dodgers by position.

*SI's baseball writers offered their predictions, as well. Only one - Ben Reiter, author of the 2014 article predicting a World Series title in the next week - picked the Astros.

*A Las Vegas sports book director had this to say:
The perception is the Dodgers are a lot better than the Astros. But once you start digging into the stats and looking at these two teams, they're very comparable. A lot of people think the Dodgers can walk through this but I think it's going to be closer than they think.

*Dodgers are going Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill, Yu Darvish in Games 1-3.

*Richard Justice: An AL Pennant is Luhnow's vision executed. Crane:
It's fun to see the plan work. I give a lot of credit to Jeff Luhnow for putting the plan together and hiring the right guys to execute it.

*Jake Kaplan has a good preview of the World Series.

*Check out Sporting News' three World Series storylines.

*David Barron has a good look at how the fans impacted Game 7.

*It's going to be freaking hot in Los Angeles for Games 1 and 2.

*The Astros and Dodgers look a lot different from when they last met in LA, in 2012.

*Brian T. Smith: The Astros are here because of August 31.

*Washington Post: When the Astros got shaky, three veteran leaders steadied them.

*Buster Olney: Verlander regained his fastball and his confidence.

*Toronto Sun: The Astros dared to be different.

*FanRag's John Perrotto notes that the more-rested team has lost the World Series in each of the past four years. But Dave Roberts ain't worried about that.

*Bill Baer has a really interesting read on the player-unfriendly side of baseball analytics.

*Charlie Morton got teary-eyed watching Brian McCann.

*The Dodgers expect to get Corey Seager back for the World Series.

*Jake Marisnick may be available in the World Series, but only as a pinch-runner/defensive replacement.

*Alex Cora will be the next manager of the Boston Red Sox, signing a three-year deal.

Tuesday Morning Hot Links

*Two more evenings without Astros baseball, well, five more nights since those idiots at Mayjerr Leeg Baysbawl put both ALDS G1 and G2 in the afternoon. At least we have the chance to watch the Twins beat the Yankees tonight and ruin every idiot network executive's sad, sobbing wet dream of a Yankees/Red Sox ALCS.

*Sports Illustrated: The case for the Houston Astros to win the World Series.

*Oh here come Teh Pundits!

-Whereas five of the six baseball writers polled by USA Today picked the Astros to beat the Red Sox (I see you, Ted Berg), not a single solitary one thought the Astros would get past the Indians.
-Same thing for the Washington Post.
-18 of ESPN's 29 responses had the Indians beating the Astros in the ALCS.

*Bovada lists the Astros as +450 to win the World Series, +225 to win the AL Pennant.

*Justin Verlander is, wait for it, ready for the postseason, having tweaked the mechanics in his arm.

*Oh good. Angel Hernandez will be a part of the ALDS umpiring crew.

*How the Astros built their postseason roster.

*Don't get MLB Network? Don't worry, they're going to offer a free preview until October 11.

*Will Dallas Keuchel win another Gold Glove?

*Josh Reddick and the Astros: a match made in baseball heaven.

*Sporting News writer says the Astros are the 2nd-most likable team in the postseason...behind Cleveland.

*John Perrotto gives Altuve the AL MVP nod.

*The Braves are an absolute dumpster fire right now.

Opening Day Hot Links

Astros tonight, y'all.

*David Barron: With a revamped roster and stadium, this is the Astros' time

*Dallas Keuchel:
I think the only difference is we've got a better team. I go about my business the same way each and every year, and that's to get myself ready to go nine innings.

*Evan Gattis will use a QB-style card strapped to his wrist when catching.

*Collin McHugh threw 65 pitches in a simulated game. Next stop: Houston for Opening Night, and then rehab start(s).

*David Schoenfield has what to watch for in every game today and I definitely should have taken today off.

*FanGraphs: The five craziest Opening Day games.

*The Hardball Times: The day that sustains us.

*38 of 53 FanGraphs people picked the Astros to win the division. Nine picked the Mariners, five picked the Ramgers, two picked the Angels.

*You can get real time exit velocities, hit probabilities, etc. thanks to Friend of AC Daren Willman.

*Right now the Astros are +$1400 to win the World Series and +$650 to win the AL Pennant.

*Brett Wallace was released by the Padres.

*Congratulations to the brave viewer at home, whose keen eye preserved the integrity of golf and cost Lexi Thompson a major.