Short Supply

 

My constant disgust towards the Astros means nothing. The more spiteful I get, the more they figure out how to win games. They're two games over .500, flinging around the Phils' pitching this week, waiting for the Rangers or somebody to catch up when it probably isn't gonna happen. Unless somebody stops them, they're winning the AL West in a year where barely anyone in it's getting a passing grade. I don't know if that's something to be proud of, but for the Astros a win's a win. In another universe Alvarez still gets a triple crown on a losing team, but I guess it's all that much sweeter that they're winning. 

Jose Altuve...he's just as infuriating to talk about as the rest of the Astros. The last two seasons, he has not done a damned thing in relation to the team's success. You could argue that since 2023 he's been replacement level, as he turned into more of a power guy than a pure contact guy, his defense sank and now he's kind of just an inessential veteran. He has 15 homers and 44 RBIs, but he hit 77 RBIs last year, so we know he can do better. He's 36, slowly reaching the end of what will probably be a Hall of Fame career [and let me be clear, I wouldn't vote for him because I don't reward cheaters], and doesn't have a ton left to contribute. This is the point where guys like Alvarez, Pena, Walker and Smith can carry the load, but he's still gonna persist, because he's Jose Altuve, and he's gonna be an Astro as long as he can manage it. His next hit, which has probably happened by the time of posting, will be number 2500, and 3000 is technically within reach because of the strength of those first several seasons. Obviously he's a great player, I'll just never respect him. 

He's such a minuscule part of this team that there isn't much to be dragged down. The rotation's figured things out, Brown, Lambert, Wesneski and Javier seem to be on a nice pace right now. Ethan Pecko's getting the 5 spot, and he's not terrific but he's getting the job done. Josh Hader's been phenomenal in the ninth, and seems to be back to where he was before the injury [again, written before Phils game was over]. Smith is hitting, Paredes and Pena are hitting, Daulton Varsho went yard against the Phils [the team that was supposed to trade for him], Yainer Diaz is finding his swing, and Alvarez, while being eclipsed for the home run lead by Junior Caminero, is still looking for history, and is very close to attaining it. I say let him, he's a fearsome hitter with so much ability, and it's been years since the last triple crown. If it was Altuve I'd be mad, but Alvarez is so good you can't even be that disappointed. 

The Astros have two real tasks going forward. One is winning the division, which should be easy enough if the Rangers keep forgetting they can still take it. The other is actually standing a chance against wild card competitors with better records. The idea is they'd likely play the sixth seed, which would be any combination of the Jays, Guardians, O's, Rangers, whoever's left standing there. The old Astros would be a menace no matter the seed. I don't know about this Astros team yet. They had a lead against the Phils, it got thinner as the game went on. They still won but it got dangerously close. Remember when these guys could no-hit Philadelphia? I don't know if this team can do that anymore. I think they're lucky, and streaky, but I don't know if they have it to go deep this year.

Then again these jerks have proven me wrong before. So who knows?

Coming Tonight: 2 Cy Youngs, a lot of money, and miraculously some classic stuff looking for that second ring. 

Short Left

 

One of the big stories out of the baseball world today was the rise of 6'6 Yankee centerfield prospect Spencer Jones. I've kept tabs on him for a while, as I'd always heard very good things, and he's turning out to be a really nice, hard-hitting outfielder. Like Aaron Judge, he's big and tall and hits like crazy. People were worried about Soto leaving and I reminded them that Jones wasn't going anywhere. Between him and George Lombard, the youth has been giving Yankee fans lots to be excited about this spring.

But of course, the Yankees doing well means that across the country the Houston Astros are no doubt thinking of ways to get the better of them in the end, especially after a shellacking the other day. Which is why, to combat the Yankees' plan for a 6'6 centerfielder, the Astros have invested in an, um...5'6 left fielder. 

The idea of moving Jose Altuve to left emerged during talks with Alex Bregman. They basically said, 'look, if Isaac Paredes is our third baseman, we can sign Bregman to play 2nd, even if it means moving Altuve to left'. And the thing is, getting Altuve out of 2nd does feel like a step in the right direction for this team. Yes, Altuve has a ton of all-star nods and silver sluggers, but he's only won a single gold glove, and it was 10 years ago. The last three seasons, Altuve's defensive infield skills have been several points below average, as his journey to becoming a one-dimensional power hitter continues. The Astros have Mauricio Dubon, and they have Brendan Rodgers, and those are better defensive bets than Altuve right now. So, as it doesn't make sense to DH him with Alvarez holding court there, the die was cast and Altuve was moved to left field.

There's uh...a few fundamental issues with that. And I understand the irony of me saying this someone who is 6'7. But, you see...there's the thought that maybe a lot of balls are gonna fly over Altuve's head out there. Look, if they're arcing at chest level he'll be fine, but he is not the 'leaping catch' kind of outfielder that even Kyle Tucker was able to be. Jose Altuve's height has been the punchline of the MLB for a while, and this is just a sight gag waiting to happen. 

I think there is a case to be made that the Astros wouldn't put Altuve there if they didn't have immense trust in him as an athlete, and his ability speaks for itself. One of the most consistent hitters in the game, one of the most driven athletes, and someone who can help you a million different ways. But putting him in left is a risk that may not pay off. Boston learned this when they tried making Hanley Ramirez an outfielder, they learned the limits of Ramirez as a defender very quickly. Not everyone is Mookie Betts. 

What this says the most to me is that the Astros are desperately trying to reinvent themselves to distract from how many people are leaving. Verlander's gone, Tucker's gone, Bregman's gone, Pressly's gone. An outfield of Altuve-McCormick-Meyers, even if it's not BAD, stands out. George Springer used to be here, Kyle Tucker used to be here. Even Jeremy Pena, and let's be clear here, a very good shortstop in his own right, has the unfathomable task of trying to match up to Carlos Correa, and he's only done so much. The Astros have Hayden Wesneski and Ryan Gusto in position to start games in case any one of the many guys on injury watch can't make it to Opening Day. Everything about this team screams 'diminishing returns to me'. And yes, the Astros are the kind of team that can make things happen with nothing, but without Tucker? Without Dusty Baker? With Altuve in left?

Also, the big feat for me might be starting this custom season with the three teams I enjoy talking about the least. The Red Sox, the Cardinals and the Astros, including Altuve. Just getting 'em out of the way. I usually leave them for last this month. 

The Long and Short of Things in Houston

 

To give you an idea of how things are going for the Astros, the top of the depth chart for starting pitching consists of five people who are currently injured. Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Lance McCullers, Jose Urquidy and Luis Garcia. That is an entire starting rotation worth of people that have had great seasons for the Astros. And they are all currently injured, with JV expected back...next month I think.

Until then, their rotation consists of the five next best options: Cristian Javier, Hunter Brown, J.P. France, Ronel Blanco and Spencer Arrighetti. In a different scenario, Javier would be a platooned rotation option, France, Brown and Blanco would have been dealt due to overflow. Arrighetti is a prospect, and he's not even the first prospect the 'Stros have thrown out this month; they tried Blair Henley, who got completely lit up by the Rangers' starting nine in just one inning. To Arrighetti's credit, he's looked a ton better, and might be a surprise hero for them this season.

I mean, let's be honest, we shouldn't be in a position where a team should need an entire backup rotation, but the Astros have enough depth and development that they do. Anybody else would start panicking, and the Astros have somebody like Ronel Blanco just sitting there. He gets up and allows 1 hit in 2 starts. And they have someone like Spencer Arrighetti, who can quiet the Royals [at least for an inning or so]. You don't see the other teams developing their team that well, though with the amount of pitching injuries I think you're beginning to see them start to.

At the same time, this team is still extremely well-built, and has a varied core made up of people from various points in this team's history. Jose Altuve is still the longest tenured hitter, and he's, I say this begrudgingly, only adding to his future Hall of Fame case. This season he's been playing spectacularly, hitting .333 with 16 hits, 3 RBIs and 3 homers. After being a pure contact man for his first several years, and then switching to power more recently, Altuve seems to have combined the two to level up even further. At 34, Altuve is still relevant, still producing prime numbers, and still a thorn in my side. And I have to hand it to him. I don't hate him because he's inefficient, I hate him because he's good, and he keeps being good. 

Him, Tucker, Bregman, Alvarez, Pena and Diaz have shown no atrophy at the core of this team, and they're still keeping opposing defenses at bay just by being overpowered [except the Yankees but they don't wanna talk about that]. The division matchups, especially the Rangers, will determine this team's full worth, and their current record is the result of being outmatched by teams with less backup pitching options, but for a sub-.500 team they're hitting extremely well, and shouldn't be counted out.

I know this seems like an Astros team that could underwhelm...but that's what they always want you to think. So I'll believe it when I see it.

Coming Tonight: I have done a custom of one of the three rookie Jacksons. Tonight is the second one. 

Division Series' Day One: One League Defied Expectations

 

So, uh, congrats to Texas on a job well done in Day 1 of the ALDS's. Uh...good for Texas. Maybe not good for me because I like the Orioles and Twins better, but...y'know, more on 'em.

The Rangers-O's game was heartbreaking but understandable. If the O's are going with rookie starters with John Means likely hurt again, and the Rangers are going with Andrew Heaney and Dane Dunning, this sort of thing is gonna happen. The O's were limited all game and couldn't get much done, while the Rangers got material out of Evan Carter and Josh Jung. It was close for a bit, but the Rangers' pen held it down, and the Rangers squeaked out a Game 1 win. With Gumby on the mound today against Grayson Rodriguez, they're hoping for similar luck.

....I'm so friggin sick of this team, guys.

Hey, the Twins are surging and coming into their own, and they're starting a young pitcher against Justin Verl-this isn't gonna be close, is it? 

You know the drill at this point. Verlander was untouchable, Altuve and Alvarez hit homers...this is just reruns from last year. I am so sick of the Astros just copypasting stuff from previous teams with no decay and no league repercussions. Altuve missed several months this year, then came back and started playing like he's still in his prime, and...I want Altuve to have one consequence. Just one consequence for his reprehensible actions. Possibly more. 

The Twins have Pablo Lopez tonight, he's been solid. The Astros have Framber Valdez, who, in theory, is their best pitcher, but has been way streakier than he was in 2022. The Twins could fight back. I kinda hope they do.

It's as simple as this. The Braves were losing momentum during the second half of September. The Phillies were gaining momentum, and gained even more at home against Miami. This was bound to happen.

Even with a great pitcher on the mound in Spencer Strider, the Phils snipped some runs away in between the strikeouts, including a Harper homer. Meanwhile, Suarez was strong from the start, the bullpen was masterful, and the defense was even better than usual, with Turner pulling that insane double play late to stop the Braves' offense. The Phillies looked incredible during Game 1, a sort of ironclad performance that I hope they can keep up for as long as possible. I do fear the Braves will eventually regain the momentum, but we silenced them at home for the first time all season. Something could be happening.

Kershaw in October, folks. What else can be said?

Look, when you lose all your good pitchers to injuries, then lose even more to suspensions, and the guys you have left are a guy who gets injured every year, two rookies and a veteran who just struggled coming back from an injury less than a year ago, any sense of high seedage isn't gonna save you. The Dodgers got by for a while without starting pitching, and now they're against a team with a scorching offense, a minimal rotation that still won while starting Brandon Pfaadt, and a lineup that got the best of Corbin Burnes. This may not end well.

Judging by Game 1, they're gonna need to hope that Lynn and Miller have something in 'em. The barrage of runs from Carroll, Longoria, Gurriel, Moreno and various others was a huge wake-up call. I will say, the Diamondbacks' unsung hero might have been Merrill Kelly, who shut down one of the most consistent lineups in the game and didn't allow any runs. 

The Dodgers are gonna need to hope that they can figure out this team, because if not, it's gonna be another tough postseason for them.

More AL shenanigans today. Hoping for somebody to go 1-1.

Game 2: Well, Yeah...

 

I never said they were gonna win it in 4. In fact, I think you'll find that I said they were lucky to win 1.

The Astros are...clearly the better team, and of course there are gonna be games where they just outhit the Phils. They started Framber Valdez, who NOBODY has been able to hit this year. And then they had people on the mound afterwards that we couldn't get to either. So...this was kinda bound to happen. Also, Jose Altuve getting a ton of hits and being the hero after letting people like Tucker, Alvarez, Bregman and Gurriel take it for a lot of this year was also kinda bound to happen. At the end of the day, he's still Jose Altuve, he's still an exceptional player, and he's gonna just annihilate pitching.

I am a little saddened that Zack Wheeler, the Phils' best starter, got a little battered out there, because if they've gotten to both of our starters and we haven't even had to bring out Gibson or Suarez yet, it's not looking very good for this team in the first few innings. I'm just happy that the bullpen has somehow been efficient so far, and that we can bring out Alvarado and Hand and Dominguez and people aren't hiding behind the couch.

We're going back to Philly for 3 games. With a home crowd in Philly, it's gonna be very loud, and I don't care if you're Lance McCullers or Luis Garcia, it's gonna be hard to get shit done when all of Philly is raining down on ya. Plus, I'm not sure if the shitty umps from last night who robbed the Phils of a home run and nickeled-and-dimed the balls and strikes will be in attendance in South Philly tomorrow night. I certainly hope not. 

And we know now that Martin Maldonado's illegal Albert Pujols bats will not be in attendance either. Look, man, if you're using illegal bats and you're STILL the team's worst hitter, it's not the bats that we should be worried about. Machete was NOT LIKE THIS a couple years ago, and now he is entirely defense and losing playing time, rightfully, to Christian Vazquez. If Altuve, jackass that he is, cheats, I get it, because he can go undetected cause he's pretty incredible on the norm. But if you go from hitting .177 to randomly hitting for power...it's gonna look pretty suspect. I don't care if you're Martin Maldonado or whoever. 

Look, as frustrating as last night was, this is still a very interesting World Series, and I am insanely invested. Game 3 is on Halloween night in Philadelphia. It has the makings to be a legendary game. All the Phillies' lineup needs to do is show up.

Evil Stands 5'6

 

A headline popped up on Twitter from the Chronicle as I was writing this that just about summed the entire Yankees-Astros thing up for me. "The Astros are Surging...and the Yankees are Concerned."

I can't think of a time from 2015 onward where this doesn't sum up the Yankees-Astros rivalry. The Astros and Yankees have been good this entire stretch, but the Astros have always been better. No matter what the Yankees have in their arsenal, the Astros can always get past it. Sometimes it's because they're stealing signs. Sometimes it's because they're just better. And even this year, when the Yankees have the best team in baseball, the Astros can still steal some games from them, including a frigging no-hitter AT YANKEE STADIUM. 

And then there's Jose Altuve. Who is universally believed to be a great player, except in the Bronx, where he's the spawn of Satan. 

When Altuve retires, his Hall of Fame case is going to be very odd. He was a pure contact hitter for the first 8 years of his career, got 200 hits every year, and then around 2019 he just suddenly became a power hitter, and he's been decent enough at that ever since. The belief is that Altuve will hit 2000 hits either next year or, if he gets really contact-heavy all of the sudden, at the very end of this year. The thing is, though, with how he's emphasized power more than contact lately, I don't even know if he's a shoo-in for 3000 anymore. After the 2018 season, at age 28, Altuve had 1419 hits, and was at the perfect pace to get 3000. Now, I am not so sure that's even a goal for him anymore. Neither is a home run mark. 

I think, even if Altuve is a valuable hitter and a centerpiece of these excellent Astros teams, he's spread himself way too thin to preserve his legacy as either a contact hitter or a power hitter. He tried to do too many things and compromised his ability to do just one of them really well. And also he beat the Yankees in a playoff game using an illegal sign-stealing aid. 

Altuve's still a great player. He's hitting .278 this year with 16 homers and 29 RBIs. Only 70 hits. He fits right in with the power-intensive core of Alvarez, Tucker and Bregman, and he's still an elder statesman who's been there since they were an NL team. I think he's a very important MLB figure and a great player, and I can still think that while also despising him. 

Coming Tomorrow- When the Dodgers signed him, I figured he'd be a fifth starter turned relief piece. Hoo boy, was I wrong.

Tuve or Not Tuve

 You know, it's never BAD players who turn heel, is it?

Come to think of it, it's always guys who are at the top of their game and really good that are easier to hate, and that take on the fully villainous persona. Jose Bautista embraced it during his Blue Jays heyday. Manny Ramirez graciously became the fun, villainous jester during the 2004 and 2007 playoff seasons. Players like Cody Ross, David Freese, even Brian Wilson, got their reputation for being big, exceptional players whose abilities feel like a smack in the face when they happen to you. It's never happened to anyone untalented, though a case can be made with Cody Ross [that is a joke, for the record].

Jose Altuve's decent into baseball infamy may be the most heartbreaking of all though.

The first stretch of his career feature contact numbers like no one else in the game at the time. 4 straight 200+ hit seasons, 5 straight .300+ average seasons, a 30.2 WAR between 2014 and 2018. These numbers were making Altuve look like a future hall of famer, and one of the most fun 2nd baseman to watch in years. 

Then, starting in 2019, Altuve began to instead take after 2nd basemen like Jeff Kent and Roberto Alomar. First of all, he shifts to being a power bat, rakes in 31 homers and only 149 hits. Then, at the end of the 2019 season, it's revealed how much of a stake Altuve had in the stolen 2017 World Series, and the telltale jersey-tug that spoiled the whole thing. And as Altuve is barely even punished for his actions, he decides to play up the infamy and continue his reign. After a weak year in 2020, Altuve returns to glory, with 16 home runs so far, a .298 average, 38 RBIs and a 2.6 WAR. 

Altuve is getting good again...specifically so we'll all be forced to like him once more. And if we don't...he can keep being this good, and we can hate him for it. If we don't want Altuve to be Batman, that's fine. He can very easily become the Joker.

And that's where Altuve and the Astros are at. Still good, still a few games behind the A's, still powered by the same, unpunished core that's still good, and still the scourge of the rest of the MLB. Pitchers who are losing spin rate thanks to the tack reparations Manfred is laying down have pointed to his lack of punishment for the Astros as a way of saying that Manfred doesn't have the game's best interest in mind, and I agree with them. What Rob Manfred is doing is making the game more palatable to people who hate baseball, him included. Nobody cares about pace of play, or pitchers getting a good grip on the ball, or how dead the ball actually is. And when something we do care about comes along, like a team legitimately cheating and stealing signs to win a World Series, we're told not to care at all. 

And so the Astros are good again, and it's good for baseball somehow, and we're supposed to be okay with it. And Jose Altuve might be an All Star again, and maybe a Hall of Famer, and we're supposed to be okay with it. And pitchers are blowing out their arms and hindering their careers getting around this substance ban, and we're supposed to be okay with it. 

Cause this is baseball. Why overthink baseball?, says Manfred. Why take something as something other than face value? Why go against the natural order of all things? If Manfred doesn't punish people who interfere with the sanctity of the game...what does that say about the rest of society? That people will do illegal shit and get away with it because they're rich and talented and that's the way life's supposed to go? Meanwhile, there's people who start from the bottom and do it with honesty and integrity and they suffer and lose out to people like the Astros. Is Manfred saying that they don't matter?

...I'm sorry, this very quickly became about something other than baseball. Or Jose Altuve. But it's all valid.

The game's broken, Manfred's not fixing it, Jose Altuve could see the playoffs again. What does it matter? It's only a game. 

Isn't it?

Coming Tonight: A happier post, I hope. A sharp pitcher for a team clawing their way back up the ladder.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Astros

 

2020 proved that without Jeff Luhnow, A.J. Hinch, the men that helped the Astros cheat, and Gerrit Cole, the man that made the Astros unhittable, the Houston Astros were...still able to advance up until the ALCS. 

Obviously the Astros weren't reprimanded enough. The tools to win is embedded in the foundation of this team, and once we get rid of that, the Astros will finally become the tanking sad-sacks we want them to be. Losing George Springer this year will propel them towards that outcome.

They still have a few more years left of Jose Altuve, though, who took the next step in his transformation from one of the premier defensive contact hitters in the game to just another one-dimensional power hitter. For the first time ever, Altuve finished a season with a negative WAR, an average below .275 and more than 75% as many strikeouts as he did hits. Definitely a weak season from the guy who, prior to cheating, was looking like a career talent.

2021 Prediction: A full season brings a higher average, but I still think he's gonna be focusing on his home run totals and less on contact. A .250 average and a low WAR awaits.

Another victim of not only the shorter season but the lack of trashcans was Yuli Gurriel. After batting into the .290s for the last 3 years, Gurriel saw his average drop to .232, and hit 22 RBIs and 6 home runs. Like Altuve, he also had a negative WAR this year. Just putting that out there.

2021 Prediction: Will not end the year in Houston.

Like last year, Jose Urquidy was brought up in the last third of the season and made some crucial playoff starts for the Astros. In 5 regular season starts he had a 2.75 ERA and 17 strikeouts. In 3 postseason starts he had 12 strikeouts but 2 no-decisions and a loss. Clearly his prowess isn't to blame in those counts, as he's still a durable arm.

2021 Prediction: The Astros do what they should have done this year and keep him in the rotation starting in April, he'll win 10 games and strike out 150. 

After being a minor prospect and sixth-string starter for the last few years in Houston, Framber Valdez finally got the majority of the season to make crucial starts. In 10 starts, he had a 3.57 ERA, a 5-3 record, and a club-high 76 strikeouts. He also had a 3-1 record this postseason, with 24 strikeouts in 26 innings.

2021 Prediction: An ASG gig, 200 strikeouts, and some borderline ace status as Greinke and Verlander leave.

One of the more unlikely Rookie of the Year candidates was Cristian Javier, who began the year as a relief option for the Astros and eventually became a crucial starting option for the team. Javier did not disappoint, with a 3.48, a 5-2 record and 54 Ks, in addition to posting the highest WAR of any pitcher in Houston with 1.3. 

2021 Prediction: A sophomore slump is imminent, but the majority of his losses will be due to the lack of run support that is imminent for an Astros team without Brantley and Springer. 

Last year's amusing fringe relief rookie was Josh James. This year, we had two in Houston. One of them was Andre Scrubb, the imposing, long-armed longer-reliever who dazzled opponents with a 1.90 ERA, only 5 earned runs, and 24 strikeouts. 

2021 Prediction: A few more saves than he's expecting, but a much higher ERA.

The other rookie relief fringe guy was Enoli Paredes, who was already making waves out of summer camp with his speed, and continued on into the season as a crucial relief option for the pitching-friendly Astros. Paredes posted a 3.05 ERA in 20.2 innings.

2021 Prediction: When Ryan Pressly fumbles the closing gig, Paredes will be the first man they hand it to, and he won't disappoint.

There were a few bench players for the Astros that didn't make much of an impact, like Myles Straw and Abraham Toro and guys like that. Really, the best bench option for the 'Stros was Aledmys Diaz. In his second year in Houston, Diaz hit .241 in 17 games, and was a solid, durable backup option at 2nd base. 

2021 Prediction: Continues in this limited role in Houston for a few months, and eventually weasels into a starting gig, either in Houston or a smaller-market team.

Coming Tomorrow- Customs from an AL West team who decided to not cheat and had a winning record.

To Rout, and Then Be Routed

Bit of a whirlwind couple days for the Houston Astros.

Sunday night, behind Gerrit Cole, they defeat the Mariners 21-1. Yordan Alvarez has 6 RBIs, Cole has 15 strikeouts, and the M's have no chance.

Monday night, behind Zack Greinke, they defeat the Athletics 15-0, which is a lot tougher to do, especially when Mike Fiers is on the mound. Greinke goes 6 strong, Alvarez hits 2 more homers, Robinson Chirinos hits 2 homers, and the place goes wild.

Last night...different story entirely.

Last night, the A's defeated the Astros 21-7, behind a Tanner Roark performance that still gave up 3 home runs, and two-homer-games from Sean Murphy and Matt Olson. And yet even in this shellacking, the A's still give up 2 home runs each to Michael Brantley and Martin Maldonado. That's gotta be a fun-fact stat- the A's, in two straight nights, give up two home runs each to TWO DIFFERENT CATCHERS. Can't wait to read that in next year's Athlon preview.

So what does this mean? It means that the Astros are capable of winning big games, AND losing big games. They've dropped a few double-digit games to teams like the Pirates, Blue Jays, Mariners and Royals this year. It's not like you have to go 'oh, this is Wade Miley's fault' or whatever. Every Astros pitcher gave up some runs at some point, even Joe Biagini, who was part of a no-hitter earlier this year. Sometimes, games like this happen.

Are the Astros any less of a postseason threat now that a Wild Card candidate has driven 21 points from them? No.

The Astros still have the best rotation in baseball, the best lineup in baseball, this year's supposed Cy Young and Rookie of the Year winners, an MVP candidate in Alex Bregman, and Jose Altuve's single-best home-run hitting season yet. The dude has 26 home runs, which is a career high for him, and only 135 total hits, which is a low, albeit an injury-truncated low but still. The transformation of Jose Altuve from a contact hitter into a 25-home-run-hitter is...surprising, but necessary.

Even with Correa on the IL, Aledmys Diaz and Myles Straw strong in his place. Even with Josh Reddick with a low WAR, George Springer is a surprising swing-man. Even with a full lineup and bench, Kyle Tucker's still getting some playing time in. And we're only partway through September.

Can't wait to see what these guys do next.

Coming Tonight: Yes, they've cliched the NL West for the seventh year in a row. But when will they have something greater to show for it?

No Small Feat

Jose Altuve makes it look easy, man.

He's 5 foot 6, he hits 200 hits per year, hasn't batted under .300 since 2013, and just gets up there and smacks the ball around a bit. I don't know how he does it as well as he does, but he's one talented player, and the Astros are lucky to have him.

Like Anthony Rizzo and Alex Gordon, the 2017 Astros team started by building around the first young kid to come up and stick around, which was Altuve. And as more prospects started filling the team, like George Springer, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman, the title only became more inevitable. Having Jose Altuve as the team's rock was the smartest decision, because I can think of no other recent hitter that's been more reliable than Altuve has. While Gordon and Rizzo can duck back and let someone else take the reins...Altuve has shown no signs of that. And I imagine this will amount to a longer Astros renaissance than those other teams.

That's not to say Altuve is doing all the work- Bregman, Springer, Yuli Gurriel and Evan Gattis have also contributed to the offensive. Additionally, the lineup has the honor of being supported by the single most powerful pitching staff in baseball right now. Not even a down Dallas Keuchel performance can stop this one. Verlander, Cole, Morton, McCullers--all of them are incredible right now, and none of them can be stopped.

The Astros do need to worry about something they barely had to worry about in 2017: competition. The Mariners are rather close behind them, and...I can't believe I'm saying this, but the Oakland A's are beginning to creep up as well. I wish I could write something that strange. But the M's have won 7 straight, and the Astros, if they want to hold onto first, would need to do something awful similar to that. With Altuve, it's definitely not out of the question, but as the back half of the lineup begins to dissolve a bit, it's becoming more dire than it needs to be.

Coming Tonight: We wrote him off as a one-season fluke...and then, finally, he figures out how to do something else other than hit home runs.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2017: Astros

So in case you guys missed it, the Houston Astros won their first World Series this year.

To be honest, thinking about 2017, this made the most sense, and gave us a team with a strong arc that followed through across the months. It's easy to see a feel-good team fail early (like, I dunno, the Yankees), but the Astros came up strong in April and finished strong in October. You rarely see that anymore.

I'd already made a custom of George Springer this year, but seeing as he'd win the MVP of the World Series, and solidify his status as a rising star, another one seemed necessary.

Mike Fiers was a well-used force in the rotation, as many of the more notable arms kept getting injured. This went...sort of well for him, at least in the first half, although people eventually figured out how to hit him, and he spent most of October in the bullpen, or on the bench.

Collin McHugh returned late in the year, and lit up the rotation like he'd been waiting to. He was a trusty third-fourth arm in the rotation, seriously helping his team's cause in the World Series. I'm guessing he'll have a more impressive 2018 given another full year.

Meanwhile, this guy.

Jose Altuve had been deserving an MVP for the past few years, and I'm so glad he finally got one ALONG WITH a World Series. The guy is one of the best pure hitters in the game, he's a great defensive 2nd baseman, he's super-fun, and he's the guy the Astros centered this young team around. I'm so happy he finally got what he deserved, and I hope this isn't the end of the accolades for him.

Coming Tomorrow- They didn't do especially well, but I feel like the future's beginning to look bright for this NorCal team.

MVPs: Well Deserved Edition

Now, I know what you're thinking. How am I not pissy about Aaron Judge not getting MVP? I mean, it's been 7 years since CC Sabathia got robbed for Cy Young, and you still go on about that, but why not this?

...Because I kinda knew that Aaron Judge wasn't gonna be MVP from his August alone. Like, unlike Jose Altuve, Judge was human this year. Judge made mistakes. He struck out a ton. But throughout the entire season, Jose Altuve hit for average, hit home runs like hell, played great in the field, and did a tremendous all-around job of playing baseball, as he's done every year since 2012. So, of course, he deserved the MVP over Judge, and I ain't mad.

With Giancarlo Stanton winning, you also need to talk about the fact that Joey Votto was trailing him the entire time, and almost won had it not been for 2 Stanton votes. I mean, both Stanton and Votto are among baseball's best, and while Votto has kind of already made his Cooperstown case clear, Stanton had a HUGE all-around year, hitting like hell the entire time, and still being able to hit for average. His 59 homers have drilled him into the records until somebody, probably him again, chases Ruth, Maris (and those other guys).

These two deserved to be the 2017 MVPs. For both, it was about damn time.

Playoffs Update: Predictability Wins!

As if this guy wasn't having a big enough season. Three home runs in one playoff game, off of Chris Sale and friends. And this is only the beginning.

I knew the Astros would be able to clobber the Red Sox, but I didn't think it'd be like this. Last night's game was unbelievable, and today they're making even quicker work of them. Eduardo Nunez is down, the pitching looks human, and...the Big Bad Red Sox that made it so difficult for the Yankees back there aren't looking so big and bad anymore. What's more, the Astros are looking stronger, and more powerful, than they've looked in months. This will be more evident once they get to take on the left field wall in Fenway.

As for the other matchup...

Well, damn if I didn't see this coming.

Not sure why everybody's been getting the best of Sonny Gray this year, but Jay Bruce and the gang made quick work of him, even with Trevor Bauer on the mound, doing career work, for them. This was something I saw coming, because as good as the Yankees are, the Indians are miles ahead, and already putting their feet on the trophy. Tonight, the Indians face CC Sabathia, which will hopefully be a little tougher for them. Hope the Yankees' lineup wakes up, too.

And, to preview the NL matchups:

This one's gonna be tight. The Cubs are fighting to survive, the Nats are fighting to finally win an NLDS. Can they do it this year? Well, with Stephen Strasburg on the mound and Bryce Harper in the lineup, anything's possible. Even with Kyle Hendricks, one of the few Cubs stars to make an effort to repeat the 2016 glory, on the mound, the Nats are going try to start strong. This is either gonna be close or an absolute blowout.

And, on the other side of the country,

 Well, just looking at this, you can make a guess as to who's gonna win, but, as the sportswriters LOVE to point out, Clayton Kershaw is never great in October, and hopefully this year he finally turns that stat around. Plus, as Taijuan Walker is a solid, yet unspectacular, third starter (it honestly should have been Robbie Ray tonight), the Dodgers will be encouraged to smack the living daylights out of the ball. I'm thinking a LA win will happen, but stranger things have happened.

Let's see how this one goes.

Is It Humanly Possible to be This Good?

The Astros have won their last 9 games, and are 11 games in front of the competition. Their starting nine is on fire, Ken Giles is ruling the ninth, and they're getting a ton of 'best team in baseball' monikers.

However...I still think they can do better. I still think they can improve their team so they can finish the season in first, and not behind the Rangers.

The pitching has an amazing start- Dallas Keuchel, who hasn't lost a game, and Lance McCullers, who's having his best season. And Mike Fiers, who's alright this year. But thanks to the injuries of Joe Musgrove and Charlie Morton, that's honestly where the rotation ends. Brad Peacock and David Paulino are currently occupying the last two spots, but they're doing alright. Not wonderful, alright.

If the Astros wanna perfect a well-oiled machine, they can either call up someone in the minors who's doing well (Brady Rodgers is doing well enough so far), cross fingers that McHugh, Morton and Musgrove manage to meliorate methodically (HEY!), or they can trade for a pitcher that nobody's using (or someone's misusing). I'd say that they could sign Doug Fister, who I'd assumed was still a free agent, but apparently the Angels signed him a few weeks ago without my knowing.

The smartest option would be to work with this current rotation, call someone up if need be, and potentially trade for an arm at the deadline.

Right now, however, it's not a huge problem- the Astros are still incredible. I'm just fearing the moment where they become human for a second.

Coming Tomorrow- Catcher for a first-place team that's half-injured and half-surging.

On the ASG Starters, or Not Too Bad, Guys...

I was actually expecting to spew a lot more venom about these ASG rosters- there's actually a ton they got right, and not TOO MANY what-the-hell-are-they-doing-here inclusions. i'll do what I do every year- go one by one down the roster and figure out whether these guys deserved it.

NATIONAL LEAGUE:

Starters:
C: Buster Posey: This is the right answer. I think he's definitely having a better season than Yadier Molina, who would have been the other choice.
1B: Anthony Rizzo. Because of course.
2B; Ben Zobrist. He's been phenomenal so far, so yeah.
SS: Addison Russell- perhaps the toughest sell of the four infielders, but still nice.
3B: Kris Bryant- Definitely agreed.
OFs: Yoenis Cespedes, Bryce Harper, Dexter Fowler. All three are well deserved, although Fowler is on the DL and likely won't be able to play, so expect a quick fill-in. Cespedes and Harper are great choices.

Reserves:
C: Jonathan Lucroy. Only Brewer, I think, and the only guy who really deserves it.
C: Wilson Ramos. Not a ton of DC position players, but he at least is KILLING it this year. Happy for him.
1B: Wil Myers. Padres' only nod. Would have had Matt Kemp, but not complaining.
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, because you can't have an All Star team these days without him.
2B: Daniel Murphy. There were only 88 separating him and Zo, so this makes sense.
INF: Matt Carpenter. Yeah, definitely. He might be the only Cardinal, though (HAHAHAHAHA!)
3B: Nolan Arenado. With the season he's having, of course.
SS: Corey Seager, one of the few rookies on the squad. No problems here.
OF: Odubel Herrera. He had a MONSTER game yesterday, so I'm LOVING this pick.
OF: Carlos Gonzalez. Glad to see he's back.
OF: Marcell Ozuna. Comeback story of the year, definitely.
OF: Adam Duvall, who'll be the only Red. I'm sorry, but I would have preferred Jay Bruce.

Pitchers:
Clayton Kershaw, who's injured and won't be able to play.
Jake Arrieta, who better start, or else it's an insane missed opportunity.
Stephen Strasburg. Now that he's back and healthy, this is a given, and it is WELCOME.
Madison Bumgarner, who is questionable (sunday start), but should squeak in (fingers crossed)
Noah Syndergaard who is the (gasp) ONLY METS STARTER ON THE TEAM!!! Still if I'm gonna pick one, it's gonna be Thor.
Johnny Cueto, who definitely deserves it this season.
Jose Fernandez. I was worried about this guy for a few years, so good to see he's got the nod.
Julio Teheran, the only Brave, and the only one worth a damn.
Jon Lester, who definitely deserves the gig.
Jeurys Familia, the best closer in baseball, who would cause some rioting right now if he didn't make it.
Kenley Jansen, who's making the Dodgers happy they didn't get Chapman.
Fernando Rodney, who is the closest thing to a set-up man on the NL roster, and is still semi-deserved.
Mark Melancon, who's somehow the only Pittsburgh Pirate on the roster (though I'm thinking Marte or Polanco will squeak in thanks to Fowler's injury)
A.J. Ramos, who's become a pretty great closer in Miami.

AMERICAN LEAGUE:

Starters:
C: Salvador Perez, the top vote getter, and the best defensive catcher in baseball.
1B: Eric Hosmer, who deserves the nod, even if there's not a TON of Royals hitters here.
2B: Jose Altuve. I voted for Cano, but Altuve has garnered some serious hit-momentum, even better than his 2014 stuff.
SS: Xander Bogaerts, one of the men Red Sox on the squad.
3B: Manny Machado. Some serious improvement in his stuff over the last few years.
DH: David Ortiz. No, seriously, who the hell else was gonna get the DH spot???
OFs: Mike Trout, Jackie Bradley and Mookie Betts. Trout is an absolute given, because...he's Mike Trout. Bradley and Betts are in because of some hardcore fast-voting Red Sox fans. Not to say they don't deserve it.

Reserves:
C: Matt Wieters. Honestly, this shocks me. Yes, he's having his best season in years, but I never would have called his inclusion. Happy for him, though.
C: Stephen Vogt. 2nd year in a row. Thanks to injuries, he gets the spot Rich Hill would have gotten.
1B: Miguel Cabrera. I admit it- he's back, and he's not going away anytime soon.
2B: Robinson Cano, who SHOULD BE starting.
3B: Josh Donaldson. Yeah, he warrants an inclusion just from existing.
SS: Francisco Lindor. He spontaneously brought his team back from the dead, so he deserves it, though I'm pretty mad not too many other hitters made it in.
SS: Eduardo Nunez, who will be the Twins' only inclusion, over Joe Mauer, because the world has gone mad.
DH; Edwin Encarnacion, because with the season Ortiz is having, 2nd place should get a trophy too.
OF: Carlos Beltran. DAMN. RIGHT.
OF: Ian Desmond. I'm surprised about the lack of Rangers hitters on the roster- no Beltre, Odor, Andrus or Mazara, but Desmond's inclusion is fine.
OF: Mark Trumbo. Yeah, he deserves it.

Pitchers:
Chris Sale. Our starter, most likely.
Danny Salazar: Yeah, not a ton of Indians starters, either, but Salazar is enough.
Cole Hamels. He's given up a few too many runs for my liking, but I'm glad he's in, though it would have been Colby Lewis had he not gotten injured.
Marco Estrada. With the season he's having, I guess so.
Steven Wright. Good to have a knuckleballer on the squad, even if it's an inexplicable one.
Dellin Betances. This is his THIRD ASG appearance. Way to go Betances.
Alex Colome. Alright, I guess he deserves it. Sad that he's the only Ray.
Brad Brach. I don't think Ned Yost should have included this many middle relievers, despite whether or not they deserved it. There are little to no starters, and WAY TOO MANY middle relievers and closers. Brach is alright, but...he shouldn't be here.
Zach Britton. THAT is more like it. That I can see.
Wade Davis, who is injured and will be replaced, and ether be replaced by a damn starter.
Kelvin Herrera, another 'okay' Middle Reliever. I don't care if he's Neds. This is also his 2nd nod.
Craig Kimbrel. THERE'S a closer who deserves it.
Andrew Miller. 2/3rds of the Yankee behemoth is on tab here. No Chapman, but he's honestly not as great as the other two here.
Will Harris. Yet another middle reliever. If the pitching is a huge problem for the AL team, it's because there are too many middle relievers and not enough starters.

Other than some Ned Yost issues, and a few very odd inclusions, these are, generally, pretty nice rosters. Hopefully these will shape into better ones, and not deteriorate over time thanks to sunday pitchers dropping out.

What the Hell Happened to the Astros??

No, seriously. This is pretty baffling to me, actually.

The Astros were so phenomenal last year, in just about every way. The lineup worked, the pitching staff was dominating, the momentum was there. There weren't too many drastic roster changes for 2016, and most of the guys who were killing it last year are still there. In fact, a few crucial pieces were added rather than subtracted.

So...I really don't understand why they aren't winning games.

They have the same guys hitting, too. Colby Rasmus is off to a pretty nice start, and Tyler White had some pretty electrifying stuff earlier, and Dallas Keuchel is still shutting people down. And yet people like the Mariners and Rangers are taking care of the top of the division.

This isn't like the Twins thing, because the Twins were juuuust running out of momentum at the end of 2015, and their decline sort of makes sense in hindsight. The Astros ended last season still with a ton of momentum, still really powerful, which is why the deflation right now doesn't make sense to me.

Hopefully this is just a momentary thing, and hopefully they'll get hot again in the next few weeks and put to rest all the really worried sportswriters. They're a fun team, and they don't deserve to be back in last after everything that's happened to them.

Coming Tonight-  He hasn't hit as many home runs as Trevor Story, but he's still one of the most impressive home run hitters in Denver.

Custom Card of the Day: Altuve Edition

When the Astros swapped over the AL a few years ago, they had basically nothing. Their only good pitcher would be in Baltimore by the end of the season. Their DH was past his prime. Their shortstop would be in Oakland eventually. Their manager was far from spotless.

The only threat they had was Jose Altuve...which, as people are now beginning to realize, is a pretty big threat.

In 2014, Altuve topped the hits list, the Batting Average list, and became one of the best defensive infielders in the game, behind Robinson Cano. And slowly, people began to veer their eyes towards Houston like they hadn't since the 2005 season. There was actually some growth, some progress, SOMETHING, going on there, and Jose Altuve was the catalyst.

Now, like the Marlins with Stanton, the Astros have built their roster around Jose Altuve. Chris Carter, George Springer, even a returning Jed Lowrie. And, while it may not have any short-term consequences, this team could be very big in a few years, if their talent sticks around. Altuve could be the kind of person the Astros need to lock up, if they haven't already.

I'm expecting Altuve to have another huge season, even if the Astros end up in fourth or fifth again.

Coming Tomorrow- It's an odd numbered year, which usually means the Giants aren't going to do as well as they would in an even numbered year, but above all else, they should not panic. And neither should their second baseman.

Custom Card of the Day: Altuve Edition

Let's not beat around the bush here, the Astros are by no means a good baseball team. They have little elements to a good team, but they don't have anything close to a full reliable roster yet. True, bringing up people like Jon Singleton and George Springer is definitely helping, and pitching by Dallas Keuchel is helping things, but they still have a ways to go.

They should be very happy they have a legitimate star like Jose Altuve, because without him the Astros would be nothing.

Back when Altuve came up, Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence were still with the team. For both players, that is two teams ago. For everyone else, that is three seasons ago. Still, in that time Altuve has stuck around and become an elite second baseman, or at least one of the stronger second baseman in the division (no, Robbie, I mean THIS YEAR).

He's probably going to be their sole All Star rep, just like usual, and he'll play an inning for the AL just for the sake of playing. But still, I'm glad that Astros fans have somebody like him.

Coming Tomorrow- one of the best pitchers in the game, still in Detroit.

Custom Card of the Day: Opening Day Retrospective Edition

I wouldn't want to have been in a Las Vegas casino on Sunday night, the night of the first game of the season between the Astros and the Rangers. If I was a passerby in any casino, I would have seen countless Ranger fans, as well as gamblers who know the game of baseball, walking out sobbing, throwing their empty wallet in the trashcan, and resorting to a flask for solace.

Nobody in Vegas would have bet on the Astros to win the first game of the season.Which is why it's so astounding that they pummeled the crap out of Texas.

Some may argue that Texas' lead was destroyed by two botched calls in favor of Houston. However, no blown calls prevented the Astros from scoring more points than them to begin with. Besides, some players, such as Bud Norris, Rick Ankiel, and Jose Altuve were smoking the ball that night, and their homers and brilliant games led to a deserved win.

What does it say about the Astros? It says that they're not as terrible than we all thought. Sure, they may lose every other game this season, but we all thought that they'd do poorly against people like the Rangers. Turns out they're willing and able to hit and pitch well against teams as well formulated as that. They may be the underdogs of the division, but they could win some games here and there in 2013. I'm not saying they'll win the division or anything, but don't quote me if I say they won't.

What does it say about the Rangers? It says that the glory days might be coming to an end. Josh Hamilton and Michael Young were the reason people went to Rangers games, hitting well every game, playing like champions. Now that they're gone, the Rangers, while still solid, are depleted. Their pitching staff is young, and faulty. Their batting roster has some major holes. And the Astros took major advantage of their faults Sunday night. Does this mean the Rangers are dead? Not necessarily, but it means they may or may not do as well as they've done in years past. However, this basically just sets them up to ironically win the division, unless the Astros do first. But again, don't quote me.

What does it say about baseball? That it never ceases to surprise its millions of fans. And that you can quote me on.

Coming Tomorrow: The top ace of Anaheim.

Custom Card of the Day: Altuve Edition



There isn't too much to say here. It's Jose Altuve, he's on the Astros, his team sucks, he's a good prospect. Weak night, I guess.

Coming Tomorrow- Last year he sucked. This year he's finally hitting.