Uncustomed Heroes of 2022: Astros

 

Well...the Astros certainly did win a World Series this year.

I'm not saying this as if they weren't the best team. No, they WERE the best team for it. Typically, though, in recent history, the really good regular season teams have hysterical comeuppances, a lot like the Mets and Dodgers did this year. So the Astros being the best all year and waltzing to the end, over much more deserving teams like the Mariners and Phillies...yeah, kinda anticlimactic. They had a hell of a team, so many assets, so many heroes...but yeah, storywise it wasn't a great ending. 

Aledmys Diaz has been the Astros' chief utility man for the last few years, and he had another nice season filling multiple roles for the team well into the playoffs. Diaz hit .243 this year with 12 homers, 38 RBIs and 74 hits. I'm glad he's come into his own in Houston, as he struggled to really find a niche after leaving the Cardinals. 

2023 Prediction: A less-competitive team is gonna sign him and let him start again. 

Luis Garcia might be THE unsung hero of the Astros' rotation at this point. If you've got Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Lance McCullers, Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy, the idea is you really don't need anyone else. And yes, by the postseason Garcia was being used as a long reliever. But...Garcia still had some nice stuff for his sophomore season, with a 15-8 record, a 3.72 ERA and 157 Ks. Maybe not as flashy as Valdez or Verlander, but insanely efficient.

2023 Prediction: In a slightly less populous rotation, Garcia will have a true standout season and get an ASG nod. This year was Valdez' turn to emerge, now it's Garcia's.

Martin Maldonado exists solely for his defense at this point, and I think that's fine with the Astros. They got Christian Vazquez as an offensive catcher for the postseason, and they're chasing somebody like Willson Contreras for the long term, but Machete's defense was one of the edges the Astros had during the postseason. That and Machete's tendency to lean all the way over the base, get hit by a pitch and bring up the guy that'll win the Series for them. 

At the plate, though, business as usual for late-career Maldonado. .186 average, a team-low 64 hits, 15 homers and 116 Ks. You don't get him for his offense, though, and Machete earned his ring as a defensive machine, so I've gotta give him that.

2023 Prediction: I'm really thinking they're gonna use Maldy as a backup. If not, they reeeeally should.

The Astros' best relief performance this year came from former Tampa Bay opener Ryne Stanek, who's transitioned admirably from the 1st inning to the eighth. Stanek was rock-solid in 59 appearances, with a shockingly low 1.15 ERA, 62 strikeouts and only 8 runs allowed. While not the comeback that Hector Neris was or the ninth inning year Ryan Pressly had, Stanek was the picture of consistency for a completely unhittable bullpen.

2023 Prediction: Probably won't compare to his 2022, but will still make some crucial postseason appearances for the 'Stros. 

I already documented Christian Vazquez during the regular season, so here's the Astros' other deadline acquisition, Orioles hero Trey Mancini, whose presence on this Astros team at least added a slight silver lining. Mancini, himself truly a holdover at first in between peak Gurriel and the Abreu deal starting next year, did a lackluster job in Houston, hitting below .200 during the regular season and only mustering one hit during the postseason. It could be chalked up to a new team and a new city, but the bottom line is that Mancini finally got to play in the postseason. Hopefully not the last time.

2023 Prediction: Somebody'll sign him as an everyday DH, and he'll hopefully have enough time to get back to his Baltimore-era production. 

Tomorrow, we discuss a few stragglers from the forgettable 2022 A's.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2018: Rays

Pop quiz: out of all 20 teams that missed the playoffs this year, which one had the best record?

...Okay, having this being a Rays post is kind of a giveaway, but...say you didn't have the title as a clue? You could have guessed Colorado, or Seattle, or the Cardinals or Nationals...but the Rays, with their mega-September, and their...incredibly strange tactics, finished with 90 wins, which would be impressive in a division that didn't have the Yankees or Red Sox.

Again, this is thanks to Kevin Cash's impressive managing, the homegrown oddball quality of the roster, the team's ace winning a Cy Young, and the pitching staff embracing the 'opener' concept after losing two of their strongest starting pitchers.

And the guy that was thought to be the star of the show this year, Kevin Kiermaier, was...not really a factor. In missing a few months to injury, he effectively handed the reins to the team to...okay, first to Denard Span, but then to Matt Duffy, who's trying to Travis Shaw his way to a leadership thing in Tampa. Kiermaier is still a sharp player, but his .217 average doesn't bode well.

Carlos Gomez, seen here clutching a gigantic glove yet still sporting a .967 fielding percentage, was hired as a veteran bat. But...his bat didn't really show up, did it? The guy batted .208 with 9 home runs. Far from his Milwaukee days, I think. Honestly, his success may have a geographical component- some cities, like Milwaukee and Arlington, suit him well. And some, like Houston...and Tampa...do not.

Daniel Robertson was a utility infielder/outfielder that had been stewing in the minors, waiting for a chance to start, and thanks to the rise of the rookies he got his chance, and did fairly well. He notched 34 RBIs in 87 games before an injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year.

 Thankfully Willy Adames was on hand to keep the rookie train going, putting up some fierce rookie numbers while vying for the starting 2nd base position with Joey Wendle. He was so good that he was essentially handed the shortstop gig, and managed to hit 10 home runs, which is not bad for a primarily defensive standout.

 But, again, we can't talk about the 2018 Rays without mentioning the bullpen. Ryne Stanek was one of the more impressive bullpen pieces the Rays had, because he could do middle relief, and he was the most likely to open games for Tampa, notching 29 opener appearances. This is definitely a similar reliever to Josh Vader, the long-haired, hard throwing tall dude. And hopefully his role in this bullpen will expand further in 2019.

 Jose Alvarado was the more traditional reliever, used for holds and saves in place of the main closer, and he did a nice job, getting 8 saves, and leaving with a 2.39 ERA.

Plus...Sergio Romo got to hold down a closing gig for the first time since the Giants were a contending team. He put up 25 saves (alright, granted, on 33 opportunities), but was one of the voices of experience in a very young bullpen.

Tommy Pham was a surprise deadline acquisition for Tampa, as the Cardinals thought they were in a dealing mode in July, when in reality they were just freeing up a starting space for Harrison Bader. But...Pham hit 7 home runs in 34 games, with a .343 average. The guy clearly has mastered hitting for average, and he's turned his career around from being a bench mainstay. Hopefully he keeps it up.

Coming Tomorrow- They're big, bad, and they won the whole thing.