Houston, we don’t have a problem!
The month of April has not been kind to the Houston Astros. Since the start of their 2016 season the Astros hold a 6-15 record, which is dead last in their division.
The Astros will be fine, and Houston fans should not jump off the Astro’s bandwagon just yet. Even with a horrific record in April, the Astros will still win the division and make a solid push in the postseason.
Pitching: The Astros starters have given up more runs in the first inning than any other team in the league in the first 18 games. This will be corrected as pitchers will become available from the disabled list. It all starts with the Dallas Keuchel, Astros Cy Young winner and south paw. He will give a solid performance every time he touches the pitcher’s mound. Next, Collin McHugh, right-handed pitcher, who won 19 games for the Astros a year ago, and has had a rough April. Look for him to win 12-to-15 games this year. Lance McCullers, the Astros’ young flame thrower, has been out with an injury this year. He is due to start for the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Astro’s Triple-A affiliate, and will rejoin the team in late May. The back end of the Astros’ lineup with Doug Fister, Scott Feldman and Mike Fiers are still a question for 2016. The bullpen has struggled but will be fine as the season progresses.
Youth: The Astros have one of the youngest teams in Major League Baseball (MLB). Carlos Correa, AL Rookie of the Year and shortstop, leads the way. He is one of the most versatile players in the league. He will be in an Astros uniform for a long time. Jose Altuve, second baseman, is a three-time All Star and holds the first batting title in Astros’ history. George Springer, right fielder, will have a breakout year in 2016, after being on the disabled list most of last year. Tyler White, rookie first baseman, was named American League player of the week. He is batting a sizzling .556 (10-for-18), three home runs and 12 runs batted in. Look for him to make a huge impact this season.
Power: The Astros can hit the long ball. They slugged 230 home runs in 2015. That was second behind the Toronto Blue Jays. Look for designated hitter Evan Gattis, left fielder Colby Rasmus, Correa, White and Springer to hit the ball out of the park a lot this year.
Speed: The Astros stole more bases than any other team in the American League and third overall in MLB. With Springer healthy, look for the Astros to be the most aggressive team on the bases in 2016.
Team Chemistry: In MLB, there are a lot of personalities and players that can divide a team’s locker room. The Astros’ cohesion and great team dynamics amongst the players is the best in baseball. The players work together, pick each other up and make a united effort to accomplish their ultimate goal — the World Series. If you watch the Astros on a regular basis you know how close this team really is.
In baseball, there are 162 games in a season. You can’t write off the Astros after 18 games. They will fix the mistakes that have plagued the teams’ losing record for the month of April. The Astros are an extremely talented team and look for them to bounce back in May.
