Can Chas McCormick hold onto center-field job in Houston?
The Houston Astros seemingly bluffed their way into one of baseball's best center-field duos last season.
After losing three-time All-Star George Springer in free agency, and shipping Myles Straw off to Cleveland in July, Houston banked on Chas McCormick and Jake Meyers to anchor the outfield, neither having played a major league game before 2021.
The two newbies acquitted themselves well however, combining for the second-most WAR in the MLB at center field, while helping lead the 'Stros to the World Series.
But with Opening Day just six days away, Houston might take the field at Angel Stadium without Meyers or McCormick starting in center. Meyers will remain on the injured list through April after undergoing surgery on a torn labrum, and McCormick's shaky performance this spring led Astros manager Dusty Baker to reevaluate the position.
"[McCormick] hasn’t had a good spring so far," Baker said Tuesday. "Give him the opportunity, [and give other] guys a chance to earn a job. You consider what a guy has done in the past, and you also consider what a guy is doing in the present, and you sort of combine the two."
So who can Astros fans expect to see trot out toward center in Anaheim next week?
McCormick posted decent splits for a rookie last season, batting .257 and recording a .447 slugging percentage, 12 points above the league average. He was also an excellent fielder, finishing tied for 14th in the league last season with 11 outs above average.
However, Baker stated two weeks ago that there are no favorites in center field, adding that "we're in the earning business," and McCormick has done little to earn a starting role through 14 plate appearances in Palm Beach county.
The Division II product has registered just three singles and a bean ball in the Sunshine State while failing to overcome a familiar hurdle: strikeouts. However, he led the Astros players with more than 110 at bats with a whiff percentage of 35.2 and recorded a whopping 104 Ks on 284 at bats. These woes continued into spring training, with McCormick striking out seven times.
McCormick has taken ownership of these shortcomings and comes fully prepared to battle for a starting spot at Minute Maid Park this season.
"I’ve got to walk more," McCormick said. "I can’t strike out as much. I can’t swing the bat as much, which I learned last year. I have an opportunity to start in center field this year. Obviously, I want to, but I don’t have a guaranteed spot on this team. I’m still fighting, but I want that starting role in center."
McCormick's biggest challenger appears to be Jose Siri, as the triple-A standout is transferring that confidence into spring training. Siri hit .318 for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys in 2021 while legging out 29 doubles, demonstrating the speed and aggression that makes Siri so attractive to Baker.
"It don’t scare me," Baker said. "I’d rather have a little bit of wildness and calm him down than I would to put some wildness in somebody. That’s how I feel [about Siri]."
Siri batted .309 in 46 at bats with the Astros in September of last season, including an infield, RBI single during Game 1 of the World Series, and the 26-year-old looks likely to make an Opening Day roster for the first time in his career.
Houston's final contender in center field is Lewis Brinson, and while his career average sits below the Mendoza line, the five-year pro improved marginally in 2020 and 2021 and has put together a strong spring training campaign thus far.
Brinson is batting .333 in Florida, showing solid power and speed with two doubles and a stolen base. He would offer the most experience, racking up 1,035 at bats with the Marlins since 2017 and playing 341 games in the outfield.
With the position battle likely to rage into the regular season and Meyers' return impending, Astros fans might need to expect a revolving door to replace Tal's Hill in center field.
