As the calendar shifts to 2017, we take a look at 16 positives from the 2016 Houston Astros season.
Sep 18, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Houston Astros right fielder George Springer (4) is greeted by teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Now that the new year has begun, it’s time for Houston Astros fans to get excited about the 2017 season. Many fans would see 2016 as a disappointment or a step back from the progress of 2015. The Stros made a big leap in 2015 due to career years from Luis Valbuena, Colby Rasmus, Dallas Keuchel, and Collin McHugh.
These players took a step back in 2016, but Keuchel and McHugh should bounce back. There were several additions this offseason, which should give them an extra push for the World Series in 2017. Despite the 84-78 record in 2016, there were many positives on the season. Sometimes, to grow, you have to struggle a little to get better.
We recently had Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch on Talking Stros, and he was excited about the 2017 season. He will have many ways to fill out the lineup card and has many options for the rotation. Let’s take a look back at 16 positives from the 2016 season. We may have missed a few things, but we wanted to stick to 16 positives.
16. WiFi installed at Minute Maid Park
Sep 14, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; General view inside Minute Maid Park before a game between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
As a blogger, this announcement was music to my ears. I remembered times during the 2015 magical Houston Astros season how I had trouble Tweeting. When Reid Ryan told us at Fanfest that they were installing the WiFi routers throughout the stadium, I was pumped. It worked great when the demand was not as high.
When attendance was low, it worked great, but it did not work with the high capacity crowds. I’m not a technical geek, but it did help alleviate those using the cellular LTE or 4G network. With the improving technology, the Astros will further enhance the Minute Maid Park WiFi network.
15. No more GoGo
When the Houston Astros acquired Carlos Gomez in 2015, I was cautiously optimistic. A player like Gomez doesn’t come available unless the team is rebuilding or the player is having a bad season. As a former All-Star, Gomez came with many expectations. For whatever reason, he was unable to live up to those expectations with the Astros.
After misplaying a crucial fly ball in a game versus the Red Sox last year, the Astros finally decided to move on from Gomez. They designated Gomez for assignment with the hope of trading him, but nothing materialized. While it’s unfair to put all the blame on Gomez for 2016, it was a breath of fresh air. The scapegoat was no longer on the team. He went on to help the Rangers make the playoffs but cooled off after a hot start.
14. Dallas Keuchel wins Gold Glove.
Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Not much went right for Keuchel in 2016. He cruised through Spring Training looking like he was ready to dominate again in 2016. However, after an opening day snow out in New York, Keuchel’s season was rocky. He just didn’t look like the same pitcher getting hitters to hit the pitcher’s pitches he do in his Cy Young 2015 season.
It turns out that Keuchel pitched with an injury for most of the season, but it didn’t affect his defense. Keuchel is a ground ball pitcher, so he has a delivery that gets him in the perfect fielding position. He is very athletic and can read the ball off the bat very well. Despite losing 12 games in 2016, he was the AL Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner as a pitcher. Keuchel was able to get out of some of his own jams with his ability to field the comebacker.
The Houston Astros will be counting on Keuchel in 2017.
13. Bill Brown wraps up a great career.
As long as I can remember, Bill Brown was broadcasting Astros baseball. When Milo Hamilton passed away, Brown took his place as the Houston Astros’ voice. You can’t replace a legend, but some would say that Brown is worthy. His decision to retire led to a shakeup of the television broadcast team, but Geoff Blum will be returning with Todd Kalas joining.
Why is this positive when we lose Brown? The fact that he left at the top of his game on his own terms was positive. As Kalas said when it was announced that he was the new Stros guy, this type of opportunity does not come around often. The Astros have a passionate fan base that likes winning. Brown has stuck around through the good and bad times. He can now be a fan of the team that he worked for 30 years. The difference is, I’m sure he gets a lifetime ‘you can come and go as you please’ card.
He will still be at Minute Maid Park.
12. Will Harris makes the All-Star team.
Sep 19, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Will Harris (36) against the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park. Astros won 10 to 6. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Harris became one of the most reliable relievers in the game in the first half of the season. He was selected to the AL All-Star team as a non-closer, which occasionally happens. He ended up being the Astros closer, before yielding that position to Ken Giles. In Harris’ first 39 innings in the first half, he had a 1.62 ERA with 39 strikeouts and nine saves. While the bullpen struggled, he was the guy in the first half.
He faced one batter in the All-Star game, striking out that hitter. However, once he was officially named the closer, his performance took a big hit. The once lights out reliever looked out of place and struggled. His second half stats showed this trend with a 0-1 record with a 3.27 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 25 innings. His walks increased from six to nine in the second half.
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11. Yulieski Gurriel signing by Andrew Sapp.
Gurriel debuted for the Astros on August 21 after speeding his way through the minor leagues. Everybody knew Gurriel could handle a bat very well. He has not fallen short of expectations for fans despite being out of baseball for an extended period before signing with the Astros.
This was the first point of criticism from the opposition to the Gurriel signing. People also noted that Gurriel was already 32-years-old. After seeing how he performed last season, however, the critics have gone away as Gurriel proved he still had major abilities with his bat. Gurriel never truly hit a low point with his bat and consistently came through with hits.
What surprised many was his versatility in the field. Everybody knew he was capable of this, however. The part that arguably came as a shocker to fans was Gurriel’s abilities with his glove. Many expected him to play DH and maybe make spot starts at first base. This was not the case. Gurriel was shifted all over from first to third to even left field. His glove became even more valuable with the injury to Marwin Gonzales.
The future for the Astros is looking bright and Yulieski Gurriel Ian a major reason why.
10. Saying goodbye to Tal’s Hill.
Sep 28, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Houston Astros center fielder Jake Marisnick (6) and right fielder George Springer (4) run back to the dugout after the final out of a 3-2 victory against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Maybe this is not a positive for many Astros fans who appreciated the unique hill in centerfield. Many fans have been over it for a while, so they rejoiced when the hill went away. I talked to Astros historian Mike Acosta about what the renovations could mean for Houston Astros fans. He told me that it would give fans a new location to watch the game from and will change the look of the ballpark in general.
When you walk into the ballpark come opening day, it will appear to be a new stadium. This will also be the case for the players as well, with the centerfield wall moving in 27 feet. The players will have to learn how to play the ball off the ivy and new walls. Hinch talked about the change on Talking Stros. He felt that it may favor the hitters at first, but the pitchers will make the adjustment to keep the ball in the park.
While we say goodbye to the hill, we will say hi to our new centerfielder, George Springer. With the hill, they may have been hesitant to put Springer in center field. Springer is one of the key players on the Astros, why risk him injuring himself while Climbing Tal’s Hill? The hill will be missed, but I think we will be pleased with the finished product.
9. Gattis bolsters the catching depth
Going into the 2016 season after trading Hank Conger, the Houston Astros did not have a backup catcher. They were after several free agent targets but fell short, and they needed a warm body to backup Jason Castro. The plan was to get Evan Gattis back into the backup catcher role that he had with the Atlanta Braves, but an injury slowed him during spring training. The Astros acquired Erik Kratz to serve as the backup catcher, but that was a disaster.
Because the Astros got off to such a bad start in April, they recalled Gattis to try to add some pop to the lineup. While Kratz was still struggling at the plate, they needed another option as a backup. If only they had left Gattis down in Double-A to work on his catching skills again. Bregman, who was at Double-A at the time, spoke about Gattis on Talking Stros. He told us that Gattis looks like a natural catcher behind the plate and that we will be impressed.
It turns out that Gattis is at least an average behind the plate. One thing that was unusual about Gattis as a catcher he hits better than as a designated hitter. Gattis batted .295 as the catcher last year with an OPS of .992. He hit more homers as a catcher than as DH, 19/13, in fewer at-bats. The front office felt comfortable enough to let Gattis be the backup catcher, and the two combined for a great finish to the 2016 season.
With Jake Rogers and Garrett Stubbs still needing more time to develop, Gattis was able to stall a little. The Astros added McCann this year, but Gattis’ power bat will still be felt as the backup catcher.
8. Resilience to stay in the playoff hunt despite April.
Jun 27, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) celebrates with his team after the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. The Houston Astros won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
It is no secret that the Houston Astros got off to a poor start to 2016, but they did not give up. After going 7-17 in April, the Astros got hot in May and June. During those two months, the Astros went 35-20. What happened to get them back on track? Lance McCullers returned, Valbuena started hitting again, and Hinch switched Altuve and Springer. Altuve started the season leading off, but Springer really took off when he started batting leadoff.
They were 42-37 at that point, but they only got 42 more wins the rest of the season. The biggest surprise that the Astros were in contention despite the record versus the Rangers. The Houston Astros went 4-15 versus the Rangers. This was the primary reason the Astros finished in third place in the AL West. To win in 2017, the Astros must play better versus the Rangers. The added veteran depth should help.
7. Devenski, Musgrove provide shot in the arm for pitching staff by Andrew Gleinser.
For an Astros pitching staff that suffered from injury and underperformance in 2016, there were a couple of bright spots. The emergence of Chris Devenski and Joseph Musgrove as quality big league arms bodes well heading into 2017.
Devenski was acquired from the White Sox as a player-to-be-named-later in the 2012 trade that sent Brett Myers to Chicago. He made the team out of spring training and was immediately effective, throwing three shutout innings of relief in his major league debut on April 8.
Across 43 relief appearances and five starts, Devenski posted a 4-4 record with a 2.16 ERA over 108.1 innings. He quickly proved himself to be a reliable arm who could come in at any point in the game and consistently throw strikes for multiple innings.
Musgrove the emerging ace?
Musgrove came to Houston in the 2012 trade that sent J.A. Happ and Brandon Lyon to Toronto. He made his major league debut on Aug. 2 against the Blue Jays, throwing 4.1 shutout innings of relief with eight strikeouts.
He joined the rotation five days later and remained there for the duration of the season. At times brilliant, and at times clearly a rookie, Musgrove finished with a 4.06 ERA for the season. The 24-year-old should have a shot to make the rotation out of spring training in 2017.
6. Collin McHugh second half dominance by Clint Irle.
Sep 26, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Collin McHugh (31) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
After a huge 2015, Collin McHugh looked poised to provide a solid complement to Dallas Keuchel and the Astros rotation. However, 2016 was a year of struggles for McHugh that ended with a great September and October.
After Game 1 of the 2015 ALDS, I was convinced McHugh was ready to be as great as his game allowed. He showed true competitor grit and the ability to stay ahead of hitters. Unfortunately, McHugh struggled in 2016, boasting a 13-10 record and left a lot of us wondering what to expect heading into 2017. After some trade speculation, it was clear the Astros would not part with the right-hander.
Mr. Late Season?
As much as the struggle was real, McHugh carded a 4-0 record during September and October. He provided a much-needed jolt to the rotation as the Astros pushed for the playoffs. He was able to stay healthy the entire season and pitch well down the stretch.
McHugh is a great asset to the rotation heading into 2017. As he continues to development his change-up to offset the curveball, we will see McHugh provide quality starts and give the Astros plenty of chances to win throughout the season. I feel he finds his true potential in the bigger stages and will be a tough opponent in the playoffs.
5. Springer staying healthy all year by Mike Wilson.
That sentiment seemed to be ever-present when discussing the Astros dynamic Right Fielder, George Springer. After his first two seasons in Houston had been cut short by injuries, it seemed he might just be one of those guys that had all the tools but couldn’t stay healthy. His talent and raw abilities are on full display anytime he’s on the field
A bit of a streaky hitter, Springer has shown he can carry an offense by himself if necessary. He’s hit for average, shown substantial power, and I’d personally rather watch few others play defense.
Seemingly from the moment, he burst onto the scene (feasting on AL pitching in May of 2014 to the tune of 10 HR & an OPS of 1.032 in 25 games) he brought a glimmer of hope and excitement to a fanbase that needed something to cling to. Then the injuries. His rookie season ended after just 78 games, and he missed 60 games in the middle of the 2015 season; that’s a total of 144 games missed over his first two seasons in Houston.
Big deal?
That matters because the 2015 Houston Astros played at a .558 clip with him and were just a .483 team when he was on the DL. In hindsight, that matters a little more when your team missed a division title by just two games.
While the 2016 Houston Astros weren’t the rousing success many expected, it’d be hard to say it was anything less than a successful year for Springer. He slashed .269/.359/.457 with an OPS of .815 with 29 HRs and 82 RBI. That’s not too shabby for a leadoff hitter. He was a candidate for the final All-Star vote and a Gold Glove finalist as well. As far as the
As far as the All-Star vote, Springer would have been selected, if he weren’t up against the entire country of Canada and Michael Saunders (any lingering bitterness from that was wiped away by what the Blue Jays did in the playoffs).
While the Astros pitching staff was ravaged by injuries, down the stretch, George Springer was in the lineup every day offering All Star & Gold Glove quality play in Right Field. Here’s hoping for another healthy season, because Springer is a very important piece to whatever success the 2017 Astros will have. What if? Well, now we know what he’s capable of, and it’s pretty good.
4. The dominance of the top 4 hitters
Aug 22, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) greets third baseman Alex Bregman (2) after Bregman hit a solo home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the ninth inning at PNC Park. The Astros won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
One of the reasons that Jeff Luhnow felt comfortable adding the players he has this offseason is the core players. We have mentioned all these players at some point, but we have not mentioned Carlos Correa much. Bregman, Springer, and Altuve have been cited as positives from 2016. Correa is the imposing figure in the lineup but is complimented well by the other three hitters. Following up his rookie of the year season is hard. He struggled with consistency in his sophomore season.
However, when you have four young, dynamic hitters at the top of your order, they help pick up the slack if one guy struggles. The emergence of Bregman has added to a young core that should stay around for years to come. The team OPS was .735, but each of the young core had an OPS above the teams’.
A look at the core’s stats.
Springer – .815 OPS with 29 homers and 82 RBI’s
Bregman – .791 OPS with eight homers and 34 RBI’s
Altuve – .928 OPS with 24 homers and 92 RBI’s
Correa – .811 OPS with 20 homers and 96 RBI’s
If Bregman and Correa make the next step in 2017, this core of hitters could get dangerous. Hinch mentioned that he would like to keep Springer leading off, but would like Beltran to hit somewhere in the top four spots. He mentioned Bregman could move down in the order, with someone else taking over batting second.
3. Altuve puts up MVP-caliber campaign by Andrew Gleinser.
Though Jose Altuve had already established himself as one of the game’s premier second basemen, his performance took another step forward in 2016. He transformed himself from a leadoff hitter into a true middle-of-the-order threat, coinciding with manager A.J. Hinch’s decision to move him to the third spot in the lineup.
A look at his stats.
Altuve set career highs in homers (24), RBIs (96), runs (108), walks (60), on-base percentage (.396), slugging percentage (.531) and OPS (.928). He led the league in batting average (.338) for the second time. Additionally, he notched his fifth consecutive season with at least 30 stolen bases.
He won his third-straight silver slugger and was named to his fourth All-Star team. Altuve also finished third in the AL MVP voting after finishing 10th in 2015 and 13th in 2014. He notched at least 200 hits and at least 40 doubles for the third consecutive year.
What’s more, Altuve is still just 26 years of age. It may be hard to believe, but he might not have reached his ceiling yet. With a full season of George Springer and Alex Bregman hitting in front of him and Carlos Correa and the rest of the revamped Astros lineup behind him, Altuve could be even better in 2017.
2. 2017 offseason acquisitions by Michael McKnight.
Sep 12, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Texas Rangers designated hitter Carlos Beltran (36) hits an RBI single during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
One of the best things the Astros did in 2016 happened after the season with the free agent signings and trades. The most notable acquisitions were players Carlos Beltran, Josh Reddick, Brian McCann, and Charlie Morton. Beltran adds veteran leadership that the Astros needed along with a nice switch-hitting power bat.
Reddick provides a strong hitting and fielding outfielder along with a humorous locker room presence on the team. McCann is a seven-time All-Star catcher who will drastically be an upgrade from Jason Castro behind the plate as well as become a more serious veteran on the squad.
A look-ahead.
Finally, Morton is a decent fourth or fifth in the rotation pitcher who can make a big difference on the team if he can stay healthy. These off-season moves help fill the holes that existed on the team and will ultimately help the Houston Astros compete for a championship in 2017. The acquisitions also create some competition on the team which can help everyone play at their highest level to get playing time.
If the newly obtained players can stay healthy and play as they have throughout their careers, the Sports Illustrated predictions of the Astros winning the championship this year is not at all far-fetched.
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1. The rise of Alex Bregman by Cody Poage.
Like Carlos Correa the year before, Alex Bregman was the Astros top prospect in 2016. And his eventual debut was highly anticipated. However, the former first overall did not have the lift off that most were expecting.
First six games: .045/.125/.045, 1 H, 2 BB, 5 SO
The question was then whether the Astros called the former LSU star too early? Of course, we saw Bregman turn things around as Houston attempted to win a Wild Card spot late in the season.
Aug-Oct.: 8 HR, 34 RBI, 13 2B in 43 games
All in all, Bregman’s first taste of the Major League Baseball was encouraging. While he got off to a slow start, he eventually proved why he had so much fanfare.
