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Astros Season Preview: Predicting the Infield and DH

By Eric Huysman |
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Mar 24, 2015; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; Houston Astros third baseman

Luis Valbuena

(18) singles off New York Mets starting pitcher

Dillon Gee

(not pictured) at Tradition Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to opening day 2015 Astros fans! At the time of publishing, we should be two hours away from Dallas Keuchel‘s first pitch versus the Cleveland Indians. Astros fans have something to be excited about again, with a major league lineup that should actually compete. At the beginning of the 2014 season, the Astros lineup was one of the worst starting nine in the history of the organization. The only stars were Altuve, Castro, and maybe Fowler.

By the end of the season Carter emerged from the shadows, a “Prince” emerged with Springer’s debut, and a dynamic pitching duo of McHugh and Keuchel raised the bar for Astros pitching.

With the start of the season tonight, the Astros new lineup will be tested right away versus reigning AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber. While I can’t predict what tonight’s score would be, I can give a preview for what the Astros hitters could do in 2015. This post will look at the infielders and designated hitters predictions for 2015.

Check out my Outfield Projections here.

Next: Catcher and First Base

Catcher and First Base

Mar 24, 2015; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter

Chris Carter

(23) bats against the New York Mets at Tradition Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

Catcher – Jason Castro

Following a down year in 2014, Jason Castro had swung the bat really well during spring games. Now that the spring schedule is over, it’s up to Castro to prove that 2014 was the fluke year and not 2013. Even though Castro is not the best defensive catcher in the game, Castro has the ability to be in the top ten offensive catchers when things are clicking for him. The former first-round pick hit .222/ 14 HR/ 56 RBI in 2014, which was down from 2013 when he hit .276/ 18 HR/ 56 RBI.  The biggest difference between the two years was the decrease of Castro’s batting average. With a few adjustments at the plate, and not having to be the guy hitting third anymore with more pop in the lineup, Castro should be due for a rebound year.

The projection below is from FantasyPros;

The projection above shows a slight increase in the batting average for Castro, but with the way he hit in spring training, I can see him hitting between .260 and .270. The on-base plus slugging increased from his 2014 numbers, but he is expected to hit fewer home runs. While Castro’s batting average wasn’t that good during spring, he did have a respectable slash line of .233/ .313/ .512/ .824 with three homers and six runs batted in.

My Prediction: .256/ 16 HR/ 56 RBI

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First Base – Chris Carter

We all felt bad for Chris Carter at the beginning of the 2014 season, with his struggles that led to him being benched for a while. Then something clicked for Carter, and he gained this quiet confidence about his game. He was able to believe in himself again, which he lost the ability to do in the early part of the 2014 season. After the All-Star break, Carter became one of the hottest hitters in baseball.

From the above Tweet, you can see that Carter outperformed AL MVP Mike Trout after July 4th. If Carter can avoid that early season funk in 2015, there is no reason that Carter is not near the top of the power hitters in baseball.

The projection below is from FantasyPros;

While I think that the batting average is pretty accurate, I think this projection is discounting Carter’s raw power and shorter swing that will lead to more contact. Will he still be the Astros King of the K’s? Yes, but he could also be the AL home run champ with the adjustments he ahs made at the plate. This spring Carter batted .217/ 2 HR/ 11 RBI while hitting in the clean-up spot. With more runners on-base in 2015, Carter can turn some of those solo shots into more RBI’s, he could easily reach 100 RBI’s.

My Projection: .234/ 42 HR/ 100 RBI

Check out my Outfield Projections here.

Next: Second Base and Shortstop

Second Base and Shortstop

Apr 3, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros second baseman

Jose Altuve

(27) during batting practice before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Second Base – Jose Altuve

The Astros have had a great history with All-Star second baseman, and Jose Altuve could be the second best of them all, behind Craig Biggio. It’s hard to say that Altuve had a breakout year in 2014 because he already showed some talent prior to last year. It just all came together last year, especially in steals and batting average. There are a few experts who feel that Altuve will regress in 2015, but watching him play all last year, I am not one of them. In 2014, Altuve hit .341/ 7 HR/ 59 RBI/ 56 SB.

The projection below is from FantasyPros;

The projection has a drastic drop in batting average for the AL batting champ in 2015. Was 2014 a fluke year for Altuve? I think it’s hard to fake 225 hits in a season, so I think he is for real. If his batting average dips a little, expect his stolen bases to do likewise.

My Prediction: .325/ 6 HR/ 49 RBI/ 49 SB

More from Astros News

Shortstop – Jed Lowrie

Most Astros fans weren’t jumping for joy when they heard that the Astros had signed Jed Lowrie to a three-year deal to play shortstop. This was not only due to his poor play in 2014, but also that the Astros uber-prospect Carlos Correa looks like he will make his debut in 2016. Lowrie had a great season with the A’s in 2013, but injuries robbed him of some playing time and success in 2014. In 2013, Lowrie hit .290/ 15 HR/ 75 RBI, but he dropped to .249/ 6 HR/ 50 RBI in 2014.

The projection below is from FantasyPros;

Compared to what the Astros have gotten from the shortstop position since Lowrie was traded in the 2012 season, I would gladly accept those predictions above. He will be hitting sixth in the batting order behind Evan Gattis, so he will get some pitches to hit. His runs batted in should also increase more to what he did in 2013 with the Athletics. This spring, Lowrie had an impressive slash line of .325/ .372/ .550/ .922 with four doubles and a home run.

My prediction: .265/ 14 HR/ 67 RBI

Check out my Outfield Projections here.

Next: Third Base and Designated Hitter

Third Base and Designated Hitter

Mar 30, 2015; Kissimmee, FL, USA; Houston Astros catcher Evan Gattis (11) hits a RBI single during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Osceola County Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Third Base – Luis Valbuena

The Astros were not happy with Matt Dominguez at third base, even though his defense was solid. In order to address this need, the Astros traded Dexter Fowler to the Cubs for Luis Valbuena. Valbuena bats left-handed and has a good on-base average, despite having a low batting average. He is a contact hitter who has learned how to hit for more power as he matures. One thing that he does well is that he doesn’t belong in “Astros Generation K,” unlike most of his new slugging teammates. I wrote about “Astros Generation K” earlier in the offseason, here is Part 1 and Part 2. Last season in his breakout year with the Cubs, Valbuena had a slash line of .249/ .341/ .435/.776 with 16 home runs and 51 runs batted in.

The projection below is from FantasyPros;

The new Astros batting order has Valbuena hitting third between George Springer andChris Carter. Manager A.J. Hinch wanted a left-handed hitter in the meat of the lineup in between the right-handed sluggers. He had an impressive spring training, with a slash line of .380/ .418/ .620/ 1.038 with six doubles, two homers, and nine runs batted in. Not too many people are going to give him credit right now, he will have to earn that with solid play on the field.

My Prediction: .255/ 20 HR/ 78 RBI

More from Astros News

Designated Hitter – Evan Gattis

The plan entering spring training was if Jon Singleton struggles, they were going to train Evan Gattis to play first base. This outcome never happened, and he has not played much in the outfield. The Astros have come out and said that Gattis is no longer an option at first base. He will serve as the Astros designated hitter at the beginning of the 2015 season, and he should make many deposits into the “Bear Den Boxes” in left field. Last season with the Braves, Gattis hit .263/ 22 HR/ 52 RBI while receiving at bats as a catcher.

The projection below is from FantasyPros;

This prediction is close to what the Astros expect, but with a few more homers added to this prediction. Jeff Luhnow said that Gattis was the premier right-handed hitter that was available to the Astros, so the Astros are expecting a lot of power from “El Oso Blanco”. This spring, he had a slash line of .395/ .439/ .658/ 1.097 with two homers and eight RBI’s with limited playing time with various injuries.

My Projection: .265/ 30 HR/ 75 RBI.

Astros fans, enjoy the game tonight. It’s time to start coming out and supporting the Astros this year. Even if the result of tonight’s game is defeat, know that the 2015 Astros will creep back into contention.

Check out my Outfield Projections here.

Next: A Look at the Talented CC Hooks Roster

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