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Evan Gattis: CTH’s Astros Hitter of the Month for May

By Thomas O'Banion

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May is officially over and the Houston Astros had a decent run in the second full month of the season as they finished 16-13. The team as a whole was a little topsy-turvy, though the one constant was the bullpen. In the starting rotation, the staff looked human. On offense, the struggling stars came to life, while the proven guys hit a little rough patch.

Evan Gattis, who had a terrible April and had fans grumbling about his play, started seeing- and consequently hitting- the ball a helluva lot better. “El Oso Blanco” was brought to Houston to be an offensive force and he showed the disgruntled fans that he has the talent to power this team to victory.

Over the course of May, the White Bear raised his batting average from a puny .164 to .230; that’s a + 0.66 increase! This is a far cry from the man who earned two golden sombreros during his first week of baseball in an Astros uniform. He also had nine multi-hit games in May, as compared to just three in April, and was a double away from the cycle on May 24, but was intentionally walked in his last plate appearance.

Here’s a look at Gattis’ line which spans 28 games and 105 at bats during the preceding month:

.276/ .304/.629, 29 hits, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 9 HRs, 22 RBI, and 5 walks

What’s more? Gattis struck out 20 times in 105 ABs. Compare that to April, when he whiffed 24 times in 73 ABs. That is a major factor in Evan Gattis’ marked improvement.

Need more convincing that Evan Gattis was the Astros’ hitter this past month? Check this out:

– More hits, doubles, and triples, and higher batting average, than Jose Altuve (25/3/0; .231)

– More home runs and RBI than Chris Carter (6 and 21)

All Evan Gattis did during May was #MaulTheBall.

Honorable Mention:

The honorable mention for this monthly award goes to none other than the rookie, Preston Tucker. Tucker has done nothing but impress his teammates and Astros’ fans with timely hits, hustle on the base paths, and passion for the game. The major factor when considering Bamm-Bamm for this award is that Gattis had nearly twice the plate appearances (112) than Tucker (69) did.

This, however, does not take away from Preston Tucker’s remarkable debut month. Here’s his line:

.306/.377/.516, 19 hits, 7 doubles, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 6 walks

This includes six multi-hit games. As long as Tucker continues to hit, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t, he should have a roster spot on this team. It’s very telling that the Houston Astros have batted him in the third spot in the batting order.

So, that’s it for May. Gattis and Tucker shared the Hitter of the Week award last week, and their sustained success is integral to the Astros winning. Keep on, keepin’ on.

Tell us, Astros fans, what you think in the comments below. We’re always up for some healthy debate.

Next: Astros Pitcher of the Month (May)

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