Sep 9, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (1) and right fielder George Springer (4) celebrate after the win against the Oakland Athletics at O.co Coliseum. The Houston Astros defeated the Oakland Athletics 11-5. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
With the ten-year anniversary of the Houston Astros lone World Series appearance in 2005 versus the White Sox, we wanted to compare the starting lineups and rotation to the 2015 Astros. While the 2005 Astros were known for their pitching and not their bats, while the 2015 Astros had a good mixture of both. Which team was better? Let’s take a brief look at the game one starting lineup for both teams.
As good as Altuve is, it’s hard to be compared to a recent Hall of Fame Inductee. In the 2005 season, Biggio was 39-years-old and played in only two seasons following his World Series appearance. While Biggio’s star was setting, Altuve’s star is on the rise with the young nucleus of the Houston Astros. Both players during their prime offered speed and around 20 homers potential. They both represented the face of the franchise at the time, and Altuve is looking like he might be a lifetime Astro like Biggio was. Let’s look at the stats from Baseball-Reference, keep in mind that Biggio’s numbers were on the decline in 2005.
Unlike Biggio and Altuve, Springer and Taveras are totally different players. Taveras was built more for speed, and during his 2005 rookie campaign he was one of the Astros primary speed threats on the World Series roster. Taveras had a good season in 2005 hitting .291 with very little pop in the bat with a .341 slugging percentage. Meanwhile, Springer despite a down year from bursting onto the scene in 2014 still offers a combination of energy, power, and speed to the lineup. Springer and Correa were two of the most anticipated Astros prospects since Hunter Pence. What I remember about Willy T is that he would get tons of infield and bunt hits. Springer is a center fielder playing right field, but his hits might travel just a little further than Taveras.
Even if the two players stats are relatively similar, their personalities are totally different. Phil Gardner said that he used to have to get a coach to get Berkman to run laps during team so that he would not be a distraction during the team meetings. This is the polar opposite of the youngest Astros star Correa, who is very mature for his age. Like Berkman then, teams will start pitching around Correa pretty soon. Correa’s ceiling is probably higher that Berkman’s ceiling was, but they may finish up with similar stats.
Oct 11, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros left fielder Colby Rasmus (28) hits a single off of the roof against the Kansas City Royals in game three of the ALDS at Minute Maid Park. Astros won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The outspoken minor league instructor Ensberg had he best season of his career in 2005 as the Astros leading RBI guy. The 2015 Astros did not even have a player come even close to the numbers that Ensberg put up during that World Series run in 2005, but unfortunately Ensberg’s career went down hill from there where he was out of baseball after 2008 at the age of 32. Fittingly, the Cardinals top prospect Rasmus made his debut in the 2009 season. While Rasmus never fully lived up to his promise, he did have one of his best seasons with the Astros in 2015. He is currently a free agent coming off a historical playoff run at the plate, has probably played his last game in an Astros uniform.
Raise your hand if you remember who Lamb was, okay you look weird raising your hand in the middle of the office. Lamb came into the picture more with Jeff Bagwell‘s degenerative shoulder. Berkman had played the outfield with Bagwell on the team, so Lamb was used quite often to pinch hit or play first. Gattis was acquired this past offseason that seemed to trigger Astros fans to think that the ‘process’ period was winding down. I wrote about Gattis yesterday here: Looking at Evan Gattis’ struggles in the playoffs. In a team that hit a ton of homers in 2015, Gattis led them with 27 homers. You either love or hate Gattis, but he will be here for the long run as this was only his third MLB season.
I was the biggest Bagwell fan, and he is one of the reasons I became so passionate about the Astros. However, I felt so bad for Bagwell during that series because he was not even the player he was in 2004. The end came too quick for Bagwell, so it was good that he at least got to play in a World Series. He should be in the Hall of Fame with Biggio, but it will be up the baseball writers to get him there. Gomez was the primary trade acquisition of the 2015 Astros at the trade deadline, giving up top prospect Brett Phillips. Gomez got off to a slow start with his new team but heated up at the end of the season before suffering an intercostal strain. Gomez is signed through 2016. Hopefully, he gets off to a better start in 2016.
Oct 14, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Luis Valbuena (18) celebrates with teammates Carlos Gomez (30) and shortstop Carlos Correa (1) after hitting a two-run home run in the 2nd inning against the Kansas City Royals in game five of the ALDS at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
When you go to the World Series, you normally have players who have had career seasons. This was the case with the 2005 Astros for Lane, who earned the most playing time of his career playing in 145 games. Like Ensberg, Lane was out of baseball following the 2007 season at the age of 30. He played independent baseball and became a pitcher with the Sugar Land Skeeters, and re-emerged in the 2014 season with the Padres as a pitcher. Valbuena had a career season without having all that good of stats all around. Valbuena crushed his previous home run high with 16 in 2014 by hitting 25 big flies with the Astros. However, Valbuena was a streaky hitter who could carry you or lose the game in 2015.
Who would win a home run derby between Carter and Ausmus? Probably Carter, but who can hit a big homer in a playoff game? Asmus, despite the lack of power, was a big factor in the Astros making the World Series as he hit the game-tying game four home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Carter’s status with the Astros is up in the air at the moment, which is why I wrote this: Reports are that Luhnow is fishing with Chris Carter as bait. Carter is one of the premium right-handed hitters in the game, but he tends to get into slumps for months at a time.
Everett was a defensive genius in his time with the Astros but had a career year in 2015 offensively hitting 11 homers. While Everett is not known for his offensive prowess, he could drive the ball occasionally with his skinny frame. Castro was a former first round pick by the Houston Astros hit third for most of the 2014 season year under Bo Porter as manager but hit towards the bottom of the lineup with the 2015 powerful team.
%20%20--%3E%0A%3Csvg%20version%3D%221.1%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20xmlns%3Axlink%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F1999%2Fxlink%22%20x%3D%220px%22%20y%3D%220px%22%0A%09%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201055.1%20200%22%20style%3D%22enable-background%3Anew%200%200%201055.1%20200%3B%22%20xml%3Aspace%3D%22preserve%22%3E%0A%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text%2Fcss%22%3E%0A%09.st0%7Bfill%3A%23231F20%3B%7D%0A%09.st1%7Bfill%3A%230E203C%3B%7D%0A%09.st2%7Bfill%3A%23EC4324%3B%7D%0A%09.st3%7Bfill%3A%23FFFFFF%3B%7D%0A%3C%2Fstyle%3E%0A%3Cg%20id%3D%22Template%22%3E%0A%3C%2Fg%3E%0A%3Cg%20id%3D%22Layer_2%22%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st3%22%20d%3D%22M58.3%2C200.3h82.4c12.4%2C0%2C21.7-1.5%2C28-4.5c20.2-9.6%2C30.2-26.1%2C30.2-49.3c0-3.2-0.2-9.3-0.6-18.3h-65.1v14.9%0A%09%09c-0.9%2C3.9-3.4%2C5.8-7.5%2C5.8H73.2c-5%2C0-7.5-2.5-7.5-7.5V59.2c0-5%2C2.5-7.5%2C7.5-7.5h52.5c5%2C0%2C7.5%2C2.1%2C7.5%2C6.4v10.8h65.7V55.7%0A%09%09c0-16.3-3.8-28.3-11.4-36.1c-8.8-12.9-24.7-19.3-47.4-19.3H58.9C47%2C0.3%2C38%2C1.7%2C32%2C4.3c-21.3%2C9-32%2C26.1-32%2C51.4v88%0A%09%09c0%2C16.5%2C3.6%2C28.7%2C10.9%2C36.6C20.1%2C193.7%2C35.9%2C200.3%2C58.3%2C200.3z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st3%22%20points%3D%22596.6%2C64%20596.6%2C0.8%20400.1%2C0.8%20400.1%2C64%20442.7%2C64%20442.7%2C51.3%20466.1%2C51.3%20466.1%2C148.1%20442.1%2C148.1%20%0A%09%09442.1%2C199.9%20554.8%2C199.9%20554.8%2C148.1%20531.5%2C148.1%20531.5%2C51.4%20554.8%2C51.4%20554.8%2C64%20%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st3%22%20points%3D%22942.4%2C148.5%20942.4%2C200.2%201055.1%2C200.2%201055.1%2C148.5%201031.8%2C148.5%201031.8%2C51.2%201055.1%2C51.2%201055.1%2C0.8%20%0A%09%09943.1%2C0.8%20943.1%2C51.3%20966.3%2C51.3%20966.3%2C80%20888.9%2C80%20888.9%2C51.3%20912.6%2C51.3%20912.6%2C0.5%20800.1%2C0.8%20800.1%2C51.4%20823.5%2C51.4%20823.5%2C148.6%20%0A%09%09800.1%2C148.6%20800.1%2C200.1%20912.6%2C200.1%20912.6%2C148.6%20888.9%2C148.6%20888.9%2C116.4%20966.3%2C116.4%20966.3%2C148.5%20%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st2%22%20points%3D%22315.5%2C83.9%20299.6%2C34.9%20283.7%2C83.9%20232.2%2C83.9%20273.9%2C114.1%20258%2C163.1%20299.6%2C132.8%20341.3%2C163.1%20%0A%09%09325.4%2C114.1%20367%2C83.9%20%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st2%22%20points%3D%22715.6%2C83.9%20699.7%2C34.9%20683.8%2C83.9%20632.3%2C83.9%20674%2C114.1%20658%2C163.1%20699.7%2C132.8%20741.3%2C163.1%20%0A%09%09725.4%2C114.1%20767.1%2C83.9%20%09%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fg%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A)
