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A Look at Fantasy Baseball Through the Lens’ of a Houston Astros Fan
Week 23 Hitter:
Jose Altuve– 3/22 H/AB, 3 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 0 SB, .136 BA
In a week where the Astros had a winning record against AL West rivals, Altuve was not a major presence offensively.
In the middle of a rough skid in his last 15 games, this week, Altuve hit .136 with a home run and three RBIs in 22 at-bats. His bat success took a turn in the series against the Rangers. He had one hit in 11 at bats walking four times and driving in a runner.
The problem with Altuve’s bat has not been making contact. In his 22 at bats this week, he struck out only two times including none in the Texas series. His bat is not finding the holes it did earlier this season.
Although he’s in a bit of a skid, it would be silly not to start Altuve on a regular basis. He is still hitting .346 with a .966 OPS. As one of the more complete players in all of baseball, he is still on a quest for his first AL MVP award. By his numbers, he definitely deserves it.
Week 23 Pitcher:
Mike Fiers– 5 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 0 W, 1.80 ERA, 2.00 WHIP
In the Astros 4-3 win over the Oakland A’s on August 31st; Fiers was serviceable as the starter. In five innings of work, he gave up an earned run on eight hits and two walks, striking out four. His WHIP was nowhere close to being acceptable at 2.00, but it did not factor much into his performance.
Luckily, the bullpen after him was phenomenal. Chris Devenski, Michael Feliz, and Ken Giles combined for four innings of no-hit ball while striking out six.
In Fiers’ last 15 starts, he has been good. He has a 6-3 record with a 3.91 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. Even though these are not numbers of a top of the rotation guy, he has been more than durable at the back end of the rotation.
Even though his numbers are not fantasy baseball worthy, he is a pitcher who could rack up wins down the stretch, especially if he only goes five or six innings and lets the bullpen do the rest.
Next: Now on to Week 24