Astros: Let’s Talk About George Springer’s Hot Start

While the Astros offense as a whole has been relatively quiet, there have been a few notable exceptions.

One notable exception to the Astros early offensive woes in the Opening Series has been George Springer. If it wasn’t for his contributions at the plate, Houston may not come away with three wins in their four-game set with the Seattle Mariners.

First, you have the leadoff home run on Opening Day. That game was decided by the score of three-to-zero. Sure, it wasn’t like his home run was the determining factor, but it did help set the vibe.

The second game came and went as the Astros won a close one two-to-one. Springer didn’t have a game-altering hit or at-bat. Even though he reached base twice with a hit and walk, he did not score a run in the affair.

This all changed in the third game as Springer was responsible for driving in all five of the Astros runs. You should recall his walk-off home run in the 13th inning that claimed victory out of the jaws of defeat.

Oh, here is another little tidbit of information about this particular home run.

Thank goodness the game took place at Minute Maid Park, right?

The series finale was last night, and Springer once again didn’t disappoint.

Springer managed to hit yet another home run, number three, of the season. In just four games, for whatever that is worth. But as far as this one goes, it was an impressive piece of hitting.

The exit velocity from Ariel Miranda’s 94.1 MPH offering was 114.2 MPH, which is currently ninth highest exit velocity recorded by Statcast during this young season. And all three home runs have been hit towards left to left-center field. Unfortunately, this latest one came in a four-to-two defeat, which only further emphasizes the Astros early offensive struggles.

On another, more positive, note, Springer did happen to make Astros history last night courtesy of Julia Morales of ROOT Sports. 

This home run also inched him closer to second place for leadoff home runs in Astros history, per Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle.

Next: Encouraging Results from the Houston Astros Bullpen

Overall, Springer has been the only consistent offensive force that the Astros have throughout the first four games. Three home runs, which included a walk-off, and a two-run double is a solid start for any hitter in the first series of the season. And in the those games, Springer has put up a 296 wRC+ and a .550 wOBA, which is definitely unsustainable. Despite the small, and I mean small, sample size, it is still a rather interesting topic to discuss.

**Statistics courtesy of Fangraphs, Statcast, and MLB.com**