Astros: Most Interesting Statistics of the Young Season

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Apr 14, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (1) and third baseman Alex Bregman (2) are greeted by first baseman Marwin Gonzalez (9) after scoring in the seventh inning against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports /

Baseball statistics in mid-April usually do not mean much in the grand scheme of things. But this fact doesn’t mean that we can’t discuss which Astros are having notable starts to the season.

There are a handful of Astros playing well. Some aren’t playing quite as well. And others are just downright miserable to watch.

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— Talking Stros Podcast (@TalkingStros) April 17, 2017

To their detriment or not, the small sample size plays into the equation. There are a handful of Astros that will have better stats this time next month than today. The opposite is true of others. But that still doesn’t make their contributions today any less notable or disappointing.

Apr 11, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) hits an RBI-single against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

Statistic #1: Jose Altuve’s ISO

It has been no secret that the Astros second baseman has gotten off to a slow start this year. In Altuve’s first 29 plate appearances he picked up just four hits. And all were singles.

Altuve’s numbers have improved in recent days as he now boasts a slash line of .319/.418/.383 in 55 place appearances. This equates to an 132 wRC+. So, that’s a step in the right direction. But his .064 ISO remains quite low. Broken down this means just three doubles and no homeruns.

You see, Altuve had a power unveiling last season. His ISO through April 17th last year was an impressive .314. That was over the course of 58 plate appearances. Broken down this means four doubles and four homeruns. Quite the difference between the two seasons in roughly the same sample size.

It’s too early to say whether this year we will witness a power regression from Altuve. Last year’s improvement may be an outlier, however, I would be shocked if this continues for much longer. After all, those three doubles that I mentioned just a moment ago have came in his last four games.

Mar 17, 2017; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Brad Peacock (41) against the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park. The Astros won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

Statistic #2: Brad Peacock’s K/9

We may be witnessing an unexpected turnaround from Peacock in 2017. You see, the Astros have attempted to make Peacock an effective starting pitcher since he was acquired from Oakland in the original Jed Lowrie trade. And the results through 44 major league starts have not been optimal.

So, what do the Astros decide to do? Convert him to reliever, of course. And thus far, in the small sample size of 5.2 innings, the results have been interesting.

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— Talking Stros Podcast (@TalkingStros) April 17, 2017

For example, Peacock’s 12.71 K/9 is currently the third-highest on the team. Only Chris Devenski (17.00 K/9) and Ken Giles (16.20 K/9) is better. There is no guarantee, or past history at the major league level, that states that this is sustainable. And 5.2 innings is still way too small of a sample to make any definitive statement. All I’m saying is if he can post strikeout numbers on par with Giles, and perhaps Devenski, we should probably pay attention.

Apr 11, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Houston Astros center fielder George Springer (4) hits a single against the Seattle Mariners during the sixth inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

Statistic #3: George Springer’s Home Run Total

Unlike Altuve’s case of low ISO, Springer has not had an issue in the power department this season. His six homeruns are in a three-way tie for first place before Sunday’s game. If he maintained this level of production over the whole season, Springer would have a whopping 81 homeruns.

Springer's on pace for 81 homers and 148 RBIs this year. Just saying, we will discuss this on @TalkingStros tomorrow 1:30-2:30 pm CT #Astros
— Eric Huysman (@EricTalksStros) April 16, 2017

Springer has yet to surpass the thirty homerun mark in his young career. He did get close, though, last year with 29 dingers. If I were a betting man, I think he is on track to break that career-high this year.

Next: Ranking the Astros AL West Rivals in Order

At this point in time, Springer’s grasp on the leadoff role is firm and secure. The Astros are at their best when Springer is one of the more frequent batters seen in any given game. And if he keeps this power display up, he may be the team’s best hitter by season’s end.

**Statistics courtesy of Fangraphs**

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