Houston Astros Memorial Day Check-In (A Week Later)

A look at the Astros’ season at the Memorial Day mark.

Ah, yes, Memorial Day. The first important day of the MLB calendar after Opening Day. Graduations, summer on the horizon, and an otherwise largely unchanged working world for the rest of us. By now, early season hot streaks and slumps have had ample time to work themselves out (we love you, Jose Altuve) and fans and writers alike have a large enough sample size to draw (somewhat) realistic conclusions.

While we are not out to tell you whether or not the Colorado Rockies are the real deal this year (please) or if Zack Cozart is going to sustain his elite pace, we do have plenty to discuss in regards to the boys who formerly wore sand and brick red. Here are the biggest takeaways from the season thus far.

BIGGEST STRENGTH: THE ABILITY TO RALLY FROM A DEFICIT

This is good, right? You don’t need an 11-run 8th inning to realize that this team is something special, but it certainly helps. The Astros lead the league in comeback wins, which is a remarkable statistic for long-time fans. Gone are the days when even a three-run deficit felt insurmountable.

Every spot in the lineup boasts a power threat, which is an extreme luxury as opposing pitchers tire. Relievers who would otherwise get away with meatballs to the bottom third of the order have a new beast to fear, as the 2017 Astros are proving quickly to the entire baseball world that no lead is ever safe.

Jeff Luhnow has done well to provide A.J. Hinch with enviable lineup depth that can strike at any moment. Consider the fact that there is a feasible reality wherein Hinch can go to Carlos Beltran, Marwin Gonzalez, and Evan Gattis as pinch hitter options in a single inning.

The transformation from the 2012 and 2013 squads feels superhuman, and fans have to be particularly pleased with how well mainstays Marwin and Altuve are doing.

BIGGEST WEAKNESS: LINEUP HAS YET TO FIRE ON ALL CYLINDERS

The fact that Altuve, Carlos Correa, and George Springer have yet to stay red-hot at the same time is as tantalizing as a tall glass of water after mowing the lawn in 90+ degree heat. During the beginning phases of the Astros’ excellent April, Nori Aoki and George Springer were the primary sources of offense.

Remember Altuve’s seemingly apocalyptic slump to begin the season? Neither do we. Reddick and Aoki can fend off lefties as lefties, McCann is still ripping home runs like it is 2006 all over again, and Yuli has impressed everyone in his first full season. Mix this in with the suddenly hot bat of Jake Marisnick (more on that soon)? To quote Carl Weathers in Arrested Development, “Baby – you got a stew going.”

While it feels like this team could palpably and routinely put up double-digit runs if every player gets hot, well, that’s not exactly the nature of baseball. Everyone staying hot all at once will be very rare this season, but the important thing to remember is that the amount of talent in the lineup creates the opportunity for anyone to become a hero at any time.

Carlos Beltran and Nori Aoki have recently hit some rough patches. However, it is truly saying something when the biggest question marks in your lineup are dry spells for two excellent veterans. One of whom is a lock for the Hall of Fame. We have come a long way from 2012, people.

BIGGEST RELIEF: THE KEN GILES TRADE

As a huge fan of Ken Giles since the initial conversation that the Astros would be linked to the flamethrower, this is not exactly relief for your humble writer. Even though every excellent reliever encounters a rough stretch, Giles looked pretty lost at the beginning of 2016. The Astros were barbecued for trading a package that included Vince Velasquez and former number one overall pick Mark Appel for Ken Giles.

Giles’s first season started off rough to say the very least while Velasquez dazzled for the Phillies. But Giles turned it around, Velasquez’s performance became hindered by his injuries (one of the primary reasons the Astros were willing to part with him), and Appel struggled in the Phillies’ system.

No looking back.

Hindsight will always be 20/20. On no planet would Astros fans root against the success of young players attempting to live out their dreams as Major Leaguers. However, one would be willing to wager that Astros fans would much rather have the recently sublime Kenny G and than Velasquez and Appel’s rough starts to 2017, especially with Velasquez’s elbow issues that surfaced last week. As Brian Kenny will tell you, never ever ever ever ever judge a trade too soon.

So now, Ken Giles’ 15 saves are second in the AL to only Craig Kimbrel’s 16. His HR/9 is down from 1.1 last year to 0.4 this year. Giles’ 2.34 FIP trails his two years with the Phillies at 1.34 and 2.13, but that is by no means a bad problem to have. His 1.030 WHIP is the best of his career since his 2014 rookie campaign, and he looks electric on the mound.

But the best part? Giles is arbitration eligible in 2018. His earliest possible free agency is 2021, where he will be entering his age-30 season.

BIGGEST NEED: LEFT-HANDED PITCHING

Did you expect anything else? Up until Reymin Guduan’s call-up last Tuesday, Tony Sipp was the only left-handed reliever to make the Opening Day roster and is the only one to pitch this year outside of the ineffective Ashur Tolliver. The poorest kept secret in baseball is that the Astros will make a splash at some sort of left-handed arm this summer.

Whether that is Jose Quintana or Tony Watson or a starter or a reliever will entirely depend on the asking price. Luhnow stood pat at the trade deadline last year, and it paid off significantly. Astros fans watched with glee as the Rangers gave away a chunk of the farm system for both rentals and studs in a disgusting seller’s market.

Luhnow’s patience led to solid winter acquisitions and signings at prices that were more than reasonable. Brian McCann’s asking price was significantly higher at the trade deadline last year, and Carlos Beltran cost the Rangers some of their top prospects. And now he is with us. Home, where he belongs. (Isn’t baseball amazing?)

The best part is that there are some excellent lefty relievers on mediocre and bad teams. The Padres’ Brad Hand, the Tigers’ Justin Wilson, and even the Royals’ Mike Minor are just a few of the number of options out there. Expect Luhnow to pounce on the best value, and, if possible, sweeten the deal to bring a frontline starter with them.

P.S. – Do not let Jose Quintana’s less-than-great start fool you. He is an excellent pitcher on a bad team and comes with years of team control. He isn’t going to be cheap, but if the White Sox’s price is right, expect Luhnow to pull the trigger.

Next: How much is Jose Quintana worth with his struggles this year?

Carlos Gomez’s precipitous 2016 decline notwithstanding, Luhnow has mentioned time and time again that overpaying in trades is something organization is simply not willing to do. (I’d bet Luhnow was expecting a different caliber Gomez, wouldn’t you?)

***Stats from Baseball-Reference***