Astros: George Springer Deserves to be an All-Star

When you think All-Star, you think of the best players in the league. George Springer deserves to be in that group, and he is proving that day in and day out.

When the now 27-year-old George Springer made his major league debut, it was the most anticipated debut of an Astros prospect in years. He reached the majors in 2014 at the age of 24, and at that time, he was an athletic, toolsy outfielder that had a strikeout problem.

A first-round pick of the Astros, he represented the future of the club when he was called up. The former UConn Huskie outfielder had become the first player to arrive of the squad that would bring Houston back from the cellars. Well, here we are, three years later, and Springer is a key piece of the best team in baseball.

On a team full of personality and swagger, Springer stands out. He has fun at the ballpark every day. That childish love for baseball is contagious, and you can see that when you watch this team. They genuinely enjoy playing with one another.

Springer, Jake Marisnick, Josh Reddick, and Norichika Aoki make for a very talented and exciting outfield. At the center of it, both from a defensive standpoint and a leadership standpoint is George Springer. He has been making dazzling Gold-Glove Caliber players all season long, setting the bar for the other outfielders.

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But Defense isn’t the only way that Springer has contributed to the majestic season that Houston is putting together so far.

Despite not quite fitting the typical profile, Springer has found his home as the leadoff hitter for the Astros. He has become a very good hitter in the sense that he works the count, and does not chase pitches very often. Each at-bat will consist of several pitches, and Springer is never an easy out. His 20 walks are good for 4th on the team.

You can also make a strong argument that when George Springer is hot, he is the best player in baseball. He already has 16 home runs, which leads the team.  He is hitting .281 on the year and also carries an on-base percentage of .348 with that. His stat line resembles that of most teams 3 or 4 hitters, but in this stacked lineup, he slots perfectly at lead off.

Aaron Judge, Micheal Brantley, and Mike Trout are the three leaders. Springer is definitely deserving of a spot in the game, and we Astros fans have the power to get him there. Go to this link and put in your votes to get our guys into the game!

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Houston has several All-Star worthy players on the roster. Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Marwin Gonzales are only a few. George Springer is the heart and soul of the Astros, and he is the perfect candidate to represent us at the All-Star game. Let’s all work together and send him there!

***Statistics courtesy of www.baseballreference.com***