The Astros have been good away from Minute Maid Park.
As the team with the best record in baseball, it is safe to assume that the Houston Astros have been winning wherever they are, whether it is at home or on the road. The Astros have been shockingly good away from Houston, winning 23 of 31 away games so far this season.
Even though they will be taking on the Boston Red Sox in a vital home series this weekend, with a seven-game road trip coming up next week against division opponents, we will countdown the best Astros performers on the road.
Brian McCann
Brian McCann has been having a resurgent season in his first year in an Astros uniform. With a .269 batting average, he is having his best hitting season since 2011 and has his best slugging percentage (.481), on-base percentage (.359) and OPS (.840) since his days with the Atlanta Braves. McCann is also on pace to match his career-high 26 home runs that he hit with the New York Yankees in 2015.
For a 33-year-old veteran catcher, these are fantastic numbers. The majority of his success has been due to his success away from Minute Maid Park. In 22 away games, McCann has a .309 batting average with a .951 OPS. He has hit 10 of his 19 extra base hits away from Houston, including five of his nine home runs this season. The main number to look at though is his RBI total. With only nine runs driven in at home, McCann has driven in 25 RBIs on the road.
These offensive numbers on the road may be due to a more aggressive approach at the plate. Even though he does have a higher on-base percentage away at .396, McCann has struck out more than he has walked with 16 strikeouts compared to 12 walks. This does not seem like a huge number because it is not, but McCann is a very patient hitter. Only striking out three more times than he has walked this season.
After acquiring him from the Yankees this offseason, the Astros have to be pleased with McCann’s offensive production so far in 2017, especially on the road.