Astros Countdown: Top Five Road Warriors in 2017

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.

George Springer

George Springer is one of the most complete leadoff men in the game of baseball. Tied for third in the American League with 18 home runs, Springer is hitting a career-high .277 with a .538 slugging percentage and a .886 OPS this season. Driving in 43 RBIs as the leadoff man in the Astros lineup, he is tied for sixth, with Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds, with 49 runs scored.

Part of that has to do with his unreal numbers on the road. With seven fewer games played away as opposed to home games, Springer is hitting .302 with a .967 OPS. In 17 less at bats, the centerfielder has nine home runs. Seven doubles have driven in 19 RBIs and scored 27 times.

Springer has been a bit more patient on the road as opposed to in Minute Maid Park. He has walked 11 times in 116 at bats compared to 12 times in 133 at-bats at home. However, with his patience at the plate, his strikeout numbers are a bit higher, striking out 26.7 percent of the time.

This season, Springer has proved not only on a local scale but also on a national scale, that he is one of the best leadoff men in the game. That is why he is on pace to be an All-Star.

Yuli Gurriel

Astros fans have not heard much from the highly touted Cuban prospect that was acquired on July 16^th of last season. Splitting time with Marwin Gonzalez at first base, Yuli Gurriel has quietly been a very solid hitter in the Astros lineup this season.

In 57 games, Gurriel has a .274 batting average with a .735 OPS. Showing more comfort at the major league level, the 33-year-old’s batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage are all higher than his 36 game stint at the end of last season.

Also, Gurriel’s power is showing a lot more this season. With only ten extra base hits in 130 at bats in 2016, he has 19 extra base hits, including seven home runs, in 212 at bats. With the increased power, he has driven in more runs, with 29 RBIs and scoring himself 26 times.

However, Gurriel has one of the more drastic comparisons between his home/road numbers of any hitter on the Astros roster. In 27 road games, he has a .327 batting average, compared to a .219 average at home, with three home runs and 18 RBIs. His OPS is .182 points higher away from Minute Maid Park with his slugging percentage increasing by .115 points. Part of that is his increased extra-base power, hitting eight of his 12 doubles on the road.

Gurriel is a very good hitter for the Astros to have at the bottom of the lineup to provide depth offensively. Look for him to break out on this seven-game road trip next week.

Luke Gregerson

For a pitcher, it is very hard to find success away from their home ballpark. However, Astros reliever Luke Gregerson has flipped that stereotype on its head in 2017.

This season, Gregerson has struggled as a whole. With a .276 batting average against, the right-hander has a career high 5.19 ERA with a 1.50 WHIP. In only 26 innings of work this season, he has already surpassed his home runs given up last season with six and has given up 29 hits, nine away from matching 2016’s total.

However, the majority of that has happened at home. In 13.2 innings of work, Gregerson has a 9.22 ERA with a 1.90 WHIP and a .333 batting average against, blowing both of his save opportunities.

With that kind of home numbers, Gregerson has actually been spectacular on the road. In 12.1 innings, he has a 0.73 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP and a .200 batting average against. Giving up only one of his six home runs away from his home ballpark, Gregerson seems to be back to his normal self, striking out 16 batters.

It is shocking how much Gregerson changes as a pitcher depending on where his team is playing. It will be interesting to see if one of those stats gives way and becomes more like normal in the coming weeks.