Astros Countdown: Players to Watch in August

4 of 5

PHILADELPHIA, PA – JULY 24: Alex Bregman #2 of the Houston Astros throws to first base on an attempted double play after putting out Cesar Hernandez #16 of the Philadelphia Phillies in the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park on July 24, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images) /

After struggling in the month of June, Alex Bregman seems to have found his offensive stroke again in the month of July. Now, with Carlos Correa out with a torn ligament in his left thumb, he is playing more of his natural position of shortstop.

First, offensively, he has been solid. In July, Bregman is hitting .319 with a .992 OPS, both the highest of any month this season. Of his 22 hits this month, he has become a doubles machine, hitting 10 doubles with one triple and two home runs. The extra-base power has allowed him to score more, scoring 20 runs this month. However, with a place at the bottom of the lineup, Bregman has only drove in four RBIs.

Even though his batting average is the exact same as his rookie season at .264 and his OPS is slightly smaller, Bregman has become a much more patient hitter. His walk percentage is up 3.2 percentage points to 10.1 percent while his strikeout percentage is down eight points to 16 percent.

Now, since Correa has been shut down, he has been playing shortstop more often. This season, with seven games played and five games started at that position, he has not recorded an error and has 10 assists and seven putouts.

Bregman is a valuable bat at the bottom of the lineup for the Astros. It will be interesting to see if that will sustain.

Home/Astros News