Astros: Three Players Trending Up During An Offensive Resurgence

Time to review the players trending up during the Astros hot streak. 

Winners of six of the last seven games, the Astros had their winning streak snapped in Monday’s shut out by the Angels. But the flood gates for the offense have opened up as of late. And the Astros offense that we are used to has jolted back to life for the most part.

Wrapping up the series with the Mariners after dropping the opener and gifted with a three-game set with the White Sox, the Houston Astros got the hits and runs they so desperately needed. These “sleeping bats” woke up. They scored a total of 47 runs on 72 hits. Some of these batters needed this advantage, so let’s take a look at who is trending up this week during the offensive hit surge.

Trending Up: Carlos Correa

No one took more advantage of this hitting clinic than shortstop Correa. Playing like the perennial MVP he will certainly earn one day, Correa batted a team high .500 in his last seven games. In 26 total at-bats, the shortstop went 13-26 driving in seven runs and sent two out of the ball park. He earned five walks and struck out only five times. Whether its extra base hits or walks, Correa is finding a way to get on base. With an OBP of .402 and slugging a tram high .580 that’s how you do it. His defense has been noticed too, in 85 chances to put outs, he has 20 outs and 65 assists with zero errors. Welcome to the trending list, Correa, that didn’t take long.

Trending Up: Marwin Gonzalez

After starting the season 2-for-15, super utility player, Gonzalez has gone 8-for-24 in his last seven games. A perfect candidate for trending up, Gonzalez went .333 bring his batting average to .215 on the season and climbing. He is a prime example of someone who took advantage of this hitting clinic getting a hit in every game except one during this stretch. He was able to drive in six runs, earned two walks, and two extra base hits. The thoughts of Gonzalez being a one-hit wonder has subsided, for now at least. Gonzalez also went 2-for-4 against the Angels during Monday’s defeat.

Next: The Astros Have Flipped the Script

Trending Up: Collin McHugh

It’s nice when you have a former starting pitcher to pitch relief innings for you. That’s what McHugh is; an asset. McHugh would be a starter on many MLB teams. To his detriment, the Astros are lucky to have him as a luxury. A highlight in the bullpen that’s being pieced together, he has an 0.93 ERA pitching 9.2 total innings. He’s allowed only one run on five hits with 14 strikeouts and only two walks. Notably in his last three games, he pitched three scoreless innings while striking out four batters on 37 pitches. Of the nine Astros’ relief pitchers, McHugh ranks second in ERA, and fist in hits given up with five in a minimum of nine innings pitched. McHugh, quietly trending deserves some time on this list. Welcome aboard.

*** Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference, MLB.com and FanGraphs ***