Astros vs. Yankees: An analysis that defies explanation!

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First Base:

DJ LeMahieu is hot. No doubt about it. With his slash line of .385/.467/.851 and a slugging percentage of .385, the three games he’s started yielded 13 ABs with 5 Hits, 4 Runs, 1 RBI, and only one SO.

Yuli Gurriel, on the other hand, has seen better days. His slash line of .091/.154/.245, and even though he has yet to strike out and has a slugging percentage of .091 in his 3 starts and 11 ABs with 1 Hit and 1 RBI, he’s nothing like the Yuli we’ve been watching the last few months.

At the moment, the Yankees clearly have the advantage at 1B for the time being. But there is still time to turn this around.

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 07: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros looks on against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning in Game Three of the American League Division Series at Tropicana Field on October 07, 2019 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /

Second Base:

Torres and Altuve are neck and neck in this race. Torres and Altuve both have three starts and 12 ABs, with each having 2 Runs, 5 Hits. But that’s where things start to split up.

Gleyber Torres has a slash line of .417/.500/1.500 with a slugging percentage of 1.000, 1 2B, 2 HRs, 6 RBIs, 2 BBs and 2 SO.

While Jose Altuve‘s numbers are pretty close, .417/.462/1.128, his slugging percentage is at .667 with 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 HR, only 1 SO and a SB.

This race is too close to call.

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – SEPTEMBER 03: Alex Bregman #2 of the Houston Astros celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run in the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on September 03, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Third Base:

Gio Urshela, in 3 games, has 11 ABs, with a slash line of .182/.250/.705 and a slugging percentage of .455. He’s has 1 HR, 1 BB, and 1 SO.

Alex Bregman, in the same 3 games, has 7 ABs with a slash line of .143/.538/.681. And while his slugging percentage is only .143 and his 2 SOs are somewhat uncharacteristic, his 5 BBs reflect the Bregman we all know and admire. His plate discipline is unmatched here.

With that, I’m giving the edge to the Astros, if only just for the OBP. You have to be on base to score runs.

HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 13: Carlos Correa #1 of the Houston Astros celebrates hitting a walk-off solo home run during the eleventh inning against the New York Yankees to win game two of the American League Championship Series 3-2 at Minute Maid Park on October 13, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

Shortstop:

Like Altuve and Torres, Carlos Correa and Didi Gregorius have similar numbers in the amount of games and ABs, and that’s where the similarities end. Let’s have a look.

In 3 games, 12 ABs, Gregorius has a slash line of .083/.083/.167 with a slugging percentage of .083. In his 12 ABs, he has 1 Hit, 1 Run, and 1 SO.

Conversely, in the same 3 games, the same 12 ABs, Correa has a slash line of .167/.167/.667, with a slugging percentage of .500, 1 Run, 2 Singles, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBIs. And although he has 5 SOs, he’s making consistent contact.

Advantage, Astros!

Utility:

The Yankees don’t have a player that fits this profile, and Aledmys Diaz has only had 1 AB. So while this is an automatic advantage to the Astros, there is no point in the analyzation of his numbers at this point in the series.

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