Astros: Comparing the 2020 outfield lineup against the Yankees

It’s time for installment number two of the series. Are the Yankees really favored over the Astros in 2020? Let’s move on to the outfield.

Jumping right in, let’s get back to talking about Astros baseball and how they compare against the Yankees.

Left Field – Advantage Astros

In my last article, we looked at Yordan Alvarez at DH. Chances are, Alvarez will get some time in left field this season, especially at home, so we’ll make him a part of the outfield mix also. Of course, he’ll be hard to rate defensively since he only played the field in 10 games (starting in nine). He had 11 opportunities to make nine putouts with one assist and one error, giving him a fielding percentage of .909.

We all know his power is in the DH position and since I’ve already rated him and his bat in that position, I won’t repeat myself.

Next up is Michael Brantley. With a fielding percentage of .982 in left, Brantley was rated by MLB as number two of 2019’s top 10 left fielders. This was one of the most underrated free agent signings of 2019, and Uncle Mike proved that he is still a force to be reckoned with at the plate. His year ended with an average of .311, on-base percentage of .327, slugging percentage of .503, OPS of .875, 90 RBIs, and a career high of 22 home runs.

In 2019’s top 10, Giancarlo Stanton was rated by MLB as number 10 of left fielders. This simply has me scratching my head because his season was marred with injury and he only started a mere 10 games at the position, playing only a total of 18 games during the regular season. In those 18 games, he had a total of 59 at-bats for an average of .288, with three home runs and 13 RBIs.

Cameron Maybin picked up the slack in this position, playing 82 games for a fielding percentage of .969. With an average of .285 over 239 at-bats, Maybin proved to be no slouch at the plate with 11 homers and an OPS of .858.

I’d say the advantage goes to the Astros in left!

Center Field – Advantage Astros

Ranking third behind Mike Trout (No. 1, AL MVP) and Cody Bellinger (No. 2, NL MVP) in MLB’s 2019 top 10 in center field, George Springer had an MVP-caliber year marred only by his lack of playing time because of injuries. His fielding percentage in CF was a mere 1.000 over the course of his 75 games played in that position. And in his overall 122 games, he ended 2019 with career-high numbers in all offensive categories with an average of .292, OPS of .974, slugging of .591, on-base percentage of .383, 39 home runs and 96 RBIs.

Initially separated by $5 million at the deadline, Springer and the Astros came to an agreement of $21 million for the 2019 season. There are some rumors floating around that an extension could happen this spring, and with his stellar 2019 season added to the books, the Astros really need to lock him him down to an extension.

In 98 games, center field was covered for the Yankees mostly by Brett Gardner with Mike Tauchman and Aaron Hicks picking up the remainder. For purposes of comparison, we’ll focus on Gardner and Hicks.

Hicks and Gardner respectively placed 8th and 10th in MLB’s 2019 top 10 center fielders, and with their respective fielding percentages, .991 and .995, this is understandable. Offensively speaking, Gardner had a bit of a stronger year with his career high of 28 homers, but Hicks missed more than just a few games due to injury and his offensive stats were pretty much in line with his career numbers.

Again, advantage ‘Stros!

Bench and Outliers

Some of our players not ranked in these categories are Myles Straw, Aledmys Diaz, Garrett Stubbs, Dustin Garneau, Jack Mayfield and Abraham Toro.

Look for some stellar defensive input from Straw in both the infield and outfield. Stubbs is also one to keep an eye on in my opinion, especially in the speed department.

Spring Training will be exciting this year as the Astros decide who will make the 26-man roster to start the season. With all of the talent to choose from, this will prove to be a very difficult decision for anyone who takes the manager position this season.

Future Comparisons

More from Climbing Tal's Hill

• Just how much better is the Houston Astros playoff rotation than the rest?
• Houston Astros: A Lineup Change to Spark Offense
• Astros prospect Hunter Brown throws 6 shutout innings in debut
• Always faithful Astros World Series champion Josh Reddick defends the title
• Michael Conforto declines Astros’ 2-year, $30 million offer

My next installment will analyze our pitching comparisons, but will come later into Spring Training as rotations shape up and fill out.

With the addition of the latest trade from the Rays, Austin Pruitt, and some others on the 40-man roster, this should be an interesting time for both the back end of the rotation and the makeup of the bullpen.

The report from Commissioner Rob Manfred lingering over the Astros has caused quite the negativity in the fandom, and we only have 22 days left until catchers and pitchers report for Spring Training, and Opening Day 2020 fast approaches. But with the revelation of our new manager and GM on the horizon, these are exciting times for the Astros and their fans as our final 26-man opening-day roster comes into full view.

And even though there is so much negativity coming from other fan bases, the Astros still have one of the best, if not the best, lineups in all of MLB. The Astros were also rated as one of the top defensive squads in 2019 by MLB. Because much of our core is back on the field in 2020, we’re sure to be at the top of the leader boards in these categories again.

So chins up, people. Let’s show the rest of the world what Houston Strong really means!

Go Astros!