Astros lineup is measured, either hot or not, let the stats decide

When taking a look at the last seven days where do Astros’ hitters stand?

Certainly this bears nothing on the Houston Astros‘ season as a whole, but better focused examines how likely Astros hitters are to get a hit or drive in runs based upon the current week. Let’s take a trip around the diamond and see who is hot, and who is not.

C Martin Maldonado

Madly isn’t hitting well at all as of late going 2-for-16 with seven punch outs. That puts him at a .125 average and with a .188 slugging percentage, he definitely isn’t hot.

1B Yordan Alvarez

Yordan is definitely battling some nagging injury right now so it’s not surprising his stats aren’t where they have been this year. Yordan Alvarez is hitting .211 with four hits in 19 at-bats and a home run. Hopefully he can rest for several games and get healthy again and perform like he was prior, as of now he is not hot.

2B Jose Altuve

Jose Altuve certainly isn’t having the month with regards to power as he has had prior, but even more so he is currently not hitting much either. Altuve is 6-for-27 hitting .222 with a home run and four RBI the last seven games. He is currently on the not hot track, but his two hits Sunday hopefully will spur a hot streak.

RF Kyle Tucker

Tucker is certainly one Astro that is on a hot streak. He is currently hitting .360 going 9-for-25 the past seven games and his two home runs and five RBI with only a punch out definitely puts him in the hot category.

CF Jake Meyers

With lower expectations for a rookie, especially a late call up, Meyers has been a solid placeholder in the lineup. With that said Jake Meyers has hit .286 going 6-for-21 the past seven games with three RBI and eight punch outs. I would give him a rating of hot, but on the cooler side of hot.

LF Michael Brantley

Michael Brantley has been the most consistent bat all year and his .313 average shows it, but what about recently? Brantley is hitting .214 going 6-for-28 with no RBI or home runs. Normally hot, the left-hander is not.

SS Carlos Correa

Carlos Correa is on a contract year and as often is the case, stats get better and Correa is no exception. For the past seven games Correa is hitting .241 going 7-for-29 which isn’t amazing but he is slugging .586. He has three home runs, five RBI and four runs, I would say Correa is definitely hot.

3B Alex Bregman

Just returning from the IL, Bregman has been solid, hitting .320, going 8-for-25. The biggest question is, where is the power? Bregman has no home runs and an RBI. I would definitely say Bregman is hot but not too hot as his power still isn’t back.

1B Yuli Gurriel

Having a bit of flare always helps a player who is working through a streak, and the right-hander is no different. Yuli Gurriel is hitting .320, going 8-for-25 with a home run and two RBI the past seven games. His high average, coupled with his .440 slugging percentage absolutely puts Yuli in the hot category.

Bench:

Aledmys Diaz

Aledmys probably had one of the best August’s on the team, yet the past seven games haven’t been kind. I wouldn’t say Diaz should never play but when you go 0-for-21 with seven strikeouts then I would say yes don’t play him unless someone needs a day off and you have no other options, he is not hot.

Chas McCormick

Just coming back off the IL McCormick hasn’t regained his mid season glory. McCormick is 4-for-15 hitting .267 with four RBI. The split however does not fully say what he is currently because in his two games back from the IL he is 0-for-4, I would say he is not hot.

As you can imagine, having hot hitters allows pitchers to get more wins and pitch more confidently. The Astros currently as a team are not hot and they need a good few games to get their hitting on track having recently lost two of three to the San Diego Padres.

Will we see another shuffle of the lineup in typical Dusty Baker fashion, or will players start to get hot as we continue on into September and get closer to the end of the regular season?