Astros Dusty Baker’s Needed New Year’s Resolution List

Small Ball

Baker needs to drill small ball situations to score a run or two for the postseason. Relying on the long ball in October is not a recipe for success.

As we saw it play out against Atlanta, their lefty pitchers took out our only hot hitters in the playoffs and we couldn’t put together a run in crucial moments.

If the Astros can get runners on and move them over to scoring position before two outs, they stand a much better chance of getting them in than stranding runners on first all inning. Small ball and situational hitting practice should be on Bakers’ resolution list.

In addition to hitting them over, have hitters shorten up with runners on second or third, I always reference the Mark Grace approach with runners in scoring position. Grace didn’t have the big power numbers but always danced around the top of the league in RBI because he would shorten up and hit the ball to the outfield with runners in scoring position.

If the Astros did just a little of that in the World Series, they would be champions once again. The Astros left so many runners on base in the games they lost it really would make a huge difference if they hit situationally in those spots.

Improve Winning Percentages

Only one time in Baker’s coaching career has he repeated first place, and that was his last year with the Washington Nationals in 2017. Baker commanded the Nationals that season to an easy first place, as the National League East was not much of a foe, but then led his team to a collapse in the first round of the postseason, losing 3-2 to his former Chicago Cubs team.

The Astros have the team, especially if they can bring back Correa, to take them back to the World Series, as long as Baker can lead them to that spot. If Baker can make this resolution by following through on the other listed resolutions, the Astros definitely have a chance to bring back the trophy to Houston.