Astros’ latest stroke of much needed luck came from the most unlikely source

The Houston Astros have had their fair share of luck this season. When a team loses two of their best hitters — Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman — plus a big chunk of your starting rotation over the course of one offseason, the only way to succeed is to take some educated risks and cross your fingers. Cooper Hummel's big moment on Tuesday was the latest in a line of good fortune for Houston this season.

Hummel is about as unassuming a player that exists in MLB. He's bounced around the league while receiving limited playing time, including a previous stint with the Astros. After failing to catch on with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles this season, Houston brought Hummel back in the hope that his ability to hit from both sides of the plate could provide some lineup balance off the bench for the right-handed-heavy Astros.

Comically, it was Hummel's right-handed swing that brought the go-ahead home run in Tuesday's Astros' win. Sometimes, it is better to be lucky than good.

Cooper Hummel's late-inning heroics vs. Phillies keep Astros' run of good luck going

Hummel is a fun story and it's great for him to get a moment like that. However, it's kind of the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Astros' impressive luck this year.

Christian Walker has been a disappointment as a signing thus far, but Isaac Paredes has been exactly what Houston needed after Bregman's departure. Somehow, Jake Meyers AND Jeremy Peña (both players with questionable at best track records) have gone wild at the plate. The Astros have dealt with injuries to their pitching staff to be sure, but nearly all of the players they've turned to to fill voids have performed better than expected.

Even at the macro-level, the Astros have had luck on their side. The Astros' offense have the sixth highest BABIP (a measure of luck on balls hit into play) at .302 this season. Houston's pitching staff has done well on the flip side as opposing hitters have just a .275 BABIP against them, tied for the sixth-lowest in baseball (which, in this case, is good).

The Astros have made a lot of their own luck with smart decisions and having players who make hard contact or have good stuff on the mound. However, it doesn't hurt that when it comes to the little things, Houston has had a lot go their way.

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