4 former Astros players shining in spring training to the frustration of fans

George Springer

Astros fans that have been following the team for any appreciable amount of time are well aware of what George Springer did during his time with Houston. In his seven seasons with the Astros, Springer slashed .270/.361/.491 with 174 homers across 3,567 plate appearances. By nearly every measure, he was a game-changer.

Unfortunately, Springer's tantalizing tools were in high demand once he hit free agency before the 2021 season. Houston would have loved to keep him around, but his expected price tag was widely expected even back then to lead him to a different team. Ultimately, he decided to sign with Toronto on a six-year, $150 million deal.

Springer's first season with the Blue Jays was marred by a quad injury and his production has decreased every year in Toronto. After posting a .907 OPS in his shortened 2021 season, his .814 OPS in 2022 and .732 OPS in 2023 made it look like Houston may have made the right choice not to lock him up for the long-term.

However, his work this spring has been decidedly better than that. In 11 games down at camp, Springer is slashing .357/.471/.714 with three homers and six walks against three strikeouts. Spring training numbers can absolutely be a mirage, but these numbers sure shouldn't make fans feel any better about Springer not being around.