r/Astros

I'm writing an article about Houston's major sports teams and their attendance. A phone interview or an email interview works fine.

So there sat Pecko on Tuesday afternoon atop a bench inside Dakin Park’s first-base dugout, smiling to hide nerves before the biggest day of his baseball life. The scout, speaking anonymously to candidly discuss another club’s prospects, said Pecko profiles as a “back-end starter.”

More fanfare accompanied the man Pecko passed over for this opportunity. Signing Imai this winter represented a splash for a franchise that is reluctant to spend in free agency while signaling its advancement into the Pacific Rim. Guaranteeing him $54 million suggested Imai would serve, at minimum, as a stabilizing force behind returning ace Hunter Brown.

Pecko’s arrival Tuesday afternoon accentuated how far Imai has fallen in the team’s pitching hierarchy. Imai pitched twice in the first 18 days of August. He could have started on six days of rest Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Angels, a team torn apart at the trade deadline and carrying the third-lowest OPS in the sport.

What do yall think the batting order should be ? I’m tired of seeing Varsho in the 4-6 spot killing momentum and Cam being one of our best hitters this month still hitting in the 8 spot, amongst other things. Have yall given this any thought ? I’m curious what other people think since I get pretty heated talking about Espada’s lineup construction

Ullola being optioned is likely the corresponding move.

Use this thread for any miscellaneous conversations, Astros-related or otherwise, while we wait for the Angels series.

 

Suggested topics:

• How many games over .500 will the winner of the AL West finish?

• Are you worried that Hunter Brown won't return to ace form this season?

• How come the alphabet is in that order?

“Why would you (swing),” Brown asked aloud after Sunday’s game. “I’ve walked, I don’t know, 20 percent? Clearly the swings are going to go down. How do I fix that? Throw more strikes, make them swing the bat, get into some leverage counts. That’s baseball. That’s no riddle. It’s just the way it is.”

Brown has walked 13.7 percent of the batters he’s faced in 11 starts since coming off the injured list. He began this season with a career 8.2 percent walk rate.

Four of those 11 starts, including Sunday’s five-walk performance, have featured at least four walks. Brown issued four or more walks just three times in 31 starts last season en route to a third-place finish in American League Cy Young voting.

Brown’s problems begin and end with his four-seam fastball. Of the 23 he threw on Sunday, just three were either called a strike or swung on and missed. Last season, Brown threw 50.9 percent of his four-seam fastballs in the strike zone. He’s failed to reach that clip in all but one start since coming off the injured list.

Interesting data points about the Astros v. Teams above .500:

At 19 wins, the Astros have the 3rd fewest wins against teams over .500 (CWS - 18, KC - 16).

At .576, the Astros have the second best record against teams over .500 (MIL - .661, ATL - .571).

Rabbit hole data:

At 33 games, the Astros have the fewest games against teams above .500 (CWS - 45).

PHI has the fewest in the NL at 53. There are 8 AL teams with equal to or fewer games against teams above .500.

TOR has the most at 75 (COL - 72).

Baseball is the best