THE PALLILOG
Astros secret weapon could be the key to pulling away from A's
Aug 13, 2021, 10:41 am
The schedule gives the Astros an edge over the A's. Composite image by Jack Brame.
3 reasons the Houston Astros newest lineup is raising eyebrows
Off a disappointing three win three loss homestand the Astros are now on the road for seven, with the Oakland Athletics closing in on them in the American League West race. While going 3-3 at home against the Twins and Rockies grades the Astros a D, Oakland has been making straight A's the past week winning seven straight games to draw within a game and a half of the Astros. Just over two weeks ago the gap was six games.
The schedule could be the Astros secret weapon
A 162 game season has plenty of ebb and flow. The A's are flowing right now, but the Astros should win the division unless the A's whip up on them in the six remaining head-to-head games they'll play in the last week and a half of the season. The Astros have the much easier remaining schedule. While the Astros have been confoundingly average against sub-.500 teams, you'd still rather have the chance to slaughter lambs than face a steady diet of really good teams. The A's play the awful Rangers three in Arlington this weekend but then have 13 in a row against winning teams: four at Chicago (White Sox), then three vs. the Giants, two vs. the Mariners, and four vs. the Yankees. Over the Astros' next 16 games only three are versus a winning team, the Mariners at Minute Maid Park next weekend.
No need to nickname Alex Bregman "Godot" just yet but boy have the Astros and Astros' fans been waiting for his return. And waiting. When Bregman finally plays in an Astro uniform again it will have been more than two months since he went down. Bregman's lingering quad issue coupled with his prior history of quad and hamstring problems seems to make it unlikely he becomes the Astros' everyday shortstop should Carlos Correa leave via free agency. Shortstop is more physically demanding than third base. Just a couple of years ago it was plausible to think Bregman would be at least as good defensively at short as Correa if not better. Not now. The Astros didn't move Cuban center field prospect Pedro Leon to playing mostly at short this year by accident. Unfortunately Leon has been out himself since late July with a broken pinky. The minor league season started late this year and hence will end later. In fact the Sugar Land Skeeters' regular season is scheduled to end the same day as the Astros'. So Leon should be back to play the final three to four weeks. If Correa is gone, Leon as the Opening Day '22 shortstop is pushing it, but top tier prospects are supposed to be pushed.
For the season the Astros have outscored their opponents in every inning one thru nine. In extra innings they've been outscored 23-14.
In one run games this season the Astros are 12-12. In two run games they are 8-10. In games decided by three or more, 48-26.
Rocket launch
Coming off what was arguably the most miserable season in franchise history the Rockets and their fans can use any sort of uplifting action. Two summer league games are barely a snack, but man did top draft pick Jalen Green whet the appetite. His athletic burst coupled with skill level are extremely promising. Green was off to a third excellent game Thursday night before leaving with a sore hamstring. The regular season is more than two months away but man that better be minor.
Texans vs. Packers
The Texans play their preseason opener Saturday night at Green Bay. The Packers have smoked at least a one more season peace pipe with reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Aaron Rodgers. The Texans, not so with Deshaun Watson. At least there are only three preseason games now, ahead of the new 17 game regular season.
The Texans credibility level more or less matches their talent level these days. New General Manager Nick Caserio gives them a chance to rebuild both, but at this point they have little. So it was an extra lame move of the Texans to attempt to cut off media access to practice two weeks earlier than NFL rules dictate. That attempt seems highly unlikely to have occurred without Caserio's stamp of approval. Who knows about Jack Easterby's involvement. Or maybe it was just a misunderstanding…
Buzzer Beaters:
1. The Texans list Deshaun Watson fourth on their quarterback depth chart this week. Then why list him at all?
2. Nothing whatsoever against Iowa, but I don't recall ever thinking "Wish I was in Iowa tonight." Until Thursday night. The "Field of Dreams" game looked amazing. The players entering the field out of the cornfield was fantastic. As was the 1989 movie. If never seen it, well worth finding.
3. Greatest Hawkeyes: Bronze-Benjamin Franklin Pierce Silver-Harry Kalas Gold-Nile Kinnick
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It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
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