ASTROS REPORT

5 intriguing stats as the Astros enter the final stretch

Astros Tucker, Valdez, Correa, Maldonado
Framber Valdez has things going in the right direction. Composite image by Jack Brame.

The Astros finished last week with a 4-2 record after winning back-to-back series against the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers. As it currently stands, Houston has a 77-53 record and hold a 5.5 game lead over the Oakland A's in their division with 32 games remaining.

Houston received some much-needed help with the return of two players from injury, and others continuing to make strides as the regular season is coming to a close.

Welcome back Alex Bregman. The third basemen returned to the Astros lineup Wednesday against the Royals for the first time since June 16th when he went on the injured list with a strained quad. Bregman got two hits, drove in an RBI and scored the winning run in the 10th inning to cap off his first game back. The 27-year-old has a slash line of .357/.471/.429 since coming off the IL. Albeit a four-game sample size, his return to the lineup will help bolster this team both on the field and at the plate.

Kyle Tucker was reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list on Tuesday against the Royals. In his first five games, the outfielder has accumulated seven hits with a home run as well.

With Tucker and Bregman officially returning to the team this past week, the Astros' bats are fully healthy for the first time since June.

While some players are happy to be back, others are sharpening their skills just as October is approaching.

Yordan Alvarez continues to increase his power numbers as the playoffs near. The 24-year-old designated hitter/outfielder hit six homer runs in his last nine games and leads the team with 28 homers. For the month of August, Alvarez is hitting .305 with 21 RBI. He continues to be a mainstay in the heart of this Astros lineup, and looks to be a key contributor at the plate as the season comes to an end.

Framber Valdez had a solid outing against the Rangers Saturday, as he struck out seven and walked one over seven innings. The left-hander threw 61 of 85 pitches for strikes as well. Valdez has thrown seven innings of work in back-to-back starts and only gave up 3 hits in each of those outings. Over his last 7 starts, he is 4-2 with an ERA of 2.44.

Valdez ended the month of June with a 4-1 record with a 2.10 ERA, but struggled a little in the month of July. His ERA ballooned to 4.05, but has steadily decreased with every start since August 5th.

Speaking of that stat, the Astros have a 3.68 team ERA which ranks 5th in Major League Baseball. Valdez, Zack Greinke and Lance McCullers look to be the top three pitchers this postseason with either Luis Garcia or Jose Urquidy (when he returns) bolstering the end of that postseason rotation.

Ryan Pressly worked the ninth on Saturday against the Rangers for his 21st save in 23 chances.

The All-Star closer has not allowed a run in his last three outings, and has lowered his ERA to 1.87. With Pressly and Kendall Graveman pitching at All-Star levels, the back end of the Astros' bullpen looks lethal.

Injury Notes: Jason Castro was placed on the injured list with knee discomfort. Martin Maldonado will most likely catch more games during his absence with Garrett Stubbs giving him a day off every now and then.

Up Next: Luis Garcia takes the mound as the Astros open up a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners with division positioning on the line.

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The Texans are the class of the division. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

The Houston Texans received a lot of praise for their moves in free agency across various outlets. And for good reason, most people believe the team got significantly better with the additions of Danielle Hunter, Azeez Al-Shaair, and Denico Autry among others.

But there's another factor to consider this offseason. How much have the other teams in the AFC South improved?

When looking at the PFF grades in free agency, the Colts received a B-minus. Most of the Colts moves this offseason involved spending a lot of money re-signing their own players. Which is great in theory, but it's hard to improve the overall quality of your roster when you're bringing back players that were already there to begin with. A lot will be riding on player development for the Colts to see a big jump this season. A healthy quarterback wouldn't hurt either.

The Jaguars have made some big additions financially this offseason by signing receiver Gabe Davis and defensive tackle Arik Armstead. They also lost the top receiver on the market, Calvin Ridley, to the Titans. Gabe Davis wasn't able to establish himself as a reliable No. 2 receiver with Josh Allen throwing him the ball in Buffalo. So it's hard to believe he'll take the next step in Jacksonville. Their best move of the offseason might have been retaining edge rusher Josh Allen by using the franchise tag on him. So what did PFF think of Jacksonville's offseason? They received a B-minus, just like the Colts.

The Titans have a lot of turnover heading into the 2024 season, and not just on the roster. They have a new head coach in Brian Callahan, who's looking to revamp Tennessee's offense. Early in free agency, they agreed to terms with former Cowboys running back Tony Pollard, signing him to a 3-year deal at $8 million per season. Which is more money than the Ravens are paying for Derrick Henry, who left the Titans in free agency. Calvin Ridley was the most notable addition to the squad, he received a 4-year, $92 million deal. And while this could be viewed as an overpay, at least he gives the Titans' offense some upside. Their receiving corps looks a lot more dangerous with Ridley added to DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks.

They also spent big at the center position, adding Lloyd Cushenberry on a 4-year, $50 million contract.

Because the Titans spent a lot of money on some highly coveted players, PFF gave them a B.

Now that brings us to the Texans. The Texans re-signed some of their own players like Dalton Schultz and Noah Brown. But they also made some big splashes with Hunter, Autry, Al-Shaair, and Joe Mixon. But the Texans spent their money in a more conservative way by not handing out many contracts over two years in length.

The Texans managed to add the best pass rusher in free agency with Hunter, but it's only a two-year deal. The overall talent level is going up on this roster, and GM Nick Caserio isn't having to sign players to long contracts that could come back and haunt him.

That's why we're seeing post-free agency power rankings coming out with Houston in the Top 10. And that's also why PFF gave the Texans an A for their moves in free agency.

Be sure to check out the video above as Craig from Sports Talk Extra takes an in-depth look at PFF's grades for the AFC South, and much more!

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