Breaking down the rest of the 2019 regular season

Astros second half preview

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

With the win on Sunday against the Angels, the Astros put an end to the part of the season commonly known as the "first half," although it's technically well past the halfway point in the season based on games. While the season so far has had its ups and downs, they remain a top contender in the league and the best in their division.

So while the team as a whole will get three days off while a few guys head to Cleveland for a few festivities over the next couple of days, it's a good time to look ahead and see what is in store for the Astros down the stretch in the hunt for October.

First, some All-Star fun

A few Astros will get to enjoy some well-deserved national attention on Monday and Tuesday night for the Home Run Derby and All-Star game. Monday night will be the 2019 Home Run Derby, and representing Houston will be Alex Bregman.

Bregman participated in the 2018 derby but made an early exit after losing 16-15 in round one to Kyle Schwarber of the Chicago Cubs. Perhaps this year with some experience under his belt Bregman can go deeper into the bracket. His first-round matchup will be Joc Pederson, who made it to the final round in 2015 before coming up just short of the crown.

If Bregman advances to the second round, he'll face the winner of Matt Chapman and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with a spot in the final round on the line. In the final round, Bregman would meet the best of Pete Alonso, Carlos Santana, Josh Bell, and Ronald Acuna Jr who comprise the other side of the bracket.

Then, on Tuesday night Bregman will join George Springer and Michael Brantley as starters in the field for the 2019 MLB All-Star game. Also on the roster are Houston's star pitchers Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Ryan Pressly. Stay tuned to SportsMap where we will give a recap of both the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game with a focus on Houston's players.

Win the division

Once the games matter again later this week, Houston will have one goal in mind: making the playoffs. The best way to do that is to win your division, something the Astros have done the last two seasons.

Houston has only played 33 of their 76 division games so far in 2019. That means that 43 of the last 72 games will be against division opponents. One of the good trends of the first part of this season has been the Astros doing well against the AL West, going 26-7 in the first 33 games.

They will resume the regular season this Thursday in Arlington with a 7.5 game lead over Oakland who sits in second place and nine games ahead of the Rangers in third. While that gives them some cushion to work with, Houston will have to take care of business to make sure that a team that generates a significant surge at the end of the season, as the A's did in 2018, won't take them by surprise.

The other trend in Houston's favor regarding their division, they were 12-1 in games at home against the AL West. They will have a lot of chances to take advantage of that through September; Houston will play 25 of the 43 division games at Minute Maid Park.

Keep the pace

One way to virtually ensure you win your division is to post a 100-win record. Houston had 101 wins in their 2017 championship season, then bested that with 103 in 2018 when they would fall in the ALCS to the 108-win Red Sox.

The Astros, currently at 57-33, are on pace to win 103 games yet again. Can they beat their 2018 win total and post a new franchise-best regular season? Nine of the final twenty-three series that Houston has on the schedule are against teams that are currently above .500 on the year.

Within those nine, many of those are against the Rangers and A's at home, so when you pair that with the matchups against weaker teams, it's plausible that the Astros could go on several long winning streaks and finish the season better than 103-59.

Staying healthy

While the Astros are still not completely healthy going into the All-Star break, they are getting close. The biggest names that should be returning to the lineup soon are Brad Peacock, Aledmys Diaz, and most notably, Carlos Correa.

Correa's return is expected shortly after the regular season resumes, which should provide a noticeable improvement on both sides of the ball. Having Correa's defense at shortstop will allow the infield to return to normal with Alex Bregman at third, Jose Altuve at second, and Yuli Gurriel at first base. His return alone will bring some stability back on the defense that, while it hasn't been horrible, has had some miscues with players covering some unfamiliar ground.

Similarly, having Aledmys Diaz back in his utility role will allow some of the players who have had to go extended periods without a break to have some rest days when needed to ensure that everyone is staying healthy. Peacock returning to the pitching core will help shore up a rotation that is currently struggling past the top three arms.

Having these three back and keeping the rest of the team intact the rest of the year will be crucial to a momentous finish and successful playoff push.

Trade deadline decisions

The path to the July 31st trade deadline should be an interesting one for Houston. One side of the argument is that they do not need to take any drastic measures to improve an already successful team. On the other hand, some prominent weak spots could be firmed up to help in the playoffs.

Right now, one of those weaker spots is in the rotation. With Brad Peacock on the IL and Collin McHugh in the bullpen again, the Astros only have three solid starters: Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Wade Miley. While Peacock will likely return to the rotation when he returns, he's also done well out of the bullpen in recent years. McHugh is looking sharp as a reliever too, as he did in previous seasons.

Several arms have been connected to Houston in possible trades before the deadline such as Madison Bumgarner, Max Scherzer, Marcus Stroman, and Matthew Boyd. It will all come down to how much the trading team asks for since the Astros have repeatedly been unwilling to move any of their highest prospects like Kyle Tucker or Forrest Whitley.

Additionally, while the Astros may need a strong starting arm in 2019, that may not be the case in 2020 when they get Lance McCullers Jr. back, and have Whitley in waiting to take his place on the team as well. Still, Jeff Lunhow has made several terrific moves for his team in recent years; look no further than the acquisitions of their current duo of Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole.

All in all, the Astros are in great shape to continue their winning ways in the remaining games of the 2019 season so that they can be in a position to try and win the second World Series in franchise history. As always, we'll have our daily Astros report to give you recaps of every game Houston plays the rest of the year.

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM
It's Draft SZN! Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.

On Thursday June 22, the NBA will hold their annual draft. With the Rockets owning the number four overall pick, you'd think things would be looking up for them. However, in a draft where the top three players are all expected to be immediate impact guys, the drop begins where the Rockets are selecting. Armed with some young talent, cap space, and a new head coach, the Rockets are looked at as a team on the rise. But what will help contribute to that rise?

When you have assets, you have options. There are three main options I see here for the Rockets with number four: keep the pick and select the guy you think will work best moving forward; trade up to select the guy they feel they missed out on that isn't a punk Frenchie who dislikes Houston; or trade the pick for an established star. The other option is trading the pick for a good player and a future pick/s. Let's take a look at the options:

Option 1: Keeping the pick means you're drafting the leftovers. Those leftovers start with Amen Thompson. He's the guy I believe can come in and help sooner rather than later. At 6'7 and 215 pounds, he has an NBA body. His skill set can come in handy because he's played point guard. This team could use a true point guard, but Thompson isn't exactly a traditional point. He has the size of a wing player, which allows him to see over the top of the defense. His outside shooting is abysmal and needs a vast improvement. To me, adjusting to life as a pro without his twin brother Ausar, another good draft prospect himself, will be difficult. Overall, I believe he's the guy to take at four if they decide to stay.

Option 2: Trading up to get Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller may prove to be difficult. Both teams picking ahead of the Rockets have their point guards. Charlotte wants to find Lamelo Ball a running mate and have their eyes rumored to be set on Miller. Portland is trying their best to keep Dame Lillard happy. The Rockets would be best served to trade with either team willing to move down for whatever they offer, provided it's worthwhile. Portland was just in the playoffs the last few years and aren't as far out as some would think. They're the ones I'd eye to trade with. Speaking of Portland and Dame…

Option 3: The Rockets need a point guard and Dame may be looking to get out. Help them start their rebuild and bring Dame to Houston. Or, how about the Jaylen Brown rumors? Fred VanVleet has a player option for next season, then becomes an unrestricted free agent. There are a few options of finding veteran help around the league, especially at the point. Problem is, are any of these team willing to take the Rockets' offers? It'd start with number four, and include other assets as well. This option makes sense if the organization believes the roster, with whatever vet addition they make via trade, is playoff ready.

Option 4: The last option I thought about is to trade the pick for a first rounder in next year's draft and a decent player. I see this as a last resort of sorts. But only if they do not feel comfortable with whatever player they may take. That, and if they want to save cap space for next free agency period. Not having a first rounder next year isn't as bad as one might think. The team will need to make the necessary moves this offseason to ensure that won't be an issue next draft. FOMO is real, especially when a team is rebuilding and can't use one of the best/cheapest forms of acquiring top talent.

I talked with my good friend “TC.” The guy loves basketball and even hips me to a bunch of stuff. He wants them to move up in the draft for Scoot or Miller. While he is a James Harden fan, he doesn't necessarily want him back. He wouldn't mind it, but it's not his first option. I've spoken with a lot of native Houstonians about this. They all want a winner sooner than later, but have different philosophies on how to get there. Personally, I say options two and three are my faves. Trade the pick for help, rookie or vet, and go from there. I guess we'll have to wait three more weeks before we find out. Or will we…

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome