ALDS PREVIEW
Examining the key factors in Astros ALDS matchup against White Sox
Oct 4, 2021, 4:47 pm
Composite image by Jack Brame
After winning their division over the weekend, Houston is set to take on the American League Central Division champion Chicago White Sox in the ALDS.
This is the first time these two clubs have played postseason baseball against each other since the 2005 World Series.
The Astros won the regular season series 5-2 and outscored the South Siders 35-21.
As playoff rosters are being constructed for both teams, here are some key players to watch when the Astros meet the White Sox in the ALDS.
Impact Players:
The Astros "Magnificent Seven" can compete with any lineup in baseball.
This offense led the league in batting average, hits, RBI's and runs scored this season.
They are top 10 in home runs and walks as well.
One of the best players for the Astros this season has been the American League batting title winner Yuli Gurriel.
The 37-year-old is the second-oldest player to win this accolade in either league behind Barry Bonds (38) who won it in 2002.
Gurriel, along with his teammate Michael Brantley, finished with the highest and second-highest batting average in the American League respectively.
Both players hit above .300 for the year, and have gotten on base consistently all season.
Yordan Alvarez supplied the power numbers this year, as he led the team in home runs (33) and RBI's (104).
The 3rd-year slugger played a handful of games in the outfield this season, and could be used in the field or a designated hitter in the playoffs.
Carlos Correa and Kyle Tucker had career years in homers with 26 and 30 respectively.
Finally, Jose Altuve is having a better season than he did in 2020 and Alex Bregman has returned to form since his quad injury sent him to the injured list back in June.
Here is what the postseason lineup could look like for the Astros.
2B Jose Altuve
LF Michael Brantley
3B Alex Bregman
DH Yordan Alvarez
1B Yuli Gurriel
RF Kyle Tucker
SS Carlos Correa
CF Jake Meyers
C Martin Maldonado
This is one of the best batting lineups in baseball and could be the determining factor in deciding a playoff series.
Impact Pitchers:
Lance McCullers Jr. (13-5) and Framber Valdez (11-6) have been a great one-two punch for the starting rotation this year. The former will start Game 1 on Thursday and the ladder will most likely take the mound Friday.
Valdez had some issues with command as of late and leads the majors with 76 walks, but is great at not allowing home runs, with only a 0.7 HR/9 on the season.
The White Sox have a right-handed heavy lineup, but his elite curveball makes him a great asset to have against these righties.
With the announcement from Astros' manager Dusty Baker that veteran pitcher Zack Greinke could come out of the bullpen this postseason, Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy to be the likely Game 3 and Game 4 (if necessary) starters. Jake Odorizzi could be an option out of the pen as well this postseason.
The White Sox rotation will most likely be Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease, and Carlos Rodon.
These starters went a combined 2-3 against the Astros this year and look to be a formidable staff to face in the first round.
Impact Bullpen:
Although Ryan Pressly had an All-Star season this year, the Astros still needed to improve their bullpen at the trade deadline.
Houston acquired Kendall Graveman from their division rival Mariners, and Yimi Garcia from the Marlins, while moving Cristian Javier to a full-time relief pitcher role.
These corresponding moves improved the bullpen dramatically, and gave the Astros many opportunities to hold leads throughout the season.
Odds:
According to FanDuel, The Astros are -124 to win the series and the White Sox are +106.
Up Next:
The ALDS will start on Thursday at Minute Maid Park with the game start time still TBD.
McCullers will get the start Game 1 and will most likely face White Sox ace Lance Lynn.
Here is how the ALDS format will play out.
Game 1: Thursday, Oct. 7 at MMP
Game 2: Friday, Oct. 8 at MMP
Game 3: Sunday, Oct. 10 in Chicago
Game 4 (if necessary): Monday, Oct. 11 in Chicago
Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, Oct. 13 at MMP
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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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