HIGH-CLASS PROBLEMS
Here’s how facts don’t support a knee-jerk Houston Astros response
Apr 18, 2023, 2:53 pm
The Astros will be just fine. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images.
Why all the stressing out and hand-wringing over the Astros slow start? Sure, they’re behind the, this ain’t good, Texas Rangers. Yeah, Dusty Baker is up to his old odd decisions, like letting Martin Maldonado bat (and striking out) with the bases loaded and the Astros trailing late, and somebody tell Alex Bregman please don’t crash into walls to catch a foul ball with the Astros leading by six runs.
This is the price the Astros are paying for their incredible success over the last six seasons. Every loss is panic button time. You know the numbers, six ALCS, four World Series and two championships. Is it a dynasty? Yes, no? Either way, nobody’s done it better in recent years.
That’s the problem – sustained excellence is boring. Astros fans expect the team to win, and when they don’t, something’s wrong.
Nothing’s wrong. It’s business as usual. The rest of the American League teams are scuffling for a post-season spot. Not to minimize the regular season, all eternal 162 games of it, but the Astros recently have used the regular season to set up their pitching rotation for the playoffs.
Sure the 2023 Astros are a different team and that’s the thing about sports … you never know. All good things do come to an end eventually. But the Astros still have a Hall of Fame manager in Dusty Baker, their trustiest hitter Michael Brantley is on his way back, the greatest player in franchise history Jose Altuve is healing and who knows what’s up with Lance McCullers.
Alex Bregman is not going to hit .197 for the season.
Here’s how different this Astros team is: only one player on the current roster, Alex Bregman, wore an Astros uniform just six years ago when they won the 2017 World Series.
The Astros are young. Only six players on the Astros current 26-man roster had even played their first big league game in 2017. The Astros have six outfielders. The gristled veteran among them is Kyle Tucker. He’s 26. Only one infielder, Jose Abreu, is over 30.
So give the Astros a break and some time to figure this season out.
Charles Dickens wrote a book in 1860 that could have been about the Astros in 2023: Great Expectations.
The most recent baseball dynasty that compares to the current Astros belongs to the New York Yankees from 1996 to 2001 – a six-year run just like the Astros. The Yankees won five ALCS and four championships.
During that stretch, the Yankees won 100 or more games only one season. The Astros have won 100-plus games in four of their last five full seasons. That explains the frustration over 8-9 so far.
Not to worry, the Astros are averaging 37,386 fans per game at Minute Maid Park this season, up more than 4,000 per game over last year when things turned out sort of OK.
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Coming off a dominant offensive performance, the Houston Astros return to the field Wednesday night looking to keep their momentum rolling against the Athletics. Cam Smith’s four-hit breakout powered a 13-3 rout on Tuesday, and now the Astros aim to take control of the series in Game 3 of the four-game set.
Houston, sitting atop the AL West at 42-31, will send left-hander Framber Valdez to the mound. Valdez has been in strong form all season, posting a 7-4 record with a 3.10 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 2025. He’ll be looking to build on Houston’s recent pitching success. The Astros have held opponents to a 2.60 ERA over their last 10 games while going 7-3 in that span and outscoring opponents by 24 runs.
The A’s will counter with veteran right-hander Luis Severino, who enters with a 2-6 record and a 4.47 ERA. While his season has been inconsistent, Severino still has the ability to miss bats and will look to keep an Astros lineup in check that’s hitting .271 over its last 10 contests.
The Athletics come in at 30-45 overall and 13-24 at home, and though they've dropped three of four to the Astros this season, the power potential is always there. The A’s have launched 92 home runs so far — seventh-most in the majors — with Tyler Soderstrom and Max Muncy continuing to anchor the offense. Soderstrom has already racked up 14 homers and 45 RBIs on the year, while Muncy has gone deep three times over his last 10 games.
Houston’s offense has been steadily rising, fueled by key performances from both veterans and emerging talent. Jeremy Peña continues to provide steady production with 15 doubles and nine homers on the year, while rookie Cam Smith has caught fire, going 14-for-40 with four doubles and two homers in his last 10 games.
The Astros are 33-13 this season when they out-hit their opponent, and they’ll look to follow that blueprint again Wednesday. First pitch is set for 10:05 p.m. EDT in West Sacramento, with Houston holding a 3-1 edge in the season series.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -162, Athletics +136; over/under is 9 runs
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