Most paramount lessons & biggest statement from Astros slobber-knocking slugfests

STONE COLD 'STROS

Most paramount lessons & biggest statement from Astros slobber-knocking slugfests
The Astros host the Braves Monday night. Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Astros got a huge series win against the Rangers over the weekend, with two big performances from Ronel Blanco and Cristian Javier.

Jose Altuve had two more home runs on Sunday, giving him five total dingers this season. And while it has been a rough start to the season for Houston, they're currently only 2.5 games out of first place in the AL West behind the Rangers.

On the mend

Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez are expected to return to the rotation soon, and Verlander could be ready as soon as Friday against the Washington Nationals.

Astros prospect Joey Loperfido continues to mash the baseball at Triple-A, and Jose Abreu struggled again on Sunday, going 0-4. It's just a matter of time before the Astros promote him to the big leagues. Through 14 games, Loperfido is slashing .333/.429/.895/1.324 with 10 home runs. Loperfido was just recently named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week.

The offense is looking good

Overall, the Astros offense is doing its part, they're currently 3rd in team OPS this season. Pitching is the area the Astros need to get corrected. Their team ERA is second-to-last at 5.32.

Up next

The Astros will look to keep things going against the Braves on Monday with Spencer Arrighetti on the mound.

Don't miss the video above as we react to the Astros series win over the Rangers, look ahead at the upcoming series with Atlanta, and much more!

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It doesn't sound like OC Bobby Slowik is going anywhere. Composite Getty Image.

One of the nuggets that came out of Nick Caserio's press conference this week, was his thoughts on the job Bobby Slowik has done as an offensive coordinator. When asked if the team has considered sharing the offensive play calling, Caseiro responded with an emphatic, “absolutely not.”

Caserio went on to praise the job Slowik has done this year, and to say the team's struggles in the second half this season is due to execution.

This stance is consistent with what we've heard from Texans insiders that believe Slowik will be back next season. As much as many Texans fans believe a change at OC could help CJ Stroud, who's shown regression this year, it doesn't appear Slowik is going anywhere.

To be fair, most teams aren't looking to replace their coordinators when they're leading their division and marching toward the postseason for the second straight year.

Number crunching

When comparing Stroud's stats to last season, there is a clear dropoff in 2024. But a lot of that has to do with the addition of Joe Mixon, especially when it comes to touchdowns.

Mixon is third in the NFL with 11 rushing TDs, while Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary only combined for 6 over the entire 2023 season. One could argue the passing offense has regressed, but one could also argue the offense overall is more balanced.

Stroud is still Top 5 in passing yards, heading into this week's games. And even if we account for the bye week, Stroud will still be Top 10 after this week's slate of games.

The most concerning number to keep an eye on is sacks. Only one QB has been sacked more than Stroud, who's been sacked 41 times. CJ's protection has gotten better since Juice Scruggs was moved to guard, and Jarrett Patterson was inserted at center.

If Stroud starts getting hit again at a high level, that may be the one factor that could make the front office rethink their plans at coordinator. However, if the Texans do make a change, we expect them to address their o-line coach before any changes at OC.

Be sure to watch the video above for our full breakdown of the Texans offense, the coaching staff, and our thoughts on how the Azeez Al-Shaair suspension will impact the team.

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