BRAWL IN THE BIG APPLE
Here's how the Houston Astros blueprint for success is being built
Jun 28, 2022, 3:00 pm
The New York teams are a good measuring stick for Houston. Composite image by Jack Brame.
How Astros final stretch of games will perfectly set the tone for postseason
We know what hedonism is – the pursuit of pleasure and sensual self-indulgence. Hedonists care only about their personal happiness, physical gratification and living the fine life.
Hedonism II, for example, is the notorious clothing-optional resort in Jamaica where, according to the brochure, “one of the greatest pleasures of life in indulging in our most hedonistic desires. Here there’s never too much of a good thing. People live out their fantasies and escape their inhibitions. From that extra slice of decadent chocolate cake or a lobster tail smothered in lemon butter, an extra shot of 12-year-old rum in your punch to a sensual midnight tryst in the pool.”
You had me at chocolate cake, but I think I’ll pass on getting into that pool. Also, I’m a clothing-mandatory guy. You’ll thank me later.
On the opposite end of hedonism is a psychological condition called Anhedonia. Someone who suffers from Anhedonia is unable to find pleasure in anything. They’re like that Joe Btfsplk character in the comic strip Li’l Abner who has a dark rain cloud constantly over him.
Fun fact, Woody Allen originally wanted Anhedonia as the title for his 1977 Oscar-winning comedy Annie Hall.
This past week, if you looked up Anhedonia in the dictionary you might have seen photos of Houston Astros fans. I’ve been reading sportswriters and listening to talk shows griping about the Astros blowing two leads at Yankee Stadium. There was whining, the Astros shoulda, coulda, woulda” won all six games against the Mets and Yankees.
Like the bartender said to the horse who walked into a saloon and ordered a martini – “Why the long face?”
The Astros swept two against the NL East-leading Mets in Houston and split a four-game set against the MLB-leading Yankees in The Bronx. That’s 4-2 against the two best records in baseball. Despite the Astros’ weirdly powder puff schedule thus far in 2022, DraftKings has the Astros at No. 2 in its power rankings. Fangraphs goes one better, they have the Astros as favorites to win the World Series.
Astros starting pitchers completely shut down the mighty Yankees. That’s pretty good. Three hurlers combined for a no-hitter, including hanging the loss on former Astro Gerrit Cole. Not too shabby. Jose Altuve answered Yankees fans’ chorus of boos and profanity with big hits, including a first-pitch homer. Loved that.
The Astros are leading the AL West by 10 full games. They’re the only team in the division with a winning record. Houston, we have no problem.
Now it’s on to the Mets at Citi Field for two games before returning to Minute Maid Park for a one-night stand with the Yankees on Thursday.
Sure there are problems that need to be addressed. Manager Dusty Baker went all Floyd the Barber explaining why he didn’t intentionally walk Aaron Judge in the 10th inning on Sunday. Earlier that game, Baker sent Jason Castro to pinch hit for Martin Maldonado. Castro is hitting .095. Maldy is hitting .147. Somebody needs to look it up, this deep into a season, is that the lowest combined average for a pinch hitter and pinch hittee? Also, I think we’ve seen enough of Phil Maton out of the bullpen.
General manager James Click, get to work.
Cheer up Astros fans. All’s well that, according to Fangraphs, will end well.
You want something to really be concerned about? There’s a blooper in H-E-B’s new commercial featuring Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, Jeremy Pena and Lance McCullers.
Bregman and Altuve think salsa night means chips and dip, while Pena and McCullers come prepared to dance the night away. They battle back and forth … “Salsa!” No, “Salsa!”
Look closely, McCullers’ man bun is tightly wound in the first two exchanges, is combed out and free-flowing in the third, but his bun is magically recoiled two seconds later.
That wouldn’t have happened under Scott McClelland’s watch.
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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