How Astros urgency to retool should be fueled by World Series matchup
IT STARTS WITH THIS!
23 October
Can the Astros still compete with the Yankees and Dodgers? Composite Getty Image.
The World Series begins this Friday, featuring a matchup between two teams the Astros are very familiar with, the Dodgers and the Yankees.
After watching how the NLCS and ALCS played out, one thing has become very clear. Both of these teams are capable of scoring a lot of runs. Something the Astros struggled with in the regular season and in their two playoff games against the Tigers.
Houston only scored one run through the first 15 innings of their series with Detroit. And despite having a team OPS in the Top 10 for most of the season, they were only middle of the pack when it came to runs scored.
There's no way around it, if the Astros want to compete for a championship, they're going to have to improve their offense. To be fair, they're fully capable of winning the AL West as currently constructed, but it's hard to imagine this team going toe to toe with the top offenses in baseball and having success. Especially if Alex Bregman signs elsewhere this offseason.
Considering where the team is from a salary perspective, we doubt owner Jim Crane is looking to spend a ton of money this offseason. So if the club wants to improve the offense, they'll likely have to get creative. That could involve making some trades, or just getting more out of the players they already have. A change in their hitting approach could be the answer. Like taking more pitches and working more walks.
But who knows, maybe Crane will be more aggressive after watching his team take a step back over the past two seasons. When the Yankees missed the playoffs last year, they traded for Juan Soto, and that move is already paying huge dividends.
Yankees GM takes a shot at the Astros
Brian Cashman went out of his way to blame the Yankees' World Series drought on the Astros this week. And we all know Houston's history with both the Dodgers and Yankees.
If Astros fans were forced to choose, which team would they rather see win it all this year?
Don't miss the video above for the full discussion!
*Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcasts. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo discuss varied Astros topics. The post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon. Find all via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
NFL insiders hint at eye-opening future for Houston Texans offense
Dec 7, 2024, 2:38 pm
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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