How Astros Rookie of the Year debate just got a lot more intriguing
MIDSEASON ROY
05 July 2023
MIDSEASON ROY
The Houston Astros have dealt with their fair share of injuries so far this season, and while it's made things much more difficult in some aspects, it's also given young players an opportunity to prove themselves.
So which Astros rookie should take home the midseason ROY hardware? On the offensive side of the ball, Yainer Diaz appears to be the front-runner over Corey Julks.
The injury to Yordan Alvarez has given Diaz the chance to play regularly, and he's come through and added some pop in the lineup. He currently has 8 home runs (7 in his last 30 games) and is sporting an .754 OPS.
If only Dusty would start him more often at catcher over Martin Maldonado, whose defensive skills have diminished this season and is hitting an underwhelming .171 with a .536 OPS.
Raising the bar
The other top two candidates are starting pitchers Hunter Brown and JP France. You can't really go wrong with either pitcher. France's numbers (3.13 ERA) are a little better than Brown's (3.76 ERA), but he has only started 10 games to Brown's 16.
So who do you believe has earned Astros ROY at the midpoint of the season?
Be sure to check out the video as we share our thoughts on the team's best rookie.
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José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis García allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.
There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.
Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.
Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.
He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.
Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.
The home run by Peraza.
It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.
LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.