Houston Astros set ALCS roster ahead of matchup with Yankees

ROSTER IS SET

Houston Astros set ALCS roster ahead of matchup with Yankees
Chas McCormick looks like the best option in center field. Composite image by Jack Brame.

The Houston Astros and Dusty Baker made a couple of tweaks to the playoff roster on Wednesday, with the most notable change being the addition of right-handed reliever Seth Martinez.

To make room for the addition of Seth Martinez, center fielder Jake Meyers was left off the roster. Meyers pinch ran in Game 1 of the ALDS scoring on Yordan Alvarez's walk-off home run. Meyers also had two plate appearances in Game 2, striking out twice.

Meyers' struggles and watching a game go 18 innings certainly factored in the decision to add an extra pitcher to the roster, going with 13 pitchers and 13 position players. The Astros must have confidence in Chas McCormick's health, as he was seen limping a bit in the previous series. With Meyers being out for this series, McCormick and Mauricio Dubon will be tasked with holding down center field for Houston.

They say pitching wins championships, so adding another reliever that's tough on right-handed hitters sounds like a smart move for the club.

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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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