Here are the driving forces fueling Houston Astros offensive breakout
STONE COLD 'STROS
17 July 2023
After losing a heartbreaker to the Angels on Saturday, the Astros were able to rally and beat LA on Sunday, which secured a series win for the club.
The Astros got huge performances from Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, and Chas McCormick on Sunday, and now the 'Stros team OPS is inching closer to the top 10. The Astros spent much of the year in the bottom third of team OPS, but now have climbed to 13th.
The offense is steadily improving, and that's without the help of Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez. Imagine when those guys get back to full health. And if Alex Bregman can continue this hot streak, things will really be moving in the right direction.
But we can't go any further without talking about Chas McCormick's splits this year. Traditionally, he's been significantly better against left-handed pitching, but his splits are evening out. McCormick has an OPS of .840 versus right-handed pitching and an eye-popping 1.004 versus lefties. In fact, McCormick has the highest slugging percentage on the team, behind only Yordan.
Be sure to check out the video above as we discuss the importance of Sunday's win, and reflect on what we are seeing right now from Kyle Tucker and AL Player of the Week, Chas McCormick.
Plus, should the workload of the Astros relievers be a concern? They just had time off from the All-Star break, and they already look tired after just one series. Does the front office need to be looking for some bullpen help?
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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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