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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How 3 major x-factors could tip the scales in Texans-Colts: Week 1
Sep 5, 2024, 7:27 pm
The Houston Texans have a big challenge in store as they look to start the season with a win against the Colts this Sunday. When these two teams met in Week 2 last year, the Colts dominated the Texans, despite losing their QB Anthony Richardson to a concussion after the first quarter.
Keeping Richardson contained on Sunday will go a long way in increasing the Texans' chances of coming home with a win. The Texans defense will have their hands full containing the Colts backs and tight ends in the passing game.
Scoring touchdowns with their wide receivers could prove difficult, as the Texans allowed the second-fewest TDs (10) to the receiver position in 2023.
Limiting running back Jonathan Taylor will also be a top priority. While the Texans had an elite defense against the run last season, they struggled with Taylor in Week 18 as he almost rushed for 200 yards.
Houston's D allowed only four carries to running backs in 2023 that went for 20 or more yards. Two of which were to Taylor in the final game of the regular season.
Finally, DeMeco Ryans and company have to find a way to get pressure on the QB. They only had one QB hit and zero sacks on Richardson and Garner Minshew the first time they faced off last year.
On offense, the Texans have two big x-factors to watch for on Sunday. The offensive line that suited up to play the Colts in Week 2 last season is completely different from this year.
The o-line was ravaged with injuries to start the 2023 campaign, so we expect a big jump in productivity in the trenches this year.
Another big addition in 2024 is the presence of running back Joe Mixon. The running game only produced 2 yards per rush in Week 2 against Indy last year, so there's clearly room for improvement.
Be sure to watch the video above for our in-depth preview of Texans-Colts!
And catch Texans on Tap (a Texans podcast) live on our SportsMapTexans YouTube channel following every game this season!
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