POINT BLANK
Joel Blank: Rick Smith got one thing right in his checkered tenure - Deshaun Watson
Aug 20, 2018, 9:05 am
Deshaun Watson gives the Texans something they have never had. Bob Levey/Getty Images
For Texans fans, the mere thought of having a franchise quarterback is like a breath of fresh air. You didn’t even have to be at NRG Saturday night to feel the energy and excitement surrounding the Texans this upcoming season. After years of struggles, trials and tribulations trying to find the right signal caller, it seems like they finally got it right. Rick Smith made his fair share of mistakes that eventually cost him his job, but his parting gift - the trade that brought Deshaun Watson to Houston - might be enough to forgive all the slip ups and misses.
Sure, Smith signed Brock Osweiler to that horrific deal and had to give up what turned out to be a top five second round draft pick to make it go away. And of course we all are painfully aware that he gave up even more to move up in the draft to select yet another quarterback he only hoped could be the guy. The front office games of musical QB's and quarterback roulette went on long enough that people wondered if the team would ever get it right.
When you look at the quarterback class of 2017 and think about the options the Texans had, there were four guys that the team could have taken. The first was Mitchell Trubisky, and that thought was quickly erased when the Bears moved up and selected him second overall. Texas Tech gunslinger Patrick Mahomes was also a possible option, but the Chiefs moved two spots in front of what would eventually be Houston's draft position and snatched him up to be the face of Kansas City's football future at 10. The Texans took Watson at 12. Notre Dame QB Deshon Kizer was also in the class and though he was considered more of a long term project, he would go to the Browns in the second round at number 52. As we look at that list and where they are now, it's safe to say that none of those other guys have shown as much potential or produced as many results as Deshaun.
Trubisky may be the closest to being ready to step up and show he is a capable starter, but he is nowhere near Watson in terms of execution, poise and decision making. Mahomes spent all of last season learning behind Alex Smith in hopes that this year he would be ready to lead the Chiefs. Everything we’ve seen and heard to this point is that he has struggled in camp to grasp the offense, control the huddle and even call the right play. Kizer had a rough rookie year in Cleveland both on and off the field and was traded to Green Bay in the off season, where he’s fighting Brett Hundley for the back-up job. In short, none of those guys come close to living up to the hype they had coming into the league, let alone trying to equal Watson's rookie results and high expectations for the upcoming campaign.
It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes telling you for you to realize that Rick got it right where so many others got it wrong. Watson won in college against the best teams in the biggest games and put up big numbers. He ran a pro-style offense and was the clear cut leader of the team. He quickly showed how he could translate those attributes and contributions on the next level and now has the team, city and entire football world waiting with anticipation as to what he can do in year two. The sky is the limit and that's elementary, my dear Watson.
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The Houston Astros are coming off a terrific home stand, taking a series from the Padres, followed by a sweep of the Blue Jays. The bats came alive, and the pitching has continued to be impressive. But here's the big question; is this sustainable?
Houston's overall numbers this season closely mirror last year’s performance, which is a great sign. In 2024, they finished top 6 in ERA and ranked 4th in batting average against. Fast-forward to 2025, and they’re first in WHIP and rank among the top five in nearly every major pitching category. This consistency suggests their success is not some early-season anomaly, but the result of a proven, repeatable formula.
Ryan Gusto has quietly become one of the more intriguing arms in the rotation. He leads the team with a 61% zone percentage, and while you might expect that to come with a lot of loud contact, that hasn’t exactly been the case. His zone contact percentage is actually better than you’d expect for someone filling the zone that much, and among current starters, only Hunter Brown is better. That’s a great sign for Gusto’s long-term viability and a testament to the quality of strikes he’s throwing—not just the quantity.
On the offensive side, there’s a bit more nuance. Optimistically, the Astros are one of just five AL teams with a positive run differential, currently sitting at +11. That’s often a good indicator of underlying team strength, especially this early in the season. Jeremy Peña is riding a 14-game hitting streak and has shown a 10% increase in hard-hit rate, according to the Astros broadcast. While his traditional numbers like batting average and slugging are slightly down from last year, his on-base percentage, OPS, and OPS+ are all up. That points to better at-bats and more mature plate appearances—even if the results aren’t always explosive.
The Astros are also experimenting with some interesting lineup flexibility. Cam Smith taking reps in center field could open the door for Zach Dezenzo to slide into right, potentially pushing a rotation with Jake Meyers in center. While Dezenzo doesn’t appear to be an option at second base, where Mauricio Dubón has struggled and Brendan Rodgers has underwhelmed, the added flexibility in the outfield is still a valuable tool for manager Joe Espada.
Signs of improvement or concern?
Christian Walker now has a higher slugging percentage than Yordan Alvarez—.345 to .338—which is unexpected, especially considering Walker's early season struggles. However, it's also a reminder that a few good at-bats can massively impact the numbers this early in the season.
The team as a whole is middle-of-the-pack in batting average (15th) but ranks 24th in slugging (last in the AL West) and 23rd in OPS. Only the Texas Rangers have been worse in OPS among division rivals.
Jose Altuve, meanwhile, has been a mixed bag. Watching him at the plate, especially in two-strike counts, has been tough. On 2-2 counts, he’s hitting just .154 with a .297 OPS, and he’s struck out in 7 of 14 plate appearances in that scenario. It’s gotten to the point where you almost expect a chase on anything off the plate. The encouraging sign, though, is his rebound on full counts—he’s posted a whopping .930 OPS in 3-2 situations, suggesting he’s not completely lost at the plate but may be pressing in earlier two-strike counts.
Perhaps the most glaring issue has been the team’s production with the bases loaded. It’s been downright dreadful. Through 31 plate appearances, they’ve managed only three hits—good for a .111 average. It’s a small sample size, but still significant enough to highlight the Astros’ situational hitting struggles.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
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