Same question for you that I asked MadMax. The team has an equal record and better stats in the other 140 games than the Rangers. If you're the GM, how do you improve the team specifically to beat a single team? Statistically, the Astros already have the better team and it doesn't matter at all, apparently - so what types of changes address this problem?
Astros just need to add an .800+ OPS bat and hopefully a starter and they should improve against everyone. Better health would be nice and Keuchel needs to be ~3.00 ERA.
I think it stems from a couple of things, the biggest one is Hinch's poor leadership qualities. A baseball team often reflects the leadership style of its manager. Bannister is a tough no nonsense guy who also adopts analytics and the Rangers are a cohesive, tough guy unit with veteran players that will throw at you and bully you if you let them. Throughout the season they get unexpected production from guys, Andrus and Desmond this year particularly. Hinch is an egghead analytics guy who thinks being professor baseball, aggregate offense and aggregate pitching, wins over the course of a season. They'll get completely outplayed in critical games and then the aggregate will show up and they'll stomp the Twins. It's apparent to me that Bannister and the Rangers took the Astros out psychologically last year in that scuffle. Bannister totally intimidated Hinch on the field that day, everyone saw it, and the teams have played like that ever since, further taking on the personas of their managers. The issue the last two years against the Rangers is mental. We have a team of players who are either young, haven't won anywhere, don't have an extended record of high performance, or aren't those strong clubhouse presences like an Adrian Beltre is for the Rangers who ticks all those boxes. I think you get past this in a couple of ways. One, you hope Correa, Bregman, Springer, McCullers, and this really young core of borderline all-stars grow up really fast. Two, you add a borderline all-star player who ticks those four boxes of experience, performance, winning, and clubhouse presence to diminish Hinch's leadership role on the team. Three, you have to stop being bullied. The first time a Ranger throws at an Astros there should be a huge brawl. You can't ignore the results on the field, you can't ignore the way the Astros have lost games every which way, and if you can't beat the bully on the scoreboard you don't just sit back and say you'll have to get them next time ala Hinch. At some point you either play better or you have to be the bully. This isn't just an antiseptic analytical game. These are men and masculine psychology plays a role in performance.
^^ While I don't agree with everything comets said , there is definitely a psychological aspect to the game . Stats and analysis is great , but at the end of the day you have to remember that you are analyzing people . And variation can be explained by more than just randomness . I think where there is smoke there is fire . Around baseball , there have been a lot of negative comments about lunhow and hinch . I understand part of that is maybe they are trying to change the status quo and there is resistance. But the easier explanation is that those guys have some poor attributes . Hinch may be cool , calm , and collected , but he appears to display those to such a degree that ignorance and submissiveness are a legitimate interpretation of his behaviors and strategies .
Care to expand on that? There was certainly some angst towards Luhnow from other GM's around the league (to be expected at times)... and from all insider accounts, these current players love playing for Hinch.
The part about hinch was a quote from some anonymous baseball operations guy saying that hinch was one of the worst managers he's ever evaluated .
Sure. Have to presume this front office also did their own homework on him. And it still says nothing about the psyche of the players or his ability to motivate them to "masculine" levels (per the discussion at hand). By all accounts, he's fostered a decent environment of clubhouse chemistry, and has helped guide young guys through some tough times. By no means is he the best tactician or in game strategist... but if we really think a manager makes that huge of a difference in the overall mentality of a team, and that mentality translates into discernible wins/losses, then it's hard to say Hinch is a negative for this clubhouse.
Bregman at third, Correa at short, and Altuve at second are locks. Springer is most likely ticketed for right again. What about the other outfield spots? Catcher? First? DH? pitching? So what do you guys do? The starting pitching market in free agency is dreadful except for Hellickson and Rich Hill. Hill is old and made of glass while Hellickson is just okay. Cashner as well as Liriano will be free agents also but would be more of reclamation projects than anything else. Will the Red Sox decline their option on Buchholz? He would be a somewhat interesting option. But the 'Stros will need to trade if they want a legit TOR guy. I think Sale is a long shot. Archer and Quintana are more likely. I would even take someone like Teheran. Any other suggestions? Go after lesser guys like Robbie Ray, Pineda, Andriese, and Ervin Santana while also letting guys like Feliz, Paulino, Devenski, and Martes battle for a spot in the rotation as well? McCullers and Keuchel are question marks healthwise. Keuchel less so than McCullers. McHugh is a lock for the rotation imo. Musgrove isn't a lock but I like him. Fiers is an okay BOR guy but not a lock. What do they do in the outfield? Free agent outfielders include Cespedes, Fowler, Desmond, Reddick, Saunders, and Bautista. I would also throw in Lourdes Gurriel. Do you keep Springer in right along with Marisnick in center and then add one of these guys in left? Or just play Yuli in left? Trade for Braun and put him in left? Trade for Inciarte? Bring in someone like Jon Jay? Could Justin Turner play left? What do they do at first? Give Reed another shot? Play Yuli there? Sign Encarnacion or Morales and put them there? Trumbo? Valbuena? Justin Turner? Napoli? Moss? Moreland? Pearce? Lind? Pedro Alvarez? Trade for Braun and put him at first? Votto? Freddie Freeman? Jose Abreu? Catcher? It looks like they'll re-sign Castro to a relatively small deal and pair him with Gattis again. Hopefully Garrett Stubbs will be a guy to emerge here. DH? Just rotate guys but have it be Gattis a decent chunk of the time? Yuli? Sign guys like Bautista, Morales, Encarnacion, or Beltran to be the sole DH? Others? Bullpen? Go for a big fish like Chapman, Melancon, or Jansen?
I'm not waving off the Rangers' dominance as "luck" - they're a better team. But the record discrepancies don't align with much larger sample sizes. The Astros are 160-126 against the rest of MLB since '15, including a 30-24 against playoff teams. They're 10-28 against the Rangers. In one-run games, the Astros are 47-42 against the rest of MLB since '15. They're 2-12 against the Rangers. The Rangers are better; but, statistically, they should not be +18 and +10 better in those two categories, based on how well the Astros have done in much larger sample sizes over the same time period. Luck has played a role, for sure - the Rangers have been lucky. But that's true of most successful teams. But this is beyond luck; it's inexplicable. The good news, hopefully, is that the records should regress - and for it to even up, it'll mean the astros dominating for a large stretch. Hopefully.
Hinch took a bunch of kids and turned them into a playoff team. He ok. I don't think they have underachieved. They are slightly ahead of schedule with limited talent/depth. That's an achievement. Now get him some pitchers. And let's see if he can go next level.
Congrats to Carlos gomez for winning the division title with your new favorite team you want to magically hit for. Now you can sit at home after being swept and watch the rest of the playoffs.
Gomez pissed his opportunity with the Astros. He was a huge reason Astros missed the playoffs, the Astros kept trotting him out there, and he didn't care. But after getting released, he magically gets a chip on his shoulder, and goes on a good run. Gomez earned himself a better contract, with his play with the Rangers.
Yea when he misplayed the flyball and colins reaction. Hes still trash just like the rangers this season.
