Astros pitching is in process of allowing Caminero HRs every game. Stop pitching to him. Rays had a 650 OPS guy protecting him today. The staff is also allowing HR derby to literally the worst power-hitting team in the majors. Raya have the fewest XBH in all of baseball. Disgusting. Eleven runs allowed in two games to a below-average run-scoring team. Astros need <3 runs allowed tomorrow. Win the series.
Ha, we were 5 down but the highlights reel was only half way through and longer than usual. I thought we may have closed it up pretty well but didn’t trust us and peeked at the final score. Ashamed.
Interesting article that really puts Bagwell’s 94 season in perspective: https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/yor...-compared-jeff-bagwell-jose-altuve-mvp-astros
The Astros have two future HOFers on their roster... that literally came out of nowhere. And unlike our other two (ahem, 3) HOFers, these guys were incremental to bringing championships here. Nobdody's top 100 rankings. Nobody's draft pick. Nobody's relative/offspring. Nobody's result of tanking. And the fact that Crane somehow foresaw that these were the two that he would spend big enough money, along with the right timing of contract offer extensions, to make them Astros for life.... the Altuve/Alvarez era will be tough to ever surpass (probably not in my lifetime).
Not that it changes your point at all but Yordan was a big bonus signee and was a top 100 prospect before he came up. But for whatever reason the dodgers just **** the bed on that trade. Changed everything for the Astros.
And pretty sure Altuve (or both) made a futures game... and the Astros have spent a lot more on some international guys that have been farts in wind. Much like drafting NFL QB's is still a crapshoot, you just don't know where your next HOFer comes from.
I think we have 3 HOFers on our roster. When he is healthy Josh Hader is as good a closer as there is. He is #1 reason we have been competitive lately. Don't want to jinx him but he has been lights out lately. When his time comes I think he will have the numbers to be in the discussion for HOF.
Crazy part is Bagwell's 94 numbers are still clearly better than Yordan this year. Very few players compare to Jeff outside of Ruth and Bonds. Leading the league matters though. Yordan not only leads in HRs and RBIs, but he leads in hits and runs too, plus he's only 1 point behind Yandy for BA. Yordan could end up bettering Bagwell offensively if he shows proper "leadership". Stay healthy.
Nah. He's 32. He's under 240 career saves and the standard for modern closers is Wagner's 422. I'm not sure he's ever been the best closer in baseball in any single season. There are so many closers who have better credentials who aren't in and won't get in - K Rod had 437, Franco 424, etc. He's going to finish behind contemporaries like Kenley, Kimbrel, Diaz. 6 good seasons and 3 bad ones so far, not counting the current year. He's a quality closer but his name doesn't belong in the same sentence as Altuve and Yordan.
Billy Wagner pitched until he was 39. I guess we will see how much Hader has left in the tank. If he stays healthy he should easily get to the 300's.
Agreed on all points. He only averages 32 saves a season when he is healthy the entire season. To get to 400 saves, that's 32 saves for the next 5 seasons after this year. The era is fine at 2.58 (I think Wags got in because of his sterling 2.31 ERA). So he's got to definitely get past the 422 mark by Wagner. I would say he needs to be pushing 500 saves to get in. Definitely past 450. The era needs to stay close to 2.50. So he's got to have at least 7 and probably 8 full seasons of averaging 32 saves. That takes him to 39 or 40 years old. That's what he is up against.
Hader doesn't have the running numbers to compete yet, but he currently has decisive advantages in ERA+, K/9, and All-Star appearances. One of the reasons Wagner got in was his insane K/9 rate (11.9) ... Hader is a full TWO and a HALF strike outs ahead. Hader could make it with sub-400 if he continues his other ridiculousness. Hader is still prime. He could finish with 2.5x more Franco's All-star appearances -- and more than any closer not named Rivera. He's already tied with Wagner and K Rod.
Obviously with hindsight, the Dodgers don't make that trade but I'm sure they were and are quite happy with what they got from Fields. 2.61 ERA over 117.1 IP across 2+ years. ERA under 3 in each of the 3 different seasons pitched for them. No runs allowed across 4 NLCS and 3 NLDS appearances for them. ( then he gave up 2 without getting an out in the W S. vs Astros). But considering Yordan had never played a professional game, i'm sure thats as good as they hoped for. Similarly, Larry Andersen has a 1.23 ERA over 15 appearances after being traded to Boston. Hevqaa as good as they hoped he would be. I think if they knew how thse 2 would pitch vs the projections for Yordan and Bagwell at the time both of them make that deal again. Prospects, no matter how highly regarded, are always a crap shoot.
Only saw the game this morning, so it’s probably been referenced, but that walk-off home run and the way he rounded the bases with the fireworks going off behind him, was like The Natural. This season has been frustrating, but we’re witnessing one of those magical seasons some players get in their career. So, I’ll appreciate that the rest of this season, at least.
Figuring out Hader HOF credentials are kinda weird because so saves quantity depended on reliever pitching. Yeah he prob. won't get to HOF but putting relievers in front of him with more saves might not be the only story. Saves are something we just decided is a thing and it fits teams arb fight story so they need to just pay 1 guy. Bit like quality start... quality start does't determine by itself career level. Other stats do that. Hader in 2018. Only 12 saves, ERA 2.43. But. 21 holds, 6 wins, IP81(only 55 games so lot of multi-inning), 143K/30BB, whip 0.81. WAR 2.6 fifth on whole team. You discount couple of guys front of him because defense has always been way overreated in WAR counting. That's also why Yordan 4.3 is so crazy good . That is fking insane season but does't count as much of nothing to HOF case because lack of saves. Kenley Jansen 2022. 41 saves, IP64, ERA 3.38, WAR 1.1. Does wonders to his HOF case but really was nothing to write home about. You are right, Hader prob.will not make HOF but how right it is who makes it or not is another convo. Love seeing Hader pitch and not pissed at all that he was Crane getting his guy which is not that calculated move usually .
