I think with ABS, I think all pitchers need to be able to throw strikes first. It's really important to get ahead of the count because batters are being told to be more patient with the tighter strike zone
the ABS zone is still broken… its not relative, nor does it take the 3rd dimension into consideration. Easy to put an invisible < 1cm thin picture “frame” (rectangle) on the screen, but that “frame” does not stay the same size from the front of the zone to the back (catcher’s glove). Take a sick-nasty curve that misses the frame but still lands at the 0/0-x/y-axis or paints the 45 degree corners before nestling into the catchers glove… bc ABS its a ball, but to a catcher & ump it not just looks like, but is a bullseye strike. ABS is fixing umps, and hindering pitchers.
It's still better than humans. At least it's consistent. But that doesn't really matter in regard to my point. The strike zone is tighter so it's more important for pitchers to throw strikes early.
Breaking pitches that crossed the frame were called balls about 10% of the time last season. The ABS is not hindering pitchers ability to throw nasty stuff. If ABS were used full-time, pitchers would get about 300 more curves called strikes because human umps have a tighter zone on nasty curves than the ABS. The tighter zone is caused by framing being less effective on non-nasty pitches. Pitchers have lost about 600 pitches this season so far out of the zone that would be called strikes last season.
I'm getting pretty discouraged about this season. There are just too many holes to plug up. I think with Hunter coming back, our pitching would have been pretty good but there are two many holes in the lineup. Only Yordan and Walker have been above average. Paredes and pena have been mediocre. Age has caught up to Altuve. Cam seems to have gotten better but I don't think he will be good until next season. Matthews still looks lost. Meyers is who he is. I've said it many times. We really need for 2 of the young guys to turn into stars. I think Cam will get there but I'm not so sure about Matthews. We also need a Michael Brantley type signing.
The season has been on life support for 6 weeks. They stopped the bleeding but desperately needed a big win streak to dig out the hole they got into and it hasn’t happened. Time is just about up. They started the season 1 big bat short of a lineup and with a lot of questions/potential in their rotation. Now with Correa out and Altuve not playing well (and Paredes not playing great) they are at least 2 bats short of a contending lineup. They’ve rooted through their SP and put together a competitive rotation that with Brown coming back should be a near-contending rotation. Their bullpen has been fine except for Abreu and now with Hader back should be a strength. Astros have about 4.5 weeks to make a season-saving run. I don’t see it happening but it’s not impossible. It will take several hitters getting hot and a lot of luck.
Dana Brown needs to find a crazy deal by the deadline. The league itself is so bad it doesn't need to be before then but it would be nice. The problem is that this team - at a minimum- needs a SP who can start a playoff game and an outfielder who is at least 10-15% better than league average. Without those 2 pieces they are going nowhere in the postseason even if they make it. Let's say we get the healthiest and best versions of Yordan, Walker, Altuve, Paredes, and Pena in the postseason. You still have to choose between a catcher who can't hit or one who hurts the pitchers' effectiveness. Then, even if Cam Smith becomes Kyle Tucker with the bat you have no LF or CF you can count on to even be 90% of average. You have either 3 holes in the lineup or 2 holes with a pitching penalty. And even if Arrighetti continues his great season, who from Imai, Burrows, Lambert, Teng, Javier, or McCullers do you trust to be a #3 in a playoff series? Dana needs to do his best work, and with the penalty of a strict budget and mediocre (at best) trade assets. I wish Crane would just give up on 2026 but I don't think the state of the AL will let him. I wish the Mariners, Rays, Guardians, Yankees, Blue Jays, and at least 1 other AL team would go on a crazy run and separate themselves from the rest of the league by the All Star Break.
Tigers just announced that Skubal is returning Saturday. That means he won't pitch vs Astros next week. His 2nd start will 99.9% be Friday the 19th vs White Sox because they have a day off Thu 18th. His 3rd start will be 24th vs Yankees or in the series opener vs Astros Fri 25th. It depends on if they have him going on 4 or 5 days rest
I thought we hit paydirt when I we got Wade since he gets on base which is actually what we needed. But with all the injuries and Altuve playing his age, there seems to be too many holes to fill with a deadline trade. Now if Cam goes on a tear and Matthews magically figures it out, then I will change my mind. We need two guys to figure it out while everyone else stays the same and healthy.
Currently, I think Hunter, Spencer, Imai, and Lambert/Teng/Blubaugh are good enough for the playoffs. I also think Crane would trade for more pitching if he though we had a chance to contend. That's his MO. The issue is bats are harder to find and there is more variability when trading for a bat. Often bats will fall off a cliff after a trade like Sanchez did last season. I would have felt better if Correa was able to come back this season. The chances of two of the kids to figure it are pretty small. Cam has been very solid so far this month so maybe we are halfway there. Matthew looks lost. Maybe Lopefido does something when he comes back.
They gave him 5 starts. But also because of his major league guaranteed salary, he is very unlikely to get claimed, so they can stash him in AAA just not on the 40 man; that’s the only upside to having underwater contracts on players without a lot of service time, they can be DFA’ed without being able to choose free agency.
Prior to yesterday.... but only 4.50 ERA added from last night. Stros still doing great overall in this area.
I think it’s been awhile since Houston was this far into a season with this much uncertainty about their roster. I went thru and tried to pin down the known vs the unknowns: What we can be reasonably sure of: Yordan Alvarez is an elite DH Hunter Brown is a ToR SP Jeremy Pena is a quality everyday SS who can hit in the top 5 of a contending lineup Christian Walker is a solid 1B and #4-6 hitter Isaac Paredes is a solid 3B and #2-6 hitter Joey Loperfido is a quality 4th OF who can probably play LF most days against RHP, but probably needs to hit in the 7-8 hole. Christian Vazquez is a quality backup C who can be fine as the starter and 9-hole hitter if the rest of the lineup is stacked. Jake Meyers is a great 4th OF who can probably play CF every game against LHP but is best used as a defensive replacement. Nick Allen, Braden Shewmake, and Raynel Delgado can serviceably fill the 12th/13th man spots as backup infielders. Peter Lambert is a solid SP who fits in fine as a good team’s #4 of #5. Steven Okert and Bryan King are quality bullpen arms. Josh Hader is a quality closer. Open questions: Yainer Diaz: range could be from a star C and middle of the order hitter to a fringey backup C. Jose Altuve: range could be from a star 2B who carries a lineup to a has-been who belongs at the bottom of the order and sits a lot. Cam Smith: range could be from an MVP caliber player to a bottom of the order hitter who mostly plays for his defense. Brice Matthews: range could be from a star OF to a fringey bench player. Taylor Trammell: range is from a good-enough strongside CF platoon player to a AAAA player. LaMonte Wade: range is from a quality middle of the order hitter against RHP to a AAAA player. Tatsuya Imai: range is from an ace to not a major leaguer. Spencer Arrighetti: range is from an enigmatic #4 SP to a solid #2 SP. Cristian Javier: range is from a quality playoff caliber SP to a guy who should be in middle relief. Mike Burrows: range is from a solid #4 SP to a AAAA pitcher. Kai-Wei Teng: range is from a solid #3 SP to a guy who should be in middle relief Bryan Abreu: range is from an elite setup man to unplayable. Alimber Santa, Enyel De Los Santos, AJ Blubaugh, Nate Pearson: range is from a leverage RP to AAAA. Takeaways: The bullpen will be fine, at most they might need a rental setup man if Abreu doesn’t look right over the next 4 weeks. The top 4 of the lineup is fine, and there is a place for Altuve and Smith. The question is will they need an elite hitting OF, just a solid OF, or will guys step up to eliminate the need altogether. Brown is the ace and there’s room for Arrighetti and Lambert. The question is will they need another playoff caliber SP or will guys step up to eliminate the need.
Agree with most of this. Takeaways Bullpen will be fine They need one quality OF bat in the worst way, I dout Dana trades for one. Hopefully Wade's the answer. SP will be fine, Lambert is a revelation. Burrows needs to be in the BP. Altuve needs to hit 6-7th.
Baseball is so weird when I'm already checking on next years draft position before this draft even begins.
Told that the Astros have spoken with the Giants about Luis Arraez. They have been linked to him for awhile now in FA and now during the season. No idea where he would play. So, in the last two weeks the Astros have spoken to teams about Arraez and Joe Addell. Had to believe that is going to turn the season around.
