Julks served his purpose in Houston this season and with good health for the team that is hopefully over. He looks like a more valuable trade piece as a result and it would be nice to get a prospect or two for him this winter.
There was plenty of time this season where the team did not have 13 healthy position players better than Julks. There is no doubt in my mind that he deserved to be on this team for weeks at a time. He is perfectly good as a replacement level bench bat. The problem is he has never been one of the 9 best players, outside of a game here or there or a hot streak. He should not have started 77 games this year or played the 8th most games on the team so far. That's exactly how a 95 win division champion level team ends up with 90 wins and a WC bid. Dusty's fault, not Julks.
Damn, which MLB team do y'all work for? Your eye for MLB talent sounds impeccable. Just for fun, here are the PAs, slash lines and OPS+ for Altuve's first year, Brantley's first real year, and Julks' first year. You tell me who is who. A) 234 PAs, .276/.297/.354, 81 OPS+ B) 323 PAs, .245/.297/.352, 78 OPS+ C) 325 PAs, .246/.296/.327, 75 OPS+ And for real fun, here are Yainer's numbers 319 PAs, .282/.304/.532, 124 OPS+
Brantley was 22 and Altuve was 21 in their rookie seasons. Julks is already 27 after 6 years in the minors and probably near his ceiling already.
Julks served his purpose in Houston this season and with good health for the team that is hopefully over. He looks like a more valuable trade piece as a result and it would be nice to get a prospect or two for him this winter.
That was an amazing play but the all out focus and determination just shows in his face making that play.
The Rangers really should be commended for even being in that game. It should have been a much bigger beatdown. The Astros put 32 balls in play and 13 of them were over 100 mph. Another 4 were over 95. Of those "hard hit" balls, 4 of them had a xBA of over .500 but were outs. 1) Altuve 5th inning 102.4 mph FO .540xBA HR in 12 parks. 2) Yordan's stolen HR in 6th was 111.1 mph and 1.000xBA. 3) Dubon 6th inning 99.2 mph FO .520xBA and HR in 4 parks. 4) Alex's 9th inning 102.4 mph FO .710xBA and HR in 18 parks. FTR) Altuve's 100.7 mph FO in 1st would be HR in 13 parks but only .430xBA. FWIW) Rangers only had 1 out with xBA of over .500. Heims 65.9 mph bloop in the 5th had x540 but was caught. If the Astros can keep hitting like this I like their chances
