Glass Half Full

I think you are correct this team not being that much behind last year's team. But I think what he is referring to is that both teams have been flawed with too many holes in the batting order.

That may finally getting helped with the promotion of Bregman, Reed, & Teo as well as signing Gurriel. If they pan out, then sure maybe only 1 or 2 pieces may be needed.

But until the order is more set, this team will still be a "playoff contender" rather than a "championship contender". And

 

How many games better would any team be if the guy who regressed the most didnt, and a guy who wasnt healthy all season had been?

 

Well, through 26 starts last year we were 18-8 when Dallas took the hill

This year we are 12-14

If we were the same 18-8, we would be sitting at 77-58 right now, squarely in the wild card spot

 

Not arguing the math. Just saying any team where you take a Cy Young winner one year and replace him with a average pitcher the next is going to suffer in exactly the same way.

Maybe some of you feel like Keuchel should pitch at a Cy Young level every year from now on. Frankly, last year maybe the outlier in his career, not this one.

Regression and health are two issues that face every team every year. I fail to see the insight in pointing out that that occurred to us this year.

 

I don't necessarily think Keuchel will be last year's level ever again, but I do think he will be closer to that, than what we have seen this year

I don't think he rebounded well from the extreme heavy load last year.

 

Definitely This! Order tinkering all season with inconsistent pitching/injuries all season long bell curve...better seasons ahead

 

Good question. Who regressed the most on Toronto or Boston or Cleveland or Texas? And how expected was it?

 

Will need better pitching. Hell, will need a starting pitcher to go at least 5 innings!

 

Guess who our three top batters by BA are in September with at least 19ab's?

Spoiler

Not Springer

Spoiler

Not Altuve

Spoiler

Not Correa

Spoiler

Yup. Bregman, Gurriel and Rasmus

http://www.espn.com/mlb/team/stats/batting/_/name/hou/split/45

 

From Reddit: AL East is currently in tightest 4-team race in modern (3-division) era

BOS, at 78-61, is only 4 games ahead of the 74-65 NYY. This is the smallest gap between the top 4 teams in a division following play on 9/8 since 1989 when the Central Divisions did not exist. In 1989 the top 4 teams of the 6-team NL East (CHC, STL, NYM, MON) were separated by 3 games. (CHC, leading on 9/8/89, ended up taking the division).

 

McCullers looks like he will be back if they play into October. Keuchel and Bregman are done.

10 games left, 8-2 almost certainly gets them in, 7-3 probably gets them in, 6-4 gives them a chance. Pretty amazing considering the hole they were in and the players on the DL.

 

wrong thread

 

I thought I read somewhere that Bregman could be back if we made a deep run in the playoffs?

 

We are only one game back of the wild card spot.