Springer hitting .58? Is that a typo? Do you mean .158? Wow! The guy had 31 homers for you last year. What is going on there. Is he partially injured or is it just the limited number of at bats?
Springer hitting .58? Is that a typo? Do you mean .158? Wow! The guy had 31 homers for you last year. What is going on there. Is he partially injured or is it just the limited number of at bats?
.058Originally Posted by jaymo76
.58 would be .580
Its just 5 games. However, he did slump down the stretch last season.
He'll get it together, he's too talented not to.
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Houston got back to .500 in Grapefruit League play on Thursday with a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers.
The Astros bats finally got going this Spring as Manager Bo Porter's club tallied 13 base knocks.
The biggest blow came from 22-year-old DH Stanley Knott who was selected by Houston in the 4th round of last year's First Year Player Draft. Knott, a butcher in the field, is trying to make the club, primarily, as a designated hitter. The youngster went 2 for 5 with a double and a home run.
On Friday, the Astros (3-3) will host the New York Mets (0-5) whom they beat 5-0 on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM with Brett Oberholtzer (0-1, 27.00) and Matt Harvey (0-1, 4.50) due to start.
DET 3-8-1
HOU 4-13-0
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The Houston bats went cold again on Friday as the Astros lost to the previously-winless Mets, 4-0.
The lone bright spot for Houston was the performance of starter Brett Oberholtzer. After a rough outing his first time out, Oberholtzer allowed just 1 hit and struck out 5 in 3 innings on the hill.
At 1:05 PM on Saturday, the Astros (3-4) will visit the unbeaten Washington Nationals (7-0). Scott Feldman (0-1, 3.00) and Gio Gonzalez (1-0, 0.00) are the scheduled starters.
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The Astros became Washington's 8th straight victim in the Grapefruit League on Saturday, losing to the Nationals 4-1.
Reliever Vincent Velasquez was sharp out of the Houston bullpen, if you're looking for a silver lining. Velasquez pitched 2 perfect innings and struck out the first 5 he faced.
The Astros (3-5) will look to regroup on Sunday as they have a 1:05 PM home date with the New York Yankees (3-5). Alex White (0-1, 6.00) will face Ivan Nova (0-0, 3.00).
HOU 1-5-0
WSH 4-6-2
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Houston fell to 3-6 in Grapefruit League play this Spring, loading to the Yankees 4-1 on Sunday.
It was the same story despite a different lineup for Houston skipper Bo Porter. Porter deployed a lineup consisting of mostly bench players and minor leaguers and his club picked up just 3 hits.
The Astros (3-6) will host Toronto (8-3) at 1:05 PM on Monday with the scheduled pitchers being Asher Wojciechski (0-0, 0.00) and Shelby Miller (0-0, 0.63).
NYY 4-6-0
HOU 1-3-1
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Houston improved to 4-6 this Spring with a 4-1 won over the defending AL Champions on Monday.
Jon Singleton drove in 3 runs for the Astros, including 2 on a 4th inning long ball to right, his second of the Spring. However, the real story was George Springer who went 3 for 4 after having just 1 hit coming in. Springer saw his average rise from .038 to .133.
The Astros will visit the Nationals (9-1) on Wednesday and skipper Bo Porter says that he will allow his starting pitchers to throw as many as 5 innings in their next outing, after limiting them to 3 thus far.
Jarred Cosart (0-0, 6.00) and Stephen Strasburg (2-0, 1.13) are scheduled to pitch. First pitch is at 1:05 PM.
TOR 1-5-1
HOU 4-9-1
The Astros won a second consecutive game on Tuesday and, in doing so, handed the Nationals just their second loss of the Spring.
Houston starting pitcher Jarred Cosart struck out 7, walked 1 and scattered 4 hits over 5 innings on the hill, to earn the victory.
After taking Wednesday off, the Astros (5-6) will host Washington (9-3) at 1:05 PM on Thursday. The scheduled starters are Brett Oberholtzer (0-1, 8.31) and Gio Gonzalez (1-0, 0.00).
HOU 4-11-1
WSH 1-10-0
Haven't seen you on as of late. Any surprises that may make the team that you didn't think so before spring training began? Conversely, any disappointments?
Soon, I will be at the midpoint of Spring Training. I'll post some stats when I get there. Its hard to say with only 11 games played, particularly with all of the pitchers. Ratings, undoubtedly, will rule the day when it comes to picking the team.
I may not do that until MLB15, we'll see.
The Astros played their worst game to date this Spring, loading on Thursday to the Nationals 10-0. Just 2 hits from the offense, while the pitching staff allowed 8 hits, 9 walks and 3 long balls, including a grand slam from Bryce Harper.
The good news is that starting pitcher Brett Oberholtzer pitched well after struggling early this Spring. The lefty surrendered just one run on two hits with 2 walks and 5 Ks in 5 innings of work.
The Astros (5-7) will look to rebound on Friday when they visit the defending AL Champion Toronto Blue Jays (9-5) at 1:05 PM. Scott Feldman (0-1, 3.00) and Brandon Morrow (0-0, 1.13) are set to start on the mound.
WSH 10-8-3
HOU 0-2-1
Houston dropped to 5-8 this Spring with a 5-3 loss to Toronto on Friday afternoon in Grapefruit League play.
Scott Feldman struggled, lasting just 2.0+ innings and allowing 4 runs on 4 hits with a pair of walks as the Astros starter on the mound.
On a bright note, DH Stanley Knott hit a 3-run homer in the 4th inning, his second of the Spring.
The Astros (5-8) host the St. Louis Cardinals (7-6) at 1:05 PM on Saturday with Alex White (0-2, 9.00) slated to face Marco Gonzales (2-0, 2.25).
HOU 3-7-0
TOR 5-8-1
Houston lost for the third straight time on Saturday, falling to the Cardinals 4-3.
Alex Presley stayed in Center Field for Houston and went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs, raising his Spring average to .454.
Alex White didn't fare as well. The Astros starter went 5 innings, allowing 3 earned runs on 6 hits while striking out 5 and walking 3. White fell to 0-3 in Grapefruit League play this year and he has an ERA of 7.36 - not exactly what Bo Porter is looking for from his number 4 starter come April.
The Astros (5-9) will visit the Detroit Tigers (9-7) on Sunday at 1:05 PM. Asher Wojciechski (1-0, 0.00) will go for Houston against Detroit's Max Scherzer (1-1, 1.93) in what should be a great pitching match up.
STL 4-8-0
HOU 3-6-0
We expected a pitching duel on Sunday and we got just that as the Astros downed the Tigers, 1-0 in Grapefruit League play.
Asher Wojciechski pitched 5 scoreless innings allowing just one hit (first inning double by Miguel Cabrera) while walking one and striking out 3. Wojciechski has not allowed a run this Spring, in 11.0 innings on the hill.
The Astros (6-9) will host Washington (11-5) at 1:05 PM on Monday. Jarred Cosart (1-0, 3.27) will face off with the Nationals' Jordan Zimmerman (2-1, 4.91). Houston Manager Bo Porter said, on Sunday, that his starters will be limited to 3 innings again with some exceptions for players who have gotten off to slow starts this Spring.
HOU 1-4-0
WSH 0-1-1
15 games are in the books this Spring for the 2015 Houston Astros and thus far the club has had a disappointing start. After improving by 32 games from their 51-win season in 2013, Manager Bo Porter's team has an increased level of expectations this year. The Astros met Porter's goal for 2014 by being the most improved club in the Majors; this year, however, Porter expects his squad to push for a playoff spot. After all, with a glut of youthful prospects gaining valuable experience last season, Houston went 83-79. 90 wins is not an unreasonable goal in 2015.
So far this Spring, Houston is hitting just .199 and they have a 6-9 record to show for it. On the bright side, the pitching staff has a combined ERA of 2.95 with a pair of shutouts, 18 Holds, 5 Saves and 0 Blown Saves. In 131.0 innings, Astros pitchers have allowed just 8 home runs and 51 walks, while punching out 109 batters. The club WHIP is a stellar 1.25 - pitching is not the problem this Spring.
Aside from the embarrassing .199 batting average, Houston has just 22 extra base hits in 15 games. Only 5 of those are long balls and they've produced just 29 RBI. Porter's hitters have drawn just 30 walks and have struck out 106 times. The team OBP is a paltry .248 and the OPS sits at .515. Not good enough.
Defensively, Houston has been steady. The Astros have a team Fielding Percentage of .985, up slightly from a season ago.
Let's take a look at Houston's 40-man roster and how the 25-man Opening Day roster is shaping up.
Catchers: Jason Castro (82 OVR), Charlie Barbour (71), Carlos Perez (67)
Jason Castro is a given to be the #1 Catcher again in Houston, despite struggling at the plate this Spring (31 AB, .161, 0 HR, 0 RBI). The question is, who will be #2? 21-year-old Charlie Barbour signed a 2-year deal with the club in the offseason and was considered the clear favorite to backup Castro. Barbour hasn't won the job yet - he has just 1 hit in 20 at bats. In 11 AB, Carlos Perez has hit .273 with an RBI. Being that Perez, 24, is the better defensive option, you have to put him as the front runner thus far. Barbour needs to turn things around at the plate, and quickly, or his desirable position flexibility (plays 1B and 3B) will be lost.
First Basemen: Chris Carter (80), Jon Singleton (70), Jesus Guzman (69)
Carter and Singleton will make the club. Expect Carter to be the everyday Left Fielder and for Singleton to see most of the action at first. Each one has been productive at the plate this Spring - Carter has hit .313 with an RBI and Singleton has hit .267 with 2 long balls and 8 RBI. The question here will be Jesus Guzman. Guzman offers the flexibility of playing both corner infield and corner outfield positions but he will have to win a job in Houston at the plate. To date he is failing, with just 2 hits in 20 at bats and 1 run batted in. We suspect Guzman will end up in Oklahoma City to start 2015.
Second Basemen: Jose Altuve (84), Ronald Torreyes (73)
Altuve will be the everyday man at second again this year and has had a solid Spring. The 24-year-old is hitting .300 with 2 RBI. Torreyes, 22, is in a battle to be a utility middle infielder and needs to improve on his .083 batting average to secure a spot in the Bigs in 2015.
Third Basemen: Matt Dominguez (77), Stanley Knott (72)
The Astros made a serious run at former Giants hot corner man Pablo Sandoval in the offseason before the Yankees opened the purse and locked him up for nearly 10 million a year. Now, Porter is left with no real option at third other than staying with Dominguez who was awful in the field in 2014. Matt has hit just .167 this Spring but has made improvements in the field with a .957 F%. Stanley Knott is an intriguing prospect. Knott, 22, was taken in the 4th round of last year's First Year Player Draft in June. He can play all 4 positions around the infield but he's terrible at all of them. He has 2 errors in 3 defensive chances this Spring and can only make the club as a DH. He's made a strong case for himself there, hitting .216 with 4 doubles, 2 homers and 5 RBI in 37 AB this Spring.
Shortstops: Carlos Correa (77), Adeiny Hechavarria (72), Marwin Gonzalez (70)
I suspect that only 2 of these 3 make Houston's Opening Day roster. Correa, 20, will be one of them. He's hitting .231 with a pair of RBI and his been great in the field. Hechavarria or Gonzalez? Adeiny can play second and third (that will be important to keep Knott off of the field if Guzman doesn't make the club) but he is 0 for 12 at the plate and was terrible after coming over from Miami in the Jonathan Villar deal last July. Gonzalez hasn't been much better. He's only 1 for 12 and he doesn't play third.
Outfielders: George Springer (84), Dexter Fowler (82), Alex Presley (71), Robbie Grossman (69), Domingo Santana (69)
With Chris Carter expected to eat up most of the innings in left, the presumption is that Porter will keep just 4 of these 5. Springer and Fowler are shoe-ins. Presley plays all 3 positions and is hitting .455 so pencil him in too. Grossman can play all 3 spots and he's a switch hitter, but he's hitting just .087. Santana is just a corner outfielder but he's hitting .200 and he hit more homers (5) than Grossman (4) last season, despite having just 55 ABs to Robbie's 420.
Starting Pitchers: Jarred Cosart (85), Brett Oberholtzer (79), Scott Feldman (77), Alex White (76), Asher Wojciechski (75), Mike Foltynewicz (74), Brad Peacock (74), Mark Appel (73), Paul Clemens (72), Luis Cruz (72), Lucas Harrell (70), Dallas Keuchel (68), Vincent Velasquez (66)
I expect that 7 or 8 of these guys make it to Houston, with 2 or 3 providing long and middle relief. Cosart will be the staff ace, he'll take the ball on Opening Day. Oberholtzer will be in the rotation because he's a lefty, despite his struggles. Feldman is the likely #3 and has earned a bit of a pass this Spring with his performance last year (10-7, 3.78). Alex White's spot in the rotation is in jeopardy this Spring (0-3, 7.36 after 4-8, 3.89 in 2014) but I suspect he makes the club as a reliever if he loses his starting job. Woj will be in the rotation from the start this year. After a brilliant September (3-0, 0.89), he's picked up where he left off this Spring (2-0, 0.00).
Of the rest, Peacock and Cruz (lefty) are the favorites to stick in Houston. If Porter keeps 8 of them, Velasquez (1-0, 0.00 in 7.2 IP) could be a darkhorse to get the job.
Relief Pitchers: Jason Motte (80), Scott Atchison (73), Josh Fields (72), Matt Albers (70), Jason Stoffel (70), Anthony Bass (69), Darin Downs (69)
3 or 4 will make the club. Motte is the only lock, despite a poor showing thus far (0-1, 8.10). Downs should make the club because he's the only lefty of the bunch and he's been good this Spring (1.59 in 5.2 IP). Bass and Stoffel have been the best of the rest in Spring Training.
Closing Pitchers: Jesse Crain (82), Chad Qualls (71)
Crain gets the job. He had 47 Saves last year even though he missed the first month of the season and he is 5/5 this Spring. Qualls hasn't allowed a run in 6.0 IP this Spring so he could stick as a setup man. However, I believe Porter would rather get younger and hasn't forgotten Qualls' 2014 campaign (5-5, 4 SV, 5.43).
Last edited by steelerfan; 08-19-2014 at 07:27 AM.
Astros Projected Roster for Opening Day 2015
Starters
C Jason Castro
1B Jon Singleton
2B Jose Altuve
3B Matt Dominguez
SS Carlos Correa
LF Chris Carter
CF George Springer
RF Dexter Fowler
DH Stanley Knott
Bench
C Carlos Perez
UT Adeiny Hechavarria
OF Alex Presley
OF Domingo Santana
Rotation
RHP Jarred Cosart
LHP Brett Oberholtzer
RHP Asher Wojciechski
RHP Scott Feldman
RHP Brad Peacock
Bullpen
LR RHP Alex White
LR RHP Paul Clemens
MR LHP Luis Cruz
MR RHP Anthony Bass
SU RHP Jason Motte
SU LHP Darin Downs
CP RHP Jesse Crain
Last edited by steelerfan; 08-19-2014 at 04:45 PM.
Tough spring thus far. If your team has a weak start to the season will you consider pulling the plug on your skip?
I would consider it, yes.
Honestly though, I don't plan to advance to the 2015 regular season until MLB15. With NHL and FIFA on the horizon I know I wouldn't get far into the season.
My hope is that they fix the scheduling issues on MLB15 and that I can avoid them by not leaving Spring Training until 15 is released.
If you're unaware, as it is in year 2 (and probably beyond) Thursday becomes the "normal" off day instead of Monday. Maybe, if I leave my Franchise in Spring Training any fixes will be applied since I wouldn't advance to the schedule until I had MLB15.
I'm surprised Singleton isn't rated any higher.
The dude abides.
I can only speak to my Blue jays franchise but I am surprised that SP Brad Peacock is only a 74ovr. The guy is a beast in my chise. He held me hitless for 8 innings. Best pitcher I have faced thus far!
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