Jul 18, 10 years ago

5 Astros Questions for 2nd Half

The Midsummer classic is done, and the Houston Astros are looking to build on some positives for the 2nd half. For the 1st time in awhile, they’re not in the cellar this late into the season. That distinction belongs to the Texas Rangers!  Here are 5 things to look for with Bo Porter’s club as the ‘Stros enter the 2nd half …

Will the Astros make any trades at the trading deadline?

In the past few years of the rebuilding process, the Astros were always major sellers at the non-waiver trading deadline on July 31st. Hunter Pence, Michael Bourn, Wandy Rodriguez, Chris Johnson, Bud Norris, Jose Veras & others have been shipped out to replenish the farm system with prospects, some of whom are already with the ballclub.

Astros Jason Castro Spring TrainingThis year, with the Astros again out of contention, they are again theoretically sellers. In years past, the Astros have shipped out players who weren’t going to be core parts of the future, and generally that has meant arbitration eligible players a year or two from free agency. Jason Castro & Dexter Fowler could fall under that category & be moved, but Astros GM Jeff Luhnow said recently to Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle they’re focused on improving in the short term, not just 2017 & beyond.

“We plan for (Castro & Fowler) to be here for a while,” Luhnow told the Chronicle. “And they’re still under team control, and there are opportunities to keep them beyond team control. No plans to move anybody specific at this point.”

The most likely candidates to be dealt are out of the bullpen, as teams in contention are always looking for complementary pieces in the pen. Chad Qualls is having a terrific season with a 1.95 ERA & 1.082 WHIP in 32.1 innings, so he is someone who could be traded.  Matt Albers & Jesse Crain would have also been candidates, but both are on the DL & may not return before July 31st.

Will Jose Altuve continue his torrid season into the 2nd half?

Astros Jose Altuve Spring TrainingTuve has already broken Astros mid season records before the break with his 130 hits, but all eyes will be on his chances of surpassing Craig Biggio’s club record 210 hits & leading the majors as well. He has an AL leading 41 stolen bases & the club mark is 65 by Gerald Young, so that club record could fall as well.

Altuve might also get into MLB rarified air if he collects 200 hits & 80 stolen bases, not out of the question with his 1st half numbers. While baseball is a team game, monitoring Altuve’s record breaking chase will occupy a good part of the 2nd half.

Can the starting pitching carry their strong 1st halves into the 2nd half?

Astros Dallas KeuchelThe Astros came into 2014 with a lot of question marks on the starting staff, but in many ways the starters were the brightest spots of the 1st half.  Dallas Keuchel was unquestionably the Astros ace the 1st half of the season, narrowly missing out on the All Star game with his 9-5 record & 3.20 ERA. Can he build on that 1st half pitching deep into games with one of the best ground ball rates in the majors?

Jarred Cosart also had a very good 1st half of the season except for a couple of aberrant games where he was forced out early & his ERA rose. He is 9-6 with a 4.17 ERA in 105 1/3 innings entering the 2nd half, so his continued progress as an anchor on the staff & mounting innings will be worth watching.

Collin McHugh was another surprise in the 1st half with his 3.28 ERA & 93 strikeouts, but he landed on the DL with a finger injury right before the break. It will be interesting to see if he can continue to put up strong numbers when he returns from the DL. Scott Feldman got off to a really strong start, but tapered off in recent weeks. He will be counted on for innings & to be the veteran presence on a young staff. Brad Peacock & Brett Oberholtzer showed flashes with some stellar outings mixed in with bad ones, so they’ll need to focus on more consistent 2nd halves.

What can the Astros expect of George Springer & Jon Singleton in the 2nd half?

Astros Springer 3Springer & Singleton are the two most talked about rookies on the club & a big reason for Astros excitement this season. Not only has he graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, George Springer has also thrown himself into AL Rookie of the Year consideration with his team leading 19 HRs & 50 RBI. And a couple of those HRs have been moonshots, already feeding into the legend of George Springer. It is not inconceivable that Springer hits more than 30 HRs & has 100 RBIs by season’s end.

Astros SingletonJon Singleton has struggled more at the plate since his call-up, but he has shown flashes of his power with 6 HRs. A big key for both will be seeing more major league pitching & making adjustments to lift their averages & cut down on high strikeout rates.  However, after years of trotting out benchwarmers & AAAA prospects, it is exciting to see legitimate Astros prospects & keys to the franchise’s future playing everyday.

What other minor leaguers might the Astros call up in the 2nd half?

Besides Springer & Singleton, the Astros have also brought up Domingo Santana & Enrique “Kike” Hernandez this season. Santana struggled in his limited appearance, but he still has a bright future ahead with his natural abilities. Kike Hernandez has been a huge surprise. He was not one of the Astros big time prospects, but he has really impressed in his short stint in the majors. He is hitting .289 in 38 ABs, but his hustle & ability to play multiple positions as a super utility player will get him playing time in the 2nd half.

Mike Foltynewicz is the big time pitching prospect everyone wants to see, but he has struggled so far at AAA with a 4.56 ERA. Still, with a fastball touching 100 MPH & top of the rotation potential, Foltynewicz is a pitching prospect everyone is clamoring to see by September. Asher Wojchiechowski is another starter to keep an eye on for a callup, as he was slowed by an injury to start the year, but is still thought highly of in the organization & has just started pitching again at AAA.

Astros Preston TuckerOutfielder Preston Tucker has really displayed his prowess hitting at all levels, and was promoted to AAA in June. He is currently hitting .297 with a .794 OPS in 111 ABs at AAA, so he may be a September call-up to get some seasoning in the bigs. As the season progresses, don’t be surprised to see some of the better performers at AAA Oklahoma City get called up to the majors, including OF Austin Wates & P Nick Tropeano.  Not only do they deserve at least a September call-up for their seasons, they are not yet on the 40 man roster & would need to be placed there at some point in the next few months to avoid being draft-eligible & selected by another team in the Rule 5 draft in December.

-R.G. Seal

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