Astros’ Renaissance Men: Part 1

After the disastrous seasons of 2011-2014, when the Astros averaged a record of 58 wins and 104 losses, the sun broke through in 2015 and has stayed shining on up through their second World Championship in 2022. This period of 2015 to 2022 has been a Renaissance of sorts for the team and the fans as the team has had an average record of 97-65, won two World Series, made it to two others and reached the ALCS 6 times in a row.

Note: The 97-65 average record does not include the pandemic shortened 2020 season. Why? Because I’m writing this blog and I don’t want to include it. If you don’t like it – write your own blog. OK, I need some breakfast. I’m awfully grumpy today – low blood sugar.

In part one of this post, we will look at the position players, who meant the most to the team during this Renaissance period, but I will ask you to pick out and rank the Top 10 influencers to this total team turnaround. The players will be in alphabetical order, sometime later I will reveal my picks for the Top 10.

• Jose Altuve – Let’s see…..first he has been a big contributor for all eight of those seasons. He won the MVP in 2017 and received MVP votes in five others. He’s a six time All Star in that time period, won 5 Silver Sluggers (best hitter at his position), and won one Gold Glove. In 92 playoff games, he is averaging a strong slash of .271 BA/ .344 OBP/ . 844 OPS and is second all-time with 23 RBIs.

Highlight – Fans will never forget his walk-off home run to win the 2019 ALCS against the Yankees.

• Yordan Alvarez – Yordan has been a part of the 2019, 2021 and 2022 seasons, which all ended up in the World Series. (We will ignore his 8 ABs in 2020 before his knee surgery).  His 87 games in 2019 were so strong that he picked up a consensus Rookie of the Year award. Added on to this in 2022, he was an All Star, a Silver Slugger and he came in 3^rd in the MVP race. His playoff slash (.250 BA/ .364 OBP/ .809 OPS) in 47 games lags his regular season numbers by a bit, but he has been extremely impactful in winning the 2021 ALCS MVP, leading them to the 2022 ALDS win with two huge home runs and of course the highlight….

Highlight – His huge home run in the Game 6 clinching of the 2022 WS is the #1 highlight and his walk off home run in rescuing Game 1 of the 2022 ALDS is #1.1. You could flip them, because if the ALDS Game 1 is lost, the whole series could have been.

• Michael Brantley – He has been here for half of the Renaissance, signing a contract before the 2019 season and extensions since. Brantley is the most consistent hitter in the lineup, slashing a terrific .306 BA/ .368 OBP/ .832 OPS in his time with Houston, and making the All Star team twice. He’s been a solid producer in the playoffs, hitting over .300 BA in five of his eight series and over .269 BA in seven of the eight series.

Highlight – With Brantley, we will go with a defensive play. It’s Game 6 of the 2019 ALCS against the Yankees with the Astros up 4-2 in the 7^th inning. Aaron Judge lines a single off the glove of a leaping Carlos Correa. One out later Aaron Hicks lines a single the other way to left, or it looks that way, until Michael Brantley comes flying from left and makes a face first dive to catch the ball, bounces up and makes a perfect throw to double Judge off first. This means that DJ LeMahieu’s  2 run homer in the 9^th only ties the game, which is untied by Jose Altuve a few minutes later.

• Alex Bregman –  Alex came up in the middle of the 2016 season and has been a mainstay all the way through the 2022 Championship. He received MVP votes three times, running a close second to Mike Trout in 2019. He is a two time All-Star and a one time Silver Slugger and established himself as the best 3^rd baseman in Astros history. His post season numbers in 86 games feature a bit above average slash .237 BA/ .345 OBP/ .772 OPS, but 15 home runs and 47 RBIs, which puts him near the top of third basemen all time. 

Highlight – It has to be the 2017 World Series Game 5 walk-off single to score Derek Fisher and end the back and forth, up and down, 13-12 marathon win over the Dodgers

• Jason Castro – Jason worked a split shift  as part of the Renaissance period for the Astros. He was the starting catcher in 2015 and 2016, though his offense had fallen sharply from the promise of 2012 and 2013. Then he came back as a solid backup to Martin Maldonado in 2021 and as a hopeless (likely injured) backup in 2022. His best stint was that 2021 season, where he put up 8 HRs and 21 RBIs in only 149 ABs and slashed a respectable .235 BA/ .356 OBP/ .799 OPS. Overall, his playoff appearances were pretty dismal with one exception as he only had 3 hits in 23 ABs in the postseason for the Astros.

Highlight – This would have to be in the 2021 ALCS against the Red Sox where he had 5 plate appearances with 2 hits, 2 walks, 1 HR, 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs.

• Carlos Correa – There are things about Correa that bother all of us, but his 2015 Rookie of the Year season heralded the turnaround and he was a big part of the 2015 to 2021 success (when he was on the field). Couldn’t resist the shot. Overall, he was easily the greatest shortstop in Astros history. Along with the ROY, three times he received MVP votes, was an All-Star once and won one Gold Glove, though he probably deserved two. His .272 BA/ .344 OBP/ .849 OPS slash in 79 postseason games is certainly solid and his 18 HRs are tied for 7^th all time in all of baseball.

Highlight – My pick – the walkoff winner in game 2 of the 2019 ALCS against the Yankees, though I can certainly understand his pop-up 3 run homer in Game 5 of the 2017 WS against the Dodgers or his extra innings bomb against Josh Fields in Game 2 of the same series

• Evan Gattis – An almost forgotten person from this period is Gattis, who came over from the Braves before the 2015 season with James Hoyt in a trade for Mike Foltynewicz, Rio Ruiz and Andrew Thurman. He spent 4 seasons (2015-2018) with the Astros with varying degrees of effectiveness, starting off as a full time DH (due to knee issues), then sharing catching duties for a couple seasons before returning to basically a full time DH. In his time with the Astros, he struck out too much, had a low on base percentage, but good power numbers. He was a more effective Chris Carter. He was overall not too good in the postseason for the Astros with 1 HR and 4 RBIs in 23 games.

Highlight – However, that one home run got them off the schneid in the 7^th game of the 2017 ALCS against the Yankees on the way to a 4-0 win and a World Series berth.

• Marwin Gonzales – The Astros Swiss Army knife came to the team in a quasi-Rule 5 pickup. The Red Sox grabbed him from the Cubs in a Rule 5 move and then immediately turned and traded him to the Astros before the 2012 season. He was with the Astros for the 2015-2018 portion of the Renaissance and returned for a one month swan song at the end of 2021. His hitting numbers never came close to matching the suspiciously gaudy numbers from 2017, but considering the glove he brought to both the infield and the corner outfield, they were decent for a utility player (.262 BA/ .317 OBP/ .736 OPS in his 7+ seasons with the Astros. In 32 playoff games with the Astros he hit 3 HRs and had 15 RBis, and hit in the low .200’s.

Highlight – This one is simple. In the second game of the 2017 World Series against the Dodgers, which was a road game, he came up in the 9^th inning and slashed a home run to tie the game at 3-3 and lead to the Astros’ first World Series win in 57 seasons two innings later, 7-6.

• Yuli Gurriel – Yuli was the first real long-term investment as the Astros were beginning the Renaissance; as they took a risk and signed a player who had played very well in Cuba long term but had no experience on American soil to 5 years / $47.5 MM. Yuli was a bargain as he did a Bagwellian move (sliding from 3^rd base to play sterling defense at 1^st base) and did it with a solid offense for most of his time in Houston. Playing for 6+ seasons and slashing a good .284 BA/ .326 OBP/ .776 OPS, he was 4^th in the ROY voting in 2017 and picked up a much-deserved Gold Glove in 2021. His playoff numbers in 85 games were slightly below his regular season stats as he slashed .267 BA/ .327 OBP/ .711 OPS, but he had his moments along the way.

Highlight – It’s the fourth inning of Game 5 of the 2017 World Series against the Dodgers. The Dodgers are leading 4-0, and Clayton Kershaw, thanks to one double play behind him, has faced the minimum through the first three innings. The Astros get a couple on, and Carlos Correa hits a double to cut the lead to 4-1. Up steps Yuli and one swing later, the game is tied 4-4, and the stadium is rocking on the way to a 13-12 marathon win.

• Martin Maldonado – Machete is like that stray cat that keeps showing up at the door. The Astros traded Patrick Sandoval to the Angels for him at the deadline in 2018 to back up Brian McCann. Then after he left in free agency, they traded Tony Kemp for him from the Cubs during the 2019 season to backup Robinson Chirinos. They then signed him after the 2019 season and have kept him ever since. He has been with the team in 5 different seasons, and his hitting numbers have been bad – slashing .191 BA/ .277 OBP/ .628 OPS. But he has done a masterful job of guiding multiple high-producing pitching staffs, even through the mass of pitchers debuting in the injury-challenging season of 2020. His defense and his handling of pitchers make his offensive problems fade into the background.

Highlight – A weird highlight, but probably no one will forget him starting the clinching rally in the 6^th game of the 2022 World Series by crowding the plate and drawing a hit by pitch legally as he pulled his arm away from the plate. It helped flip the game.

• Jake Marisnick – Declared JFSF (Jake from State Farm) on this blog. He looked like a superstar, fielded like a superstar, ran like a superstar, and hit like a substar. He came over in the many-playered Jarred Cosart trade at the 2014 trade line and was with the Astros from 2014 thru 2019 before being traded to the Mets for Blake Taylor. Jake’s regular season hitting numbers with the Astros were fairly anemic, and though he hit .333 BA in the playoffs in 23 games, he only scored 1 run and had no RBIs in 21 ABs.

Highlights – He had so many fielding highlights it is hard to remember just one. But he will always be remembered for his evisceration of Jonathan Lucroy at the plate that probably led to the rule changes on collisions we have today. 

• Brian McCann – The decisions the Astros made heading into 2017 to pick up McCann, Josh Reddick, and some garbage can-banging DH, who I can’t recall, signaled the next step in the Renaissance of the team. Adding veterans was what the team needed to get over the top. McCann was sent with $11 MM from the Yanks for a couple of minor leaguers the pinstripes decided that Gary Sanchez was the catcher of their future. McCann was no longer the offensive threat he had been in his early years with Atlanta, though his .230 BA/ .325 OBP/ .717 OPS with the Astros in 2017-18 was far beyond what Maldy brings to the table today. He brought leadership to a pitching staff that was going where no Astros team had ever gone.

Highlight – In one of the craziest WS games of all time – 2017 Game 5 against the Dodgers, McCann launched an eighth-inning solo shot to put the Astros up 12-9 and then in the tenth inning, was hit by a pitch with two outs, which led to Bregman knocking in pinch runner Derek Fisher two batters later.

• Chas McCormick – Chas was drafted way back in the 21^st round in 2017 the year the Astros would win their first pennant. Little did he know he would be with the big club for the second championship. For as sporadically as he has been used, his .250 BA/ .326 OBP/ .751OPS slash is solid, along with 28 HRs and 94 RBIs in only 643 ABs. His playoff numbers are a step below his regular season, but one play has defined his contributions to the team.

Highlight – Game 5 of the 2022 WS against the Phillies. One out in the 9^th with Ryan Pressly facing J.T. Realmuto and trying to save Justin Verlander’s elusive first World Series win. Pressly finds too much of the plate, and Realmuto gets into one, and Astro fans sag. But we end up on cloud 9 when Chas races back to the right-center field fence, leaps, and snags the biggest catch of his life as he collides with the fence.

• Jeremy Pena – This story is well-known to Astro fans. Pena as a rookie, had to fill the big shoes of Carlos Correa in 2022, and during the regular season, he probably did about 80% with his bat and maybe more with his glove. His playoff run is legendary now, as he won both the ALCS and World Series MVP for the Astros.

Highlight – I’m torn between his 18^th inning solo HR in game 3 of the ALDS against the M’s, which led to a 1-0 win, and a move on to the ALCS or his clutch hits ahead of Yordan Alvarez’s home runs in both the Game 1 ALDS comeback and the Game 6 WS clinching.

• Josh Reddick – Reddick had always played well against the Astros when he was with the A’s, and they picked him up as a free agent before the 2017 Championship run. He was a solid hitter with a great glove and always seemed to play hard and was with the Astros from 2017-2020. He brought veteran leadership and quirkiness to the team – handing out a wrestling belt after each game and wearing his signature speedo around the clubhouse after playoff clinchers. He slashed .275 BA/ .331 OBP/ .757 OPS in his time with the Astros. In the postseason, he struggled to slash a miserable .123 BA/ .185 OBP/ .349 OPS in 46 games.

Highlight – The clinching game of the 2017 ALDS against the Red Sox. He singles in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as the Astros go on to win a squeaker 5-4 and move on to play the Yankees.

• George Springer – Of all the players in this era, Springer probably suffered the most as the team undoubtedly delayed his call-up from the minors for financial control reasons. He was brought up a couple weeks into 2014, when he should have spent the 2013 season with the team. However, he was a huge part of the Astros success during the Renaissance from 2015 to his signing with the Blue Jays after the 2020 season. He was a three-time All Star, and two-time Silver Slugger and was in the top 15 in MVP voting in three seasons. He slashed .270 BA/ .350 OBP/ .889 OPS in 65 postseason games that included 43 runs scored, 19 home runs and 38 RBIs.

Highlight – After an anemic 2017 ALCS against the Yankees, Springer righted the ship and became the MVP of the World Series, featuring 5 homers, including the eleventh inning game-winner in Game 2.  

• Kyle Tucker – Tucker and Forrest Whitley were the two untouchables for the Astros as they negotiated their way through a bunch of trades for big names during the Renaissance period. Unlike Whitley, Tucker has proven to be worth that tag. After a bad cup of coffee in the majors in 2018 and a good one in 2019, Tucker has been a mainstay from 2020 to 2022. His slash has been a strong .268 BA/ .335 OBP/ .837 OPS with 73 HRs and 256 RBIs, and 53 SBs in 61 attempts. He’s been an All Star, won a Gold Glove, and finished in the top 20 in MVP voting twice. He has scored 23 runs, hit 8 HRs, and had 27 RBIs in 51 playoff games for the team.

Highlight – Unfortunately, his 2 HRs and 4 RBIs in Game 1 of the 2022 WS went for naught. So, let’s go with his three-run homer in Game 6 of the 2021 ALCS against the Red Sox that put the stake through Boston’s heart and shoved the Astros into the WS against Atlanta.

There you have it. Seventeen potential Astro Renaissance Men, and I want you to pick the Top 10 and put them in order.