Happy Momentum Monday, Astros’ Nation!
As we roll through May, the AL West is still up for grabs. The Mariners hold the top spot, but they can’t shake the A’s and Astros — and with Houston’s pitching showing real flashes, the division race could shift if they can get those cranky bats going. Here’s your fresh roundup to kick things off:
Hot Topics Around the Clubhouse
- Lance McCullers Jr. Returns!
After 915 days off, McCullers is back on the mound. His return brings not just a power arm, but a jolt of leadership and swagger this team has been missing. Is he here to stay this time? What did you see? What did you like? - Rotation Shuffle.
Hayden Wesneski was rested after a velocity dip, and AJ Blubaugh made a spot start but is now back in Sugar Land. Watch for more shuffling as the staff recalibrates. - Offensive Standouts & Surprises.
Victor Caratini has quietly outperformed Yainer Diaz at the plate. Sure, the sample size is small, and Caratini’s edge is small. Yordan Alvarez’s OPS is lower than expected, Jose Altuve is still finding his groove, and Isaac Paredes has been a nice spark at third. - Division Outlook.
Houston arguably has the best pitching among the AL West contenders, if not baseball. A strong May stretch could flip the standings and set up a charge to the top. - Manager Watch: Dusty vs. Joe.
Joe Espada is now in his second season as manager — but the fanbase remains split. Some of you are vocal about it! Some miss Dusty Baker’s “steady” presence, while others appreciate Joe’s modern approach.
? Fan question: Which manager’s style do you prefer — Dusty or Joe — and why? Would you just as soon have Dusty back in the dugout?
Upcoming Games to Watch
- @ Brewers → May 5–7
- vs. Reds → May 9–11
- vs. Royals → May 12–14
- @ Rangers → May 15–18
- @ Rays → May 19–21
- vs. Mariners → May 22
⚾ Mark your calendar for those Rangers and Mariners series — they could be game-changers for the season.
Fan Polls — We Want Your Take!
- Who’s been the Astros’ MVP so far?
⚾ Yordan Alvarez
⚾ Jeremy Pena
⚾ Josh Hader
⚾ Hunter Brown
⚾ Someone else (drop their name!) - What’s the Astros’ biggest need before the trade deadline?
⚾ Starting pitcher
⚾ Power bat
⚾ Bullpen depth
⚾ Defensive upgrade - Who’s been the biggest surprise this season?
⚾ Victor Caratini
⚾ Isaac Paredes
⚾ Hunter Brown
⚾ Jake Meyers
⚾ Someone else? (tell us!) - How confident are you the Astros will win the AL West?
⚾ Very confident — we’ve got this
⚾ Cautiously optimistic
⚾ Nervous, but hopeful
⚾ Not confident — wild card or bust
Talking Points — Drop Your Comments!
- Are you surprised Caratini has outplayed Diaz? Should Caratini play more?
- Yordan’s stats are better when he plays LF. Should Yordan be in the outfield or DH to stay fresh?
- With McCullers back, who’s your next breakout pick in the rotation or bullpen?
- Which prospect do you most want to see called up this summer?
- Dusty vs. Joe: How do you feel about Espada’s managing so far? What’s working, and what’s frustrating?
⚡ Quickfire Fan Fun: Would You Rather (Dan Style)?
- Would you rather have a Cy Young season from Hunter Brown or 40 HR from Yordan?
- Would you rather sweep the Rangers or sweep the Mariners this month (4 games against each)?
- Would you rather add an ace starter or a power-hitting outfielder at the trade deadline?
- Would you rather spend a game sitting next to Jose Altuve in the dugout — or call one inning in the radio booth with Robert Ford?
Let’s hear it!
ALL THINGS ASTROS 
22 responses to “⚾ Momentum Monday: Astros’ fans, let’s talk ball!”
That’s a lot to cover Chip. But it’s Labour Day here and I’m not laboring.
It’s going to take me awhile to have any expectations from Lance. Will he stay healthy? Will he throw strikes with what seems to be a much different delivery? And will the rotation as a whole react in a positive way? How many innings can Wesneski, Gusto and Lance go?
Looks like Yainer is starting to figure it out. And Yordan is on the shelf now, which should not be a surprise. Hopefully that will get Altuve into the DH role more often for the time being. Right now he’s as bad as he ever gets when he slumps.
I don’t see a strong May stretch because I don’t see everyone starting to hit regularly.
I did not like Dusty. Joe is going to get this season in all likelihood, regardless of what happens, but this team is not playing well, and I’m not just talking about pitching, hitting and fielding. If it keeps up and the club does not at least get a Wild Card shot, then I could see Crane making a move. Joe might be guilty of being too nice.
I can’t give out any MVP’s so early. But I will say that Paredes has impressed at third and Hader has owned his job.
Help? Power bat……a left handed one, or ideally two. And that will mean at least one trade.
Yes, Jake is the biggest surprise, but that’s based on his career game Saturday. He also looked a bit like the old Jake yesterday getting caught off second flatfooted. He would have scored on the base hit that immediately followed. If Jake is still this present version in mid June, he will have made me happy and Chas might be gone. But I am dubious.
Right now, I feel like the Astros can win 95 or 75, which means I have no clue.
Diaz is starting to look like Diaz. He should get enough rest. But if the bat is heating up, he needs to play. And with Salazar on the roster, Caratini should get more starts for the time being, maybe even a couple at first.
No, Yordan is a liability in the outfield.
I’m looking for Framber and Blanco to get in a groove. I don’t know about a new breakout guy though. The pen has been great overall, but it’s a concern too. Who else is turning heads? Not Whitley.
I think we need 40 homers from Yordan much more than we need a Cy Young.
Beating the M’s four straight would likely have a bigger impact on the standings. Right now though, I’d be very happy with 3 of 4.
I’d rather hang out with Ford right now. He does not slump. If I hung around Altuve, I’d ask him why he’s swinging at stuff a foot off the plate.
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That’s a lot to cover Chip. But it’s Labour Day here and I’m not laboring.
It’s going to take me awhile to have any expectations from Lance. Will he stay healthy? Will he throw strikes with what seems to be a much different delivery? And will the rotation as a whole react in a positive way? How many innings can Wesneski, Gusto and Lance go?
Looks like Yainer is starting to figure it out. And Yordan is on the shelf now, which should not be a surprise. Hopefully that will get Altuve into the DH role more often for the time being. Right now he’s as bad as he ever gets when he slumps.
I don’t see a strong May stretch because I don’t see everyone starting to hit regularly.
I did not like Dusty. Joe is going to get this season in all likelihood, regardless of what happens, but this team is not playing well, and I’m not just talking about pitching, hitting and fielding. If it keeps up and the club does not at least get a Wild Card shot, then I could see Crane making a move. Joe might be guilty of being too nice.
I can’t give out any MVP’s so early. But I will say that Paredes has impressed at third and Hader has owned his job.
Help? Power bat……a left handed one, or ideally two. And that will mean at least one trade.
Yes, Jake is the biggest surprise, but that’s based on his career game Saturday. He also looked a bit like the old Jake yesterday getting caught off second flatfooted. He would have scored on the base hit that immediately followed. If Jake is still this present version in mid June, he will have made me happy and Chas might be gone. But I am dubious.
Right now, I feel like the Astros can win 95 or 75, which means I have no clue.
Diaz is starting to look like Diaz. He should get enough rest. But if the bat is heating up, he needs to play. And with Salazar on the roster, Caratini should get more starts for the time being, maybe even a couple at first.
No, Yordan is a liability in the outfield.
I’m looking for Framber and Blanco to get in a groove. I don’t know about a new breakout guy though. The pen has been great overall, but it’s a concern too. Who else is turning heads? Not Whitley.
I think we need 40 homers from Yordan much more than we need a Cy Young.
Beating the M’s four straight would likely have a bigger impact on the standings. Right now though, I’d be very happy with 3 of 4.
I’d rather hang out with Ford right now. He does not slump. If I hung around Altuve, I’d ask him why he’s swinging at stuff a foot off the plate.
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In terms of Yordan’s hitting we should also ask who the opposing pitchers were when he plays LF. I started going through 2024’s games and there were quite a few quality names – Logan Webb, Max Fried, Luis Castilla, and Casey Mize, but there were also a lot of not-quality names. Excepting a three game stretch where he started consecutive games in LF the data may also be skewed because his good games as a LF happen frequently during stretches where he was also good as a DH. Someone with more time on their hands can do some real statistical analysis on it, but I would suspect they don’t send him out to LF if his legs are bothering him and we are mostly seeing his healthy games out there.
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Yordan had a .954 OPS when playing left last year, a .962 when at DH. He hit 22 of his 35 homers hitting off the bench. Per Baseball Reference, he posted a -1.6 dWAR.
In 2023 he posted a 1.028 OPS when playing left and a .968 OPS when at DH. He posted a -1.0 dWAR.
And in a tiny sample, just 48 innings, he’s posted a -0.4 dWAR in 2025. Hard to use such a small sample.
But it is pretty clear that at least over the past couple of seasons, Yordan hit pretty well whether playing left or acting as the DH. It’s also clear that he is not a good outfielder and from a health standpoint, he probably should not play the outfield.
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Yordan had a .954 OPS when playing left last year, a .962 when at DH. He hit 22 of his 35 homers hitting off the bench. Per Baseball Reference, he posted a -1.6 dWAR.
In 2023 he posted a 1.028 OPS when playing left and a .968 OPS when at DH. He posted a -1.0 dWAR.
And in a tiny sample, just 48 innings, he’s posted a -0.4 dWAR in 2025. Hard to use such a small sample.
But it is pretty clear that at least over the past couple of seasons, Yordan hit pretty well whether playing left or acting as the DH. It’s also clear that he is not a good outfielder and from a health standpoint, he probably should not play the outfield.
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Minnie Mouse Monday. Not even a squeak.
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Chip – there is so much there to comment on… here is my shot at it
Picks
Would you rather
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I’ve about come to a conclusion that this team is just a .500 team plus or minus 3 games. They are just an average team with a couple of good players and a few average players and a couple of “bad” players. If not for the pitching staff we’d be several games under .500. With 3 of the starters hitting around the Mendoza line and only one above .300 (Jake Meyers??) they just don’t seem to be able to get it together. Unless Altuve changes his batting philosophy he might not hit .250 this year.
I don’t know how to affix the blame as it seems there is plenty to go around. Crane doesn’t want to spend any big money ( Tucker, Bregman) but will spend it on mediocre players (Rodgers, Walker*)
We do have about 25MM of the books next year but we still have LMJ 17MM (2025,26), Altuve 33MM through 2027 and then 13MM (28,29), Walker 20MM (25,26,27) Javier (10.4, 21.4, 21.4 thru 2027). I excluded Yordan and Hader but hopefully YA (97.8 thru 2028) will come around soon.
I remember the song, “The future’s so bright I go to wear shades” but at his point there doesn’t seem to be too many bright spots with our Astros. (But the starting pitching is pretty good, but that’s for another cynical post).
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Montero, Abreu and Framber total about 48M.
My problem is a total lack of trust in this front office to find the right guys. They tried to trade for Nolan Arenado. TBF to Dana, Arenado has had a better season so far than one would have thought, but in the end he is on pace to hit .254 with 12-14 HR. He isn’t exactly going Alex Bregman on baseball.
Are contracts like Abreu and Montero and taking on Greinke’s deferments and giving Michael Brantley a pretty sizeable sum to be a cheerleader all year, are these just a rash of bad luck, or does this organization really have a lack of an effective decision making process? Was it really prudent to sign a closer to the largest contract in history to a relief pitcher when you had a closer, and a closer-in-waiting, even if the closer was this old gunslinger that isn’t as quick on the draw? I’ve always talked about the importance of relievers, people talk about 50-60 innings but I always point out for some of them it’s our most important 50-60 innings. But 20M when you are trying hard to stay below the threshold? And you still have to pay the disclosed closer 14M? Not sure that whole process went through a DMP wash.
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17-16 is not a spot that’s surprising. Their lack of offense, particularly with RISP, and I think an amazing 4-36 with bases loaded, is just an indication of an organizational philosophy.
First, they let professional hitters walk and replace them with guys that don’t always have the best approaches. Swinging a lot out of the zone and not recognizing spin has some to do with not being able to afford to keep all the guys you had and some coaching philosophies up and down the organization. Griping about RISP seems to be an annual event for fans now.
Yordan doesn’t need to hurt himself chasing fly balls because you are chasing 25 points of OPS. He is just too damn important. I’m sure he doesn’t like getting treated like glass, but just too damn important.
Caratini has played his best baseball of his career in the last 14 months. He has probably earned more playing. He is having the best time of his career in Houston. Can’t do it at the expense of Yainer though, who needs to be playing.
The cupboard is bare at AAA. Maybe Gordon can give you something. Ullola is rumored to have the arm, arguably best in the organization or maybe second to Fleury, but arms don’t equal results. Command does. It wouldn’t surprise me if we don’t see Mathews or Melton this year.
Gave Joe hell last year. This year I think he has done well with what he has. It wasn’t up to him to have to write Cam Smith maybe before he was ready to be a star, or Brendan Rodgers/Mauricio Dubon as your second basemen, or Yainer Diaz or Christian Walker to not hit. Alvarez hasn’t really hit yet either, and Altuve has been on a roller coaster. I think he has done well just to have them at 17-16 all things considered. The only gripe I have is why keep trotting Tay Scott out there unless the game is pretty much decided? Like I said to my wife last time I watched him blow one – no better way to turn a surmountable deficit into an unsurmoutable deficit than put Scott in the game.
Is it too much to ask for both? Cy Young from Brown though, one hitter doesn’t decide much, there are 8 other guys that can pick you up. A starting pitcher is on an island, they can’t always win the game for you but they certainly can lose it.
Mariners are more dangerous.
As important as pitching is, this team needs someone else in the lineup that can be more threatening with RISP. It could actually help some of these guys that are struggling to see a fastball or two more ahead of said outfielder.
Next to Altuve, mostly because I didn’t know who Ford was before you mentioned him and I googled. I don’t listen to the radio broadcasts, ever. I’m sure I’m missing some important context to that question.
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I am generally an optimist, and you’ll see most of my writing leans in that direction. That said, I see a lot of cracks in this team (and organization). We’ve been searching for a new house recently and when you see the tell-tale signs (e.g. cracks, roofs that are “toast”, ACs on their last legs), it can cause you to run!
In the case of the Astros, there is just very little room for error. If Altuve doesn’t produce and Yordan doesn’t hit like he has in recent years, Houston may be “toast” sooner than later. Granted, there are some other players who could step up, but how long can you ride the pitching?
I can’t blame Crane for not paying Tucker. A $500 million-$700 million contract can hamstring you for years. Bregman? They did good to let him walk IMO.
But why not try the other direction? For example, why not give Hunter Brown a deal now that would buy out a couple of free agent seasons? Yeah, it’s a similar risk, but the risk is significantly less compared to Breggy or Tucker. Yeah, yeah, I know, you’ll point to LMJ and Javier, but at least those deal didn’t hamstring the club entirely.
If they like Paredes, why not tie him up for a few years too? You can shout me down here, but what about Pena? ESPN calls him “One of the sneaky steadiest players in baseball.” you might could get him now at 5/60 or 5/75 instead of $150 million 5 years from now.
I’m focusing on principle here rather than specific people. Ante up a little now instead of a lot later. Make sense?
As for Framber, I dunno. I could go either way–trade him for a haul at the deadline or try to strike a deal. He could command well over $100 million and he’ll turn 32 by next season. Risky? Maybe.
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I understand your comment about Bregman and Tucker. Unfortunately no one has a crystal ball to look into the future to see if they are worth the money they are getting paid. It just is a little frustrating watching them perform at a level that we hadn’t seen in awhile.
I have no problem with locking up Paredes, Pena, or Brown. In Brown’s case he’s employed Boras as his agent so what does that tell you. As for Framber, I’d trade him at the deadline while his value is highest (I hope). Can’t get into the minds of the players, agents, or owners to see what they are thinking so we’ll just have to go along for the ride. I don’t think any of those are going to call us for our opinion.
I guess we are spoiled by the last 10 years and expect a competitive team year in and year out.
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Crystal ball or not, I don’t want to pay $700 million for a single player. But that’s me.
But you make a valid point about Brown’s agent…and if he keeps throwing like he has been, he’ll be up for a huge contract in a few years.
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Whats funny is most of us thought he was going to get 350M for 10 years just a year ago. Now, if he wins that NL MVP that I think he will, he might command 500M. His agent bet on him, and everyone will be richer for it. Even the owner, if Tucker goes on and wins 2 or 3 MVPs in that jersey, probably gets richer for Tucker’s presence. Sometimes these players pay for themselves.
Sometimes they don’t. Trout has probably not sold out any Saturday evenings in LA from the IL. It’s the chance they take.
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What Tucker has done offensively since the beginning of 2024 is impressive. He’s only played 114 games, yet has 32 homers, 79 RBI’s, a .403 OBP and a .980 OPS. He’s stolen 20 bases and not been caught once.
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The Astros just can’t make a play right now. I think Meyers would say he should have caught that double at the wall in the first. Wesneski actually looked pretty good once he shaked off the cobwebs.
But Altuve just has no idea what he’s doing out there right now. His head is not is not in the game. Pena bunts Smith over to third with one out and Jose tries another bunt? A pop up? Right to the third baseman? And then he got thrown out on a pitch that got away, but not far enough to beat a throw. I know, he’s trying to make something happen. But our greatest Astro is just making things worse right now. I’m embarrassed for him.
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Boneheaded decisions are an Altuve specialty.
He is my favorite Astro ever. He is the face of 2 rings, and 7 straight ALCS appearances, and dominating not just the AL West but the entire AL for a century. He has turned the Astros into the villains, because they win. Not because of a scandal, that just gives New York and LA and Chicago and the rest of them a reason to channel into, but the truth is they hate a winner that isn’t them. He had some help, hopefully JV goes in with an Astros hat, and that group of guys that were youngsters in 2017 were huge, as was Yordan and KT carrying on their time. But in the end, one consistent guy with one of the fastest eyes we have ever seen.
But bunting when he should be hitting, trying to stretch singles into doubles and getting thrown out, defensive missteps, these are not new. That’s why I still think Bagwell and Biggio were both better Astros, because it wasn’t just the stats, it was the smart baserunning, the great defense, smart plays. And the fearlessness Bagwell used to charge bunts with. No way would I put myself 3 feet from a guy that is a major league hitter that might pull that bat back and line one into my head.
My REAL fear isn’t the occasional boneheaded play. My real fear is we are seeing the cracks in a bat that is going to lead to a 5 year stretch of him hitting .255 with 10-15HR a year while walking just 30 times and striking out 130+. And that will keep him out of Cooperstown.
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Steven, Altuve is also my favorite Astro. Easily. He’s a good soul. He’s done so much for the franchise and our community. Willing to move to left. Suggesting that Pena lead off. He’s been vocal, maybe to his own detriment about his vision for the club. His ego is small like his stature.
But if one takes a look at his Baseball Savant (no fee required) page, it’s scary. He had a big drop off last year. But across the board in 2025, his percentile chart is beyond showing cracks. I hope it’s just a terrible slump. But he’s playing bad baseball right now too. Worse than is typical for him. And that’s not something we normally see from a potential Hall of Fame candidate.
I’m wondering if he’s hit the wall. I also wonder if there is anyone that can sit and chat with him about his approach at the plate. And get through to him. It sure would be tough to watch what he’s doing presently for the next five years. And yeah, if we looking at the reality of a quickly aging 35 year old, he won’t make it to Cooperstown.
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Steven, Altuve is also my favorite Astro. Easily. He’s a good soul. He’s done so much for the franchise and our community. Willing to move to left. Suggesting that Pena lead off. He’s been vocal, maybe to his own detriment about his vision for the club. His ego is small like his stature.
But if one takes a look at his Baseball Savant (no fee required) page, it’s scary. He had a big drop off last year. But across the board in 2025, his percentile chart is beyond showing cracks. I hope it’s just a terrible slump. But he’s playing bad baseball right now too. Worse than is typical for him. And that’s not something we normally see from a potential Hall of Fame candidate.
I’m wondering if he’s hit the wall. I also wonder if there is anyone that can sit and chat with him about his approach at the plate. And get through to him. It sure would be tough to watch what he’s doing presently for the next five years. And yeah, if we looking at the reality of a quickly aging 35 year old, he won’t make it to Cooperstown.
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Steven, I share your concerns about Altuve in his latter years, but I also wonder how much he’s affected by not having better players around him. Not having Tucker and Bregman around him in the order and Yordan not hitting well right now (when he’s playing) has to make things tougher.
Especially when you think of him “trying to make something happen”.
In that way, “boneheaded play” is multiplied (and exposed) exponentially!
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Echoing Chip, I wonder about how much losing Correa and Bregman has impacted Altuve. The mental aspect of baseball is underappreciated. How much did those two guys do to keep Altuve groudned and focused in at the plate? The only reason he should ever be bunting is when a third baseman is playing way behind the bag.
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The Astros just can’t make a play right now. I think Meyers would say he should have caught that double at the wall in the first. Wesneski actually looked pretty good once he shaked off the cobwebs.
But Altuve just has no idea what he’s doing out there right now. His head is not is not in the game. Pena bunts Smith over to third with one out and Jose tries another bunt? A pop up? Right to the third baseman? And then he got thrown out on a pitch that got away, but not far enough to beat a throw. I know, he’s trying to make something happen. But our greatest Astro is just making things worse right now. I’m embarrassed for him.
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