Most of the focus on the Astros has swirled around Hunter Brown’s return and how that would affect the rotation going forward.
It feels like the right time to take a look at the Astros’ position players and how they rate compared to the other American League players at each position.
Below are the Astros’ numbers for each position based on a cumulative total of everyone who played that position this year. Below those stats are the numbers’ rankings in the AL after games on June 16.
Note – for K’s the higher the number place in the AL – the better. E.g. The DH’s 11th place in Ks means that he is the 5th best DH at avoiding the K.
| Position | BA | OBP | OPS | HR | RBI | Ks | BBs |
| DH | .324 (1st in AL) | .412 (1st) | 1.034 (1st) | 23 (1st) | 56 (1st) | 61 (11th) | 39 (1st) |
| C | .205 (12th) | .255 (14th) | .578 (13th) | 6 (10th) | 31 (6th) | 47 (15th) | 17 (14th) |
| 1B | .238 (10th) | .311 (11th) | .790 (6th) | 18 T (2nd) | 54 (3rd) | 68 (9th) | 26 (10th) |
| 2B | .226 (13th) | .294 (12th) | .651 (13th) | 8 (4th) | 23 (14th) | 71 (2nd) | 25 (8th) |
| SS | .265 (5th) | .329 (6th) | .724 (7th) | 8 T(7th) | 30 (8th) | 53 (11th) | 26 (6th) |
| 3B | .250 (6th) | .349 (5th) | .778 (4th) | 11 (6th) | 36 (6th) | 53 (10th) | 33 (5th) |
| LF | .196 (15th) | .282 (15th) | .645 (12th) | 9 T(3rd) | 32 (8th) | 85 (2nd) | 27 (8th) |
| CF | .236 (9th) | .295 (11th) | .649 (10th) | 5 (10th) | 26 (10th) | 70 (4th) | 21 (12th) |
| RF | .234 (10th) | .317 (9th) | .694 (9th) | 8 T(6th) | 29 (10th) | 79 (3rd) | 28 (4th) |
General Notes
- The numbers are so-so as out of 63 categories above….
- The Astros are in the top 7 in 29 categories. They are in the bottom 7 in 30 categories
- And they are smack in the middle at 8 in 4 categories
- Of course, the Yordan-dominated DH spot accounts for 7 of those 29 top 7 spots.
- And with Carlos Correa out for the rest of the year – you may expect the 3B spot to sink over time.
DH – With the type of season that Yordan Alvarez is providing as the Astros, it is not surprising that the DH numbers are at the top of the AL stats. This is the type of dominant season, Astro fans have been waiting for from Yordan, and it puts him in great position for both All Star and MVP consideration.
C – The catching spot has been an offensive mess for the Astros this season. They were hopeful that Yainer Diaz would return to the positive offensive numbers of a couple years ago. He started the season very poorly but was just warming up when he went on the IL. Cristian Vazquez started off hot (in minimum playing time) but went cold as soon as he became the starter when Diaz was injured. Cesar Salazar and Colin Price have provided very little offense as the backup catcher. If Diaz can step in and get the bat going, this is a spot for potential improvement for the team.
1B – Christian Walker has been the main 1B, starting 71 of the 75 games they have played. He was super-hot in April across the board, but he has faltered in BA and OBP the last two months. But he has sustained his power stroke and overall, he is tied for fifth in HRs and is third in RBIs in the AL. It would really help if he could channel those April numbers going forward for the rest of the season.
2B – The majority of these numbers are from Jose Altuve, but with his stint on the IL, about a third of the starts have been by a combo of Brice Matthews, Nick Allen, Braden Shewmake and Isaac Paredes. None of these folks (including Altuve) are tearing the cover off the ball. Only Paredes has an OPS+ over the 100 (average) mark, and he has only started 3 games at second base. For improvement, Jose Altuve has to get on a roll. Other than 2020, the odd pandemic season, Altuve has never hit this poorly in any major league season – not even close. But perhaps at 36 years old – this is the new norm.
SS – Jeremy Pena has the majority of the starts at shortstop, though Carlos Correa had a significant amount of starts when Pena was on the IL. There is also a sprinkling of Nick Allen and Braden Shewmake in the numbers that make up this accumulation. The numbers to date are in the top half of the AL and would be expected to stay in that area as long as Pena is at the position.
3B – Carlos Correa was supposed to be the starting 3B for the season, but the season had barely begun when he had to fill in behind Pena, and then he headed to the IL for the season with his injury back in early May. Paredes has taken the lion share of starts at 3B this season with a few other games by the usual suspects. The solid top half of the AL numbers are due to above-average numbers from Correa and Paredes. If Paredes could hit another gear like he did in 2025, he could even raise these numbers a bit in the balance of 2025.
LF – Plenty of blame to go around here as seven different Astros have started seven or more games in LF. We will give Yordan Alvarez and his .955 OPS in his 11 starts in LF a pass, but Brice Matthews, Joey Loperfido, Zach Dezenzo, Zach Cole, Dustin Harris and Taylor Trammell have numbers that are only decent in the HR and RBI numbers. One thing that can help them here is if one of the young guys like Matthews or Loperfido figures it out. It probably does not help that no one is playing this spot with consistency.
CF – The normal starter is Jake Meyers, though Matthews and Trammell picked up quite a few starts when Meyers was on the IL. Meyers is a shadow of the solid hitter he showed in 2025. Matthews has been a poor hitter with occasional power. Trammell, for some reason, is hitting .350 in his 13 starts at CF. Maybe they should use Trammell more in CF if Meyers does not flash any more of that 2025 hitting, or just hand it to Matthews and see what the young guy can do.
RF – Cam Smith has started 68 of the 75 games in right field and came in for late inning defense in six of the other seven games. These stats are his – good, bad or indifferent….mostly below average. If Cam could channel some of that first half of 2025 goodness, this could improve. Cam is only 23. At this age George Springer was a year away from the majors (though he probably should not have been).
Overall, the Astros just do not have the firepower, especially in the outfield to have a consistent and deep offense. If some of their youth shows improvement that would help immensely, but that is a tough thing on which to hang your hat.
ALL THINGS ASTROS 