Astros 2026: Quicky questions

To be totally truthful – today I am prepping for the type of procedure tomorrow where you have to uhhhhh – clear the pipes today.

So, I am looking to do a quick and easy post where my dear readers must do all the work.

Please, give me your best shots at the answers….

  1. Have you ever in your life seen a team that could not obtain reasonable outfield offense as the 2026 Astros (ignoring the times when Yordan plays LF)?
  2. Peter Lambert is being called by some this season’s Jason Alexander. Do you think he is destined for the same crash and burn in 2027 that Alexander just experienced in 2026? Why or why not?
  3. If you were a betting man – who do you think will be in the Astros starting lineup in 2029 – Jose Altuve, Jeremy Pena and/or Yordan Alvarez or none? And why?
  4. To match their record from 2025, the Astros would have to finish 2026 on a 37-21 roll. Can they do it?
  5. Yordan Alvarez is well on his way to winning the MVP and the Triple Crown. He’s leading batting average .328 to .307, home runs 34 to 30 and RBIs 77 to 71. Do you even care about the Triple Crown in this day of lots of other prime stats or is it an old fashioned title?
  6. Peter Lambert currently has 8 wins, Spencer Arrighetti has 7 wins, and Tatsuya Imai has 6 wins. Who will lead the team in wins this year and with how many?
  7. Christian Walker has a current slash of .234 BA/ .309 OBP/ .761 OPS, while Jose Altuve sits at .232 BA/ .300 OBP/ .702 OPS. Which one is going to end the season ahead in 2 or more of those categories?
  8. What do you think a five- or six-man rotation for the Astros will look like at the end of the season? Will there be someone in it that is not with the organization right now?
  9. Bryan King had given up two runs in 23 appearances when he hit a rough spot with 9 runs given up in his last four games. He was sent down to the minors at that point – was that fair?
  10. When Carlos Correa returns in 2027, what will the infield for the Astros look like?
  11. If you were the Astros GM – who would not be with the team on August 4, the day after the trade deadline this season? (Note – they are allowed by the CBA to move the deadline between July 28 and August 3 to avoid game times. Seems weird)
  12. What percentage chance is there that the work stoppage that is coming will be resolved by the beginning of next season? By May 1st? By All Star Game? Not resolved until 2028?

OK – that should keep y’all hopping for a bit.

←

2 responses to “Astros 2026: Quicky questions”

  1. That’s great Dan. You’ve probably lost a few pounds!

    1. Not that I can recollect. But I know that with the exception of Yordan, we’ve been pretty offensive offensively in the outfield for the past four seasons.
    2. Lambert can touch 96 every now and then. He’s not all finesse like Alexander was.
    3. Altuve and Alvarez. We’re stuck with Jose. It’s going to be harder to keep loving him. I think Yordan gets an extension. It would be foolish not to get talent for Pena before he leaves. And leave he will.
    4. 37-21 will not happen.
    5. Triple Crown is a rare feat. I’m really starting to get into what Yordan is doing. It’s tough watching the Astros though.
    6. Lambert will win 12 or 13 unless the arm falls off.
    7. If Altuve was really concerned about getting on base with a walk, he’d likely get two out of three. But he won’t.
    8. That’s a tough question. Lambert, Brown, Blanco, Imai, Wesneski. Arrighetti to the IL?
    9. I think it was irresponsible and selfish for Joe to toast King.
    10. Could be the least rangy group in MLB.
    11. Paredes, Walker, Abreu, Pena. Imai. Any outfielder. Any. But there has to be a pretty good return overall. Some of this is a pipe dream.
    12. Baseball has momentum going for it. To lose it all would be foolish, if only from a business standpoint. MLB really does not care about the fans, other than what they can squeeze out of them.

    Like

    Reply

  2. I’m one of those people who thinks OBP is the most important stat for judging a hitter. However, I think both batting average and RBI are both criminally underrated today. Batting average gives you a better predictor of what will happen against a pitcher who is going to throw strikes. When you get to the postseason you’re going to face guys who limit the free passes. In regards to RBI (and runs scored), it doesn’t bother me that they are semi-reliant on what the guys in the lineup are doing around you. I can accept that looking into some composite stats when judging the real impact of a player’s RBI total is necessary if you want to use it as a predictor of future success, but ultimately I think we should recognize the players whose AB successfully brought runners home.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment