House of Houston
Fansided

Houston Astros: FOUR Evan Gattis Myths Debunked

By James Zeankowski

Aug 11, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; Houston Astros left fielder Evan Gattis (11) on deck against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 11, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; Houston Astros left fielder Evan Gattis (11) on deck against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
May 20, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter Evan Gattis (11) hits a two run home run against the Oakland Athletics in the sixth inning at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /

Myth #2: Evan Gattis “Only has occasional pop and power.”

FALSE! Evan Gattis has a career isolated power (ISO) of .234, which is actually near elite levels. An ISO of .220 is still considered really good in this league. His 2016 ISO was above elite levels at .257, with a .250 being considered excellent power.

Add to those career numbers are his 17 at-bats per home run (AB/HR) and weighted runs created plus (wRC+) of 113. Just last season, those numbers were 14 and 119, respectively. As a natural catcher, those are top offensive numbers.

For all intents and purposes, the AB/HR and wRC+ are indicators of how long it takes for him to get a home run, and how much of a percentage better he hits compared to other players in his position. This would mean that Evan Gattis hits 13% better than most average catchers, AND averages a home run roughly every 3rd or 4th game he plays.

Another look at the positional player projections I posted earlier this week, and it is easy to see why Gattis need to remain on the team. Not just for insurance, but because of the team value he truly possesses already.

If as I predicted, Gattis can get around 112-115 games and just around or above 450 at-bats, that means we could be seeing him hit a bare minimum of 30 home runs, and may even crest over the 35 plateau, given the right circumstances.

For context, Edwin Encarnacion, the player that was coveted by Houston Astros fans for Lunhow to try and sign, only has a .230 ISO, ties with Gattis on AB/HR, and only has 10 more wRC+ than the bear does. Thankfully, he is with the Cleveland Indians now, and Gattis remains safe in Houston.

Home/Houston Astros