Houston Astros: What makes this 2017 Team special
By Dan Shedd
Your Houston Astros are the best team in baseball! Even though it is early in the season, I have no doubt that this team can do something special in October. The offense has been on fire lately and so has the starting rotation.
Rejoice Houston Astros fans!
Don’t ever count the 2017 Astros out of anything.
Even though it is early in the season, I have no doubt that this team can do something special in October. Both the offense and pitching have been spectacular.
It’s June 1st and the Astros are coming off their best month so far. The team’s offense is out of this world good (just ask Minnesota.) Players like Josh Reddick, Alex Bregman, Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann are giving the Astros much-needed power to drive in runs.
Speaking of powerful hitting, one guy who has absolutely phenomenal for the 2017 Astros is Marwin Gonzalez. He is hitting .308, with 12 HR’s and 34 RBI’s this year. Not bad for a career .260 hitter. If you need big things to happen late, Marwin can help you in more ways than one.
The Houston pitching staff is doing big things too, they have the 2nd best team ERA at 3.49, 2nd best WHIP (1.20) and 1st in BAA at 2.30 in baseball. Dallas Keuchel is rocking a 1.81 ERA and 8-0 record to start off. Lance McCullers is doing his thing at 6-1 with a 2.48 ERA.
Speaking of McCullers, Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated did a great piece on him and the impact of the curveball on the game of baseball. It’s definitely worth your time. The way Verducci describes McCullers grip on the baseball is absolutely fascinating.
Other pitchers like Joe Musgrove and Chris Devenski are showing Major League Baseball they are legit pitchers that are here to stay.
Next: Recent injuries amplify need for another starting Pitcher
Now the real question is how long will this blissful trip last? It’s an 162-game season and right now the Astros are sitting pretty at 38-16, atop the AL West. There will be bumps in the road for sure. It’s how this team overcome those setbacks that will show how truly special this team is. I believe that they have the right amount of veteran leadership and young energy to not let those setbacks deter them from their ultimate goal of winning the World Series. Only time will tell, but this a special team ready for a special run this year.