Houston Astros: Top 30 players in franchise history
By T.A. Mock
7. Lance Berkman, OF, 1B, 1999 – 2010
Lance Berkman may very well be the best pure hitter the Houston Astros have ever seen. He could do it all at a very high level. Need a guy to get on base? Berkman could do it. Need a guy to drive in runs? Berkman could do it. Need a guy to launch a clutch home run? Berkman could do it. He could do it all and he did it from both sides of the plate.
Berkman was a truly feared power hitter that didn’t use PEDs in the PED era. He only hit 40+ homers twice but drove in 100+ runs six times. His best year was in 2006 when he launched 45 homers and drove in 136 RBIs all while sporting a .315 batting average. Berkman also was a surprisingly solid outfielder before switching to first base after Jeff Bagwell retired.
Berkman is now Hall of Fame eligible and I’ve previously broken down his case to be enshrined and it remains true. Berkman was one of the best hitters of his era and one of the best switch hitters to ever do it. He deserves to be enshrined and hopefully, the voters agree.
Berkman was the third piece to the famed “Killer B’s” though he was entering his prime at the time while the other two were departing theirs. It stung to see him win a World Series with the division rival Cardinals and play such a vital role on that team but it ultimately cemented his legacy as a player and boosts his Hall of Fame candidacy. Berkman will go down as one of the most feared Astro batters of all time.