Houston Astros Rumors: Three players with the most to gain in Spring Training
By T.A. Mock
Tyler White, DH
The biggest thing that Tyler White has to gain this Spring Training for the Houston Astros is the primary designated hitter job. In 2017, the team brought in Carlos Beltran to be the DH and while his presence was solid, his production wasn’t. In 2018, Evan Gattis got the first crack at the primary DH job and aside from a nice streak or two, his production was lackluster.
In White, the Astros could potentially have their best DH they’ve had in years. White’s peak is pretty high and actually really good. He showed off what he can do at his best towards the end of the season in 2018 and it was pretty dadgum good.
In 66 games last year, he had a .276 batting average, 12 home runs, and 42 RBIs. Projected over a full season, that’s over 20 homers and getting close to 100 RBIs. Imagine that production in this Houston Astros lineup. Pretty incredible.
Also. Don't sleep on Tyler White, you'll regret it. light
However, the problem with White, historically, is he has been a very streaky hitter. When gets hot, he is very hot. When he is cold, he is very cold. This Spring Training, White has a chance to prove to the team that his streakiness is behind him and that he can take over this job and lockdown another spot in the lineup.
There is also a chance the Astros platoon the DH role in an effort to keep guys like Jose Altuve, George Springer, and Michael Brantley healthy. So, they could overcome some streakiness with that strategy but if White overcomes it himself, this team will be all the better for it.