Peña went 0-4 with 2 Ks, Yordan went 0-4, Altuve went 0-3 on what must've been like five total pitches, Walker was 0-3.
This garbage is not LaMonte Wade's fault. We expect him to hit ninth and do not much. The guys who are expected to play serious baseball that showed up with no intention of doing it are the problem.
Anyone else starting to get concerned about Yordan? I know hes had several recent games where he was seen shaking his hand after swings, and it doesn't seem his swing has been as confident lately.
Went to BP today and noticed that he took a very very limited number of swings compared to the other guys. Not sure if that is just his routine but it rang some alarm bells for me.
It's a weird place…I want them to win, but I also want Espada and Dana to be canned after the season; even if they get hot in October, I still want these two clowns gone.
The hot run of October 2022 was great, but it dragged so many bums along on the coaching staff that have basically given us Gremlins for the last 4 years.
It's a weird place…I want them to win, but I also want Espada and Dana to be canned after the season; even if they get hot in October, I still want these two clowns gone.
The hot run of October 2022 was great, but it dragged so many bums along on the coaching staff that have basically given us Gremlins for the last 4 years.
By hot run, you mean the World Series Title we won???
It's a weird place…I want them to win, but I also want Espada and Dana to be canned after the season; even if they get hot in October, I still want these two clowns gone.
The hot run of October 2022 was great, but it dragged so many bums along on the coaching staff that have basically given us Gremlins for the last 4 years.
Aw yes because Jim is going to hire a more qualified GM with the cajones to tell him to eff off when he says, "Uh dur I like Bryan Abreu, back of baseball card says he was good, we can't trade him"
So the whole high fastball thing needs to end. I'm tired of seeing crappy players and guys having down years being given meatballs. We don't have the stuff outside of Hunter Brown and Hader to be trying to get whiffs on high heat. Not sure if its coaching or Yainer. But so many late game home runs seem to happen because we feed guys who literally only hit meatballs.. the exact meatball they are looking for.
What I said on deadline day. And got laughed off the board.
this team isn't serious. Pulling for them of course. But still.
Don't worry. This board has had head in the sand for 3 years. Beat a couple teams who are absolutely tanking and everyone here starts getting all bulled up again.
I continue to hope I'm wrong. But we've continually been on a path of organizational destruction for 3 seasons that matches the stubbornness post 2005. While we didn't give up much this deadline, we held onto guys who aren't going to win anything when we could have sold them for well above their market worth.
Since claiming first place, they haven't played with the spark we saw during the Rangers series. Wonder if it's a coincidence that they're playing like they're disappointed with the lack of moves at the trade deadline. Varsho has been disappointing to say the least..
We would have gotten a **** ton for Pena at the deadline. Look at what Boston sent to the Orioles for Adley. Now, we're probably looking at the last 2 months of Pena in an Astros uniform, assuming no 2027 season. Yes, we can trade him over the offseason, but we won't get near the haul.
Headed to New York with the fam to watch us play the Yankees on 8/27 and going to the Mets game 8/28. Would be nice to have a comfortable division lead by then.
Headed to New York with the fam to watch us play the Yankees on 8/27 and going to the Mets game 8/28. Would be nice to have a comfortable division lead by then.
I fully expect the Mariners to sweep us and start their comeback to the playoffs. We can't hit their pitching and we won't ever the way the team is currently constructed. A bunch of RHP with elite stuff. Just keep throwing sweepers in the other batters box and profit.
So the whole high fastball thing needs to end. I'm tired of seeing crappy players and guys having down years being given meatballs. We don't have the stuff outside of Hunter Brown and Hader to be trying to get whiffs on high heat. Not sure if its coaching or Yainer. But so many late game home runs seem to happen because we feed guys who literally only hit meatballs.. the exact meatball they are looking for.
And, even worse, we never see those pitches when we bat because the whole league knows spin nowhere close to the plate is our kryptonite.
Reasons to Smile Daulton Varsho was last night's undisputed MVP I went 4 days without updating Astros' Bingo, and the Mariners' win total didn't change Yordan is going to rain fire in that short porch in right in San Fran
Reasons to Barf The board is eating itself because the team isn't suddenly winning the West by 10 games.
SQUARES ACHIEVED: On Friday night, Cam Smith reached 15 HR for the season, giving a square to: Prosperdick linkdude 3B Paul 97 Mr.Ackar07 HTownAg98
SQUARES ON DECK: Mike Trout is set to reach 100 games tonight.
Astros' Flashback: August 10, 2019: Rookie Yordan Alvarez swats three home runs as the team breaks every offensive record in the books to crush the Orioles 23-2. Carlos Correa adds a 474-foot home run that clears both the bullpens at Camden Yards (highlight video at the end)
And now the late-season sensation, sweeping the nation
What Have You Become? A look at MLB teams much more disappointing than the Astros in 2026.
Day 1 Entry: Toronto Blue Jays
2025 Finish: 94-68, 1st place, AL champs. 2026 Current: 56-63, last in the AL East, 16 games out of first.
The Skinny:
Bo Bichete said adios
Vlad Jr's OPS is down 153 points
George Springer got old (again)
Team batting average down 23 points
Las yeart, Eric Lauer and Jose Berrios combined to go 18-7. Berrios has missed the whole year with Tommy John surgery, Lauer started the year 1-5 and got sold to the Dodgers.
10-16 April, 11-15 June, 11-13 July.
Charley's expert analysis: Reaping the curse of trading away Joey Loperfido.
August 10, 2019 Yordan Alvarez, Destroyer of Worlds.
Headed to New York with the fam to watch us play the Yankees on 8/27 and going to the Mets game 8/28. Would be nice to have a comfortable division lead by then.
So the whole high fastball thing needs to end. I'm tired of seeing crappy players and guys having down years being given meatballs. We don't have the stuff outside of Hunter Brown and Hader to be trying to get whiffs on high heat. Not sure if its coaching or Yainer. But so many late game home runs seem to happen because we feed guys who literally only hit meatballs.. the exact meatball they are looking for.
And, even worse, we never see those pitches when we bat because the whole league knows spin nowhere close to the plate is our kryptonite.
I'm not sure that's true. I think it's more a case of our hitters just not being good enough to hammer those pitches.
But it's clear that other teams have read our hitting report. SD pitched Yordan perfectly. Everything was spin low and away. And they were good enough to hit that spot over and over again. I wouldn't throw him another FB or change up. It would all be spin low and away. If he walks, whatever. Paredes isn't any protection.
Thanks for posting. The number of pitching prospects throwing their fastball in the "low to mid 90s" is noticeable. Not many big arms in the system.
I also found noticed that the list is even more heavily weighted to lower level prospects than in recent years. That's good for the future, but reinforces the reality that no big league help is coming soon.
Headed to New York with the fam to watch us play the Yankees on 8/27 and going to the Mets game 8/28. Would be nice to have a comfortable division lead by then.
I fully expect the Mariners to sweep us and start their comeback to the playoffs. We can't hit their pitching and we won't ever the way the team is currently constructed. A bunch of RHP with elite stuff. Just keep throwing sweepers in the other batters box and profit.
And what's sad is all our guys need to do to counter that strategy is to just stand there and do nothing.
So the whole high fastball thing needs to end. I'm tired of seeing crappy players and guys having down years being given meatballs. We don't have the stuff outside of Hunter Brown and Hader to be trying to get whiffs on high heat. Not sure if its coaching or Yainer. But so many late game home runs seem to happen because we feed guys who literally only hit meatballs.. the exact meatball they are looking for.
And, even worse, we never see those pitches when we bat because the whole league knows spin nowhere close to the plate is our kryptonite.
For something that solves a bunch of problems in one step, the Astros are surprisingly resistant to putting Yordan in LF. He has never been seriously injured while playing there. For a team that stuck Altuve out there for damn near a whole season, you would think one look at his hitting stats while playing LF, the dearth of OF talent we have, and the improvement in defense you could get from putting Altuve at DH would make them at least try it out. Guess there is nothing written in crayon on the back of a baseball card about it for Bagwell to read.
A couple series lost and now we are back to the still first place Astros should have burned it all to the ground.
The Dodgers are 2 and 8 in their last ten, I guess they should have been sellers.
Sticking to my 08/01/26 prediction:
82-80 final record and why they should have considered trading away Pena and/or Brown at the very least.
Rangers: 1 of 2 (2 of 2) Blue Jays: 2 of 3 (1 of 3) @ Padres: 1 of 3 (1 of 3) @ Giants: 2 of 3 Mariners: 2 of 3 Angels: 2 of 3 A's: 2 of 3 @ Yankees: 1 of 3 @ Mets: 2 of 3 White Sox: 1 of 4 Diamondbacks: 1 of 3 @ Phillies: 1 of 3 @ Rays: 1 of 3 Royals: 2 of 3 Braves: 1 of 3 @ Mariners: 1 of 2 @ A's: 3 of 4
For something that solves a bunch of problems in one step, the Astros are surprisingly resistant to putting Yordan in LF. He has never been seriously injured while playing there. For a team that stuck Altuve out there for damn near a whole season, you would think one look at his hitting stats while playing LF, the dearth of OF talent we have, and the improvement in defense you could get from putting Altuve at DH would make them at least try it out. Guess there is nothing written in crayon on the back of a baseball card about it for Bagwell to read.
He'd be by far the worst defensive LF in MLB and hurts the team more than Altuve does at 2b.
Strangely enough I think they have this calculus right. Yordan is No. 218 out of 221 LFs this season in the Fielding Bible's DRS at -5 in just 18 games and 138 innings. That extrapolates out to around -30 DRS if he'd been manning LF full time up to this point. Current last place has -7 DRS.
Add in the injury risk and I'm fine having Altuve at 2b over Yordan in LF in the battle of bad fielding choices.
On August 2 Altuve was the worst 2b defensively at his position (and still is, although it looks like his DRS has improved to -10).
Quote:
Jose is No. 148 out of 148 with -11 DRS in 83 games and 686.1 innings. No. 147 Bryson Scott has -8 DRS, so Altuve is crushing the field (he's also last by a wide margin in ART at 2b).
Yordan in LF full time in the manner he's fielded it in 18 GS this season would more than double up the current worst glove in MLB at any position in Luke Keaschall's -14 DRS in 108 games and triple Altuve's -10 DRS to date.
Add in the injury risk to Yordan and you can see why we don't see him in LF much.
For something that solves a bunch of problems in one step, the Astros are surprisingly resistant to putting Yordan in LF. He has never been seriously injured while playing there. For a team that stuck Altuve out there for damn near a whole season, you would think one look at his hitting stats while playing LF, the dearth of OF talent we have, and the improvement in defense you could get from putting Altuve at DH would make them at least try it out. Guess there is nothing written in crayon on the back of a baseball card about it for Bagwell to read.
He'd be by far the worst defensive LF in MLB and hurts the team more than Altuve does at 2b.
Strangely enough I think they have this calculus right. Yordan is No. 218 out of 221 LFs this season in the Fielding Bible's DRS at -5 in just 18 games and 138 innings. That extrapolates out to around -30 DRS if he'd been manning LF full time up to this point. Current last place has -7 DRS.
Add in the injury risk and I'm fine having Altuve at 2b over Yordan in LF in the battle of bad fielding choices.
On August 2 Altuve was the worst 2b defensively at his position (and still is, although it looks like his DRS has improved to -10).
Quote:
Jose is No. 148 out of 148 with -11 DRS in 83 games and 686.1 innings. No. 147 Bryson Scott has -8 DRS, so Altuve is crushing the field (he's also last by a wide margin in ART at 2b).
Yordan in LF full time in the manner he's fielded it in 18 GS this season would more than double up the current worst glove in MLB at any position in Luke Keaschall's -14 DRS in 108 games and triple Altuve's -10 DRS to date.
Add in the injury risk to Yordan and you can see why we don't see him in LF much.
That doesn't account for the increase in Yordan's hitting stats when he plays in the field or the potential to be able to put somebody at 2B who hits better than whoever Yordan is replacing in LF. I also think that DRS value is working with a very small sample size from Yordan in 2026 and that if he were playing there more frequently, he would be better at playing the position. And people keep talking about the injury risk, but all of his injuries have come from hitting or running the bases, not from playing LF.
He's on pace to do shlt that hasn't been done since the 1940s.
He ain't gonna get much better.
Well, based on the same limited data set you are relying on to say he is a terrible LF, he is hitting with an OPS that is .331 higher (1.011 DH vs 1.342 LF) and a wRC+ that is 90 points higher (174 DH vs 264 LF). So I guess +.331 OPS and +90 wRC+ isn't "much better"?
It is a small sample size for both comparisons, defensive and offensive, and neither should be considered a definitive reason to consider or not to consider playing him in LF. But his hitting stats being better when he plays LF is something that has been consistent for several years.
