The Houston Astros limped off the block in March and April, going just 10-19. Injuries were striking their rotation and it was being bandaged together. Several pitchers were struggling.
May was better. The Astros played a smidge above .500, going 15-14, but still out of any kind of playoff race. The calendar flipped to June and suddenly Houston heated up. Despite injuries to future Hall of Fame starting pitcher Justin Verlander and star outfielder Kyle Tucker, the Astros have picked up momentum and gained ground on the AL wild-card contenders.
Since the beginning of June, the Astros are 23-11 and four games over .500 overall. They are firmly in the mix with the Red Sox, Twins and Royals for the final two wild-card spots (assuming the second-place team in the AL East will get the third).
There is also a chance the Rays and Rangers could play their way into the playoff picture, too. Either team is capable of an extended hot streak like the one the Astros are on now.
It’s been an amazing turnaround, mostly on the mound. In March, April and May, the team ERA was 4.31, ranked 13th in the American League. Since then, the ERA has been 3.73, the second-best mark in the AL over that time frame.
The hitting hasn’t ever been a problem. It is as good as it ever was. Through May 31, the Astros’ batting average was .258, tops in the league. Since then, it has been even better at .275, trailing only the blazing-hot Twins since June 1.
There have been some huge turnarounds from pitchers. Hunter Brown’s ERA was an abysmal 6.39 through May. Framber Valdez’s was 4.34, and Ryan Pressly was awful, posting a 5.06 ERA.
After May, it has been a different story. Brown’s ERA has been 2.30 since the end of that month, Valdez is at 3.02 and Pressly has turned his around to 2.03.
There’s room to improve. Rookie Spencer Arrighetti hasn’t been good all year, sporting an ERA of 5.96. Hopefully, Verlander can return later in July or early August. Luis Garcia may join the rotation in August. If these stars can return healthy and effective, the Astros will have a rotation no lineup will be enthusiastic about facing.
The offense is still a beast. Before his injury, Tucker was having a massive season, with 19 home runs, 40 RBI and a hefty .979 OPS. Jose Altuve is having a normal superstar season, batting .309 with 13 homers, 41 RBI and 14 steals. Yordan Alvarez is still awesome with a .297 average, 19 dingers and 51 RBI. Alex Bregman has turned things around from a dismal April to a respectable overall production.
This team is still fearsome and it is going to be competitive for those available wild-card spots. If it continues to play well, that slow start will just fade away from memory.
The Astros are a team that can make a lot of noise if they can slip into the playoffs. It didn’t seem a possibility in April, but it certainly is now.