Listen, we know it's tough to catch up on everything happening in the baseball world each morning. There are all kinds of stories, rumors, game coverage, and Vines of dudes getting hit in the beans every day. Trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk just isn't easy. It's okay, though, we're going to do the heavy lifting for you each morning, and find the things you need to see from within the SB Nation baseball network as well as from elsewhere. Please hold your applause until the end, or at least until after you subscribe to the newsletter.
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
★★★
It’s early still. We just need to get that out there, so it doesn’t sound as if we’re making a grand, sweeping, absolutely-correct-and-infallible statement here. But (shuffles nervously, leans in) the Houston Astros might be good at baseball. Like, right now good, not 2017 World Series champions courtesy of Sports Illustrated good. They’re 13-7, in first place in an AL West that’s been more tumultuous than expected to start the year, have won nine-of-10 games and five in a row. The question is whether this is just a good run or they’re actually good, and while it’s impossible to know for sure, things are leaning towards the latter. And hey, even being able to ask the question is a huge step forward for the organization.
We knew coming into the season that the Astros had serious potential to hit. So far, many of the players that made us think that haven’t done much, with the powerful trio of Evan Gattis, George Springer and Chris Carter all slumping. Jose Altuve and Colby Rasmus are succeeding, though, and deadline trade acquisition and post-hype outfielder Jake Marisnick looks like he could be breaking out: when the rest of the lineup catches up, the Astros could best their current 105 OPS+ that has them sixth in the AL.
On the pitching side, we knew the Astros had potential, as Collin McHugh and Dallas Keuchel broke out in 2014 and Scott Feldman is generally a steady hand. Both McHugh and Keuchel have picked up where they left off looking like arms who can lead a playoff team, and that’s helped the Astros to the AL’s second-best ERA+, behind only the Royals. They might need another starter to make the rotation more believable, but if they keep on playing well, they’ll be in a position to acquire one. Don’t forget, either, that top prospects Mark Appel and Carlos Correa aren’t that far off.
- The Yankees needed most of their expensive players to stay healthy and effective this year for them to have a chance. While it’s worked out well for some early on, ace Masahiro Tanaka is now set to spend at least a month on the disabled list.
- While things are mostly looking good for Houston, they did place shortstop Jed Lowrie on the DL with a torn thumb ligament.
- We have some thoughts on how we can solve the National League’s DH problem without actually giving them the DH.
- The Orioles and White Sox will play in front of an empty stadium on Wednesday in order to respect Baltimore’s curfew and current state, amid the Freddie Gray protests.
- D-Backs starter Archie Bradley was hit in the face by a line drive, and while the photos of it will make you squeamish, the good news is that he seems just fine other than a very swollen face.
- The Royals were known for being a scrappy bunch during the 2014 playoffs, but a couple of former power-hitting prospects might finally be power-hitting big leaguers, and that changes things for Kansas City.
- Seattle might soon get an arena for other sports, except it might not be in Seattle itself, which suits the Mariners just fine.
- The Dodgers probably aren’t going to trade top prospects Julio Urias or Corey Seager, but they will listen to offers. Come up with something good, those guys are legit.
- The Giants rotation might be having a homogeneity problem.
- The Brewers are in a bad state, and while they have the talent to climb out of the hole they’ve dug for themselves, they might just sell off some pieces to help build their next team instead.
- Pitchers have basically stopped trying to hit. That has to be the explanation, right?
See More:
