MLBTR’s team-by-team have a look at the upcoming deadline continues with the Astros. They’re but once more in pole place within the AL West. Payroll is likely to be an impediment this summer season, however they’re in a well-recognized place as a deadline purchaser.
File: 45-33 (89.6% playoff chance, per FanGraphs)
Purchase Mode
Potential wants: Left-handed bat, rotation depth, second base
Dana Brown gave us a simple place to begin for the Astros’ deadline outlook. Houston’s common supervisor stated over the weekend that the entrance workplace is already scouring the marketplace for a left-handed hitter. That will have been simple sufficient to deduce from a have a look at the roster. The Astros have essentially the most right-handed lineup in current historical past. They’ve given greater than 2500 plate appearances to righty hitters this season (not together with switch-hitters towards lefty pitching). The second-place Angels are greater than 400 PAs behind Houston, and no different group has even reached 1900. They’re on tempo to surpass the 2022 Blue Jays for essentially the most plate appearances for right-handed batters in a season this century.
The flip facet, after all, is that they’ve given a staggeringly low 175 plate appearances to pure left-handed hitters. Victor Caratini is their solely switch-hitter of word. Yordan Alvarez needs to be again in some unspecified time in the future, however he is developing on two months since he fractured his proper hand. Opponents have unsurprisingly thrown extra right-handed pitchers at Houston than at every other. It hasn’t stopped them from having success to date, however they will clearly favor to have extra steadiness as they look forward to potential playoff collection.
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