No. And I don't think he should be. But the team is lacking something. Clearly, it's lacking something in the hitting department over the past couple years. I think that thing is called Carlos Beltran. I wasn't convinced how important his presence was, despite what I was told, until Yuli talked to him this year and then proceeded the very next day to go an MLB-leading batting tear for months. I also just think the team doesn't have any leader within the team. They're all great buddies, but not one of them seems like the type that will actually stand up, get pissed off, and say, "Guys, we can't let JV lose a complete game. Get your heads on straight, and let's go win this thing." You can be a leader without losing the respect of your teammates as long as you're not an *******. They look lifeless so much of the time even when they win. Never see that spark of controlled determination except from the pitchers.
I'm not comfortable with them facing the A's or Rays in a first-round short series. We've reached a lesser of two evils situation, and I think, at this point, I'll take our chances in Yankee Stadium. Not that they'll beat the Yankees playing like they are now, but the A's and Rays are specifically-potent poisons to the Astros.
Yuli, the best hitter in baseball the last few months, has been out. It's a different lineup when the "cleanup" man of their big 7 is playing.
Still fear the Yankees more than OAK. Whether that has any credence won't be known until a later date.
Beltran played same position as Alvarez. Are you suggesting that Brantley is so weak at veteran leadership that you would rather have Beltran over Alvarez? Also, regarding spark of controlled determination....Alvarez, Springer, and Bregman have it. Altuve and Correa had it in 2017.
I was at the game last night. Definitely had their chances late. Squandered a bases loaded situation in the 8th I think and stranded the tying run at 3rd in the 9th. Hopefully with Yuli and Correa back we'll start firing on all cylinders.
Maybe this team was clowning us with 300 wins in 3 seasons and a WS title. It was all a big joke so we would think they were good when they really just sucked the whole time. We are seeing that now. Ha funny!
The Astros offense this year is the best in baseball arguably. The only thing they are "missing" right now is Yuli and Correa. When they are healthy they are the best offense from top to bottom in baseball. The issue isn't missing Beltran or needing a spark personality. The Astros are not going to win every game or even every series. They lost 3 out 4 to a very good A's team that is going to win close to 100 games this season. Anyone that thought the post season was going to be a cake walk is in for a rude awakening. Every single team in the post season in the AL is going to be capable of winning the World Series. There are no easy match ups. Verlander/Cole/Greinke will have to be close to elite..... the offense will have to stop giving away outs on the bases..... and Pressly/Osuna/Harris will have to be nails while someone else emerges.
Different people step up on this team. This year it was Yuli. When Yuli came in to hit, he hit for contact to score a run. Springer Altuve been hitting for the fences every time. Sometimes you just need to get a couple of singles when you have RISP. I’m glad he’s back. He’s definitely got more maturity.
Why do some posters only make an appearance when the Astros have some adversity? It's like this team is never supposed to lose.
I’m on this board every single day and I would have no idea which posters fall into the category you speak of. I mean, I’m sure these posters exist but how do you remember which ones they are? That’s impressive.
I should clarify that I didn't necessarily mean Beltran as a player. He wasn't much of an asset at DH in 2017. But it seems like he was a huge asset off the field, the more I learn. I'd love to have him as a coach on this team. I know that's not going to happen, because he wants to be in NY. And that's a loss from 2017 where I really don't see a replacement. I have zero idea if Brantley is a leader or not, so I can't answer that. He's a professional hitter, but just because he's been in the league for over a decade doesn't tell me if he has any leadership qualities or not. Honestly, I think Bregman is your number one candidate to be a real active leader on the team, but I don't know if that's a role he wants or feels he's qualified for. Obviously, I'm going by the eye test of just watching many games over the past couple years. I don't have perfect stats to argue everything, and I'm not sure those paint the entire picture, anyway. I don't have inside knowledge. Most regrettably, I haven't seen much of how our major opponents play. I can only surmise that the Yankees have...something...that keeps them winning through all their injuries. (Yes, their major injuries have been generally less impactful than ours, but they have vastly more of them.) If I didn't have anything else to do, I'd be interesting in watching a few of their games to get a better sense of who they are this year as a team. Know and respect thy enemy. Anyway, the Astros have World-Series-crushing potential and a phenomenal record and they do currently have some injuries and pitching problems, but something is still wrong with them right now. They're not even close to using their potential, and that makes me concerned about the playoffs where you don't get to casually drop games when your ace pitchers give you every chance to win. Especially with only 3 solid aces. No, you're not going to win every game. In fact, losing 1/3rd of your games still means you're a legendary team. Just like the Rockets, though, they seem to beat themselves more often than they just straight up get beat by the other team. Well, we'll see how it goes.
Beltran was the DH, not coach. Alvarez is the replacement for his hitting and Brantley is his replacement for his veteran leadership. Unless Brantley is sleeping with his teammates wives, The Astros have greatly improved from Beltran.
They have plenty of leaders on this team. Verlander was a leader the day he was acquired and he has only increased in leadership the past two season. Remember his vocal exhortations during the 2017 playoffs? How can you say they are not close to their potential? Unfortunately, they don’t have a lock down bullpen, so they are going to blow some games. Verlander, Cole and Grienke are human so they are going to have some failures. Bregman will probably finish second in MVP. Verlander or Cole will win the Cy Young. Alvarez will probably win ROTY. Altuve leads the league in hits post all star break. Gurriel is one of the best players in baseball the last few months. Springer has been solid all season. A number of guys are setting their personal HR bests. They are among the best defensive teams in baseball. When Correa has been healthy, he has been a very good hitter and has improved defensively. The catchers are certainly holding their own. What are you expecting from them?
FWIW Bradley is extremely well liked and is considered a very strong leader in the Astros dugout. George Springer, Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman all lean on him hard and go to him with their struggles or to work on their swing/positioning. Some of the players have worked with Bagwell as well. The Astros have leaders and players that know how to play well on the big stage and compete. They also have a manager that has been in extreme pressure filled situations and won. I have questioned Hinch on some line up or bullpen decisions in the past. However he has the scars and the pelts on the wall. Verlander, Cole and Greinke all can pitch in pressure situations. This Astros team is JACKED. If they lose the World Series it won’t be because of leadership, effort or ability. It will be because someone got hot or the Astros have a bad few game stretch. This team, this year is likely the peak talented Astros team in our lifetime. Enjoy it and see what happens.
The Astros were a healthy roster away from winning 110-115 games. As it is they will win 105 games without really pressing. The reality is that this group has had an incredibly smooth ride other than injuries.
