I know the history (see Palmeiro, Rafael) of GG being awarded to the best hitter who just doesn't crap the bed defensively. That said, I stand behind my original point that a 740 OPS for an excellent defensice CF is very acceptable and actually valuable. It's 14% above MLB average for all players, much less a defense first position. Also the way the award has been decided has changed and now is much more accurate to deserving players.
Somehow Hader has done worse... you have 3 of what should be your top 15 players on the roster that have been beyond bad.
I have a very casual theory that the Astros bullpen is severely missing Martin Maldanaldo calling pitches behind the plate. Its the only explanation that I can come up with and feel decent about.
That wouldn’t explain anything about Hader’s performance, since he was dominant with several other catchers across several other teams before this season. I think Pressly is experiencing age related decline. I think Hader has had bad luck. And Abreu is just in a funk.
I think too many on these boards are too quick to dismiss this as a possible explanation. Yes his bat was historically atrocious, but I think whether this team misses his leadership and game-calling is worthy of speculation
There's more to baseball then statistics. Despite Yanier's era being on par with Maldy's last year, it was Maldy setting the game plans. I think that is why the Astros held on to Martin for so long despite understanding they were playing like an NL team pre DH. He meant a ton, and even the pitchers wives were quick to back him on twitter last year when the fan base was going in. Maldy was always one of my favorites, but its of course hard to know all what he did without actually being in the clubhouse.
Blown Saves Could Doom Astros' Playoff Hopes The Astros have now blown six out of eight saves, a shocking total for a team that usually excels in regards to its pitching staff and results on the mound. https://clutchpoints.com/astros-new...sslys-blown-save-vs-nationals-hard-to-swallow I knew we were stacking up blown saves, but didn't realize it was 6 out of 8!!!
Can't really blame the pitching/bullpen coaches or Yainer if Blanco, Montero, Javier, and Seth Martinez (I refuse to blame him for Manfraud rule runs) have taken huge steps up from last year while the dumpster fire trio are the main sources of calamity.
Astros' Cristian Javier to go on IL with neck discomfort ByABC News April 21, 2024, 11:49 AM Houston Astros right-hander Cristian Javier will be placed on the 15-day injured list due to neck discomfort, manager Joe Espada told reporters Sunday. https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/astros-cristian-javier-il-neck-discomfort/story?id=109475324
Many people won't want to hear this, and I wanted Dusty and Maldonado gone as much as anyone. I still think both had to go, but it's really tough to lose the brains and experience of those 2 from a planning standpoint and not have some drop in performance. They were also both VERY respected and had the ear of the players who would run through a wall for either of them. This team needs to figure out how to replace that. If they can, they can be historically good without Dusty's stupid lineup decisions ( though Espada isn't doing much better)
Astros are ****ed. Put a nail in 2024. They can sell at the deadline, spend money this offseason, and have a much better outlook next year.
