This guy has bucked the trend for sure...looks like a different hitter up there...should be in our starting lineup MUCH longer than originally thought.
Pretty crazy. I completely wrote the guy off after last year and now he looks like a guy who will get a multi-year contract in FA.
If he continues to bail the team out like he did tonight, he's going to make it almost impossible for the team to let him go. Like 2015 Rasmus.
Valbuena was stupidly unlucky last year posting a .235 BABIP. His peripherals aren't all that much different this year, yet his BABIP is around .320. It's just one of those things from year to year. Regardless of how he's getting these numbers, he's having an awesome season.
I'd have dumped him about 6 weeks into the season. Now I'm in favor of keeping him and putting Bregman in left. Like Jon Snow, I know nothing. I have always maintained that he's the best defensive 3b that I've ever watched play regularly, for whatever that's worth?
You never saw Doug Rader or Ken Caminiti and plenty of others. Not saying Valbuena isn't good, but the Astros have had some pretty good defensive third basemen.
At this point I'm saying bring Valbuena back to play first base, stick Reed at DH if he earns it with the bat, and Bregman at 3B.
Never saw Rader. Saw Caminitis entire career. He was great and had a cannon, I just don't remember him vaccuumimg up everything hit near him the same way Valbuena does.
Had never paid close attention to him before he came to Houston, but I was really surprised how good Vinny Castilla was.
And, had Bagwell learned to throw left handed and move back to third base, I am sure he would have been lights out.
No Sean Berry or Morgan Ensberg? I kid I kid. I'm too young to remember Rader but I always imagined I was Cammy playing third in little league.
The Red Rooster (Doug Radar) was the best defensive 3B the 'Stros ever had. If I'm not mistaken he won the gold glove 5 yrs in a row.
George clooney was 31 before when he landed the role of his life in ER Jesus was 30 when he made the transition from carpenter to the greatest motivational speaker of ALLL TIME. alyson hannigan wasn't hot until she turned 30!
He's hitting to different parts of the field much better and not hitting as much into shifts. Last year he would consistently pull the ball into left field, so teams would have the second baseman standing in shallow right field, taking hits away from him. Now he's at least hitting it a bit more to center and keeping defenses honest
Indeed. The walk-off was awesome... upper deck on them!!. Vally has posted 1.000+ OPS in his last ~40 games. Plus defender too.