Houston Astros 2008 Midseason Update

The bats of the Astros need pitching help to bounce back into the hunt for the NL Central crown.

Houston Astros: The Season So Far
The Houston Astros had long been known as a pitching team with poor batting. After a few years of rebuilding, the Houston Astros have gone in exactly the opposite direction. Armed with an elite corps of hitters, the Houston Astros have the firepower to take down any team in baseball. However, injuries in the bullpen have slowed the ‘Stros to a one-dimensional team. Teams with bad hitting and good pitching can still make the post season. Teams with great hitters and no pitching go to the bottom of the pile. The Houston Astros are very much in the second category.

Houston Astros: Midseason Moves
The Houston Astros purged their bullpen on a pair of off-season busts in Shawn Chacon and Oscar Villarreal. The move will make room for the addition of young pitching talent from the minors, including reliever Chad Paronto and SP Jack Cassel. The young slingers will have a chance to develop early and could pay dividends as the season progresses. C J.R. Towles has not lived up to his potential so far but returns to the starting lineup after a short stint in the minors. The Houston Astros stood pat and did not enter the trade market before the All-Star Break.

Houston Astros: Offense
The Houston Astros offense is built around All-Star 1B Lance Berkman. The last remaining member of the “Killer B’s”, Lance Berkman is the leader of the Astros and is the franchise incarnate. With one of the best bats in the MLB, Lance Berkman has already knocked out 22 homeruns before the All-Star break and will only continue to kill pitchers all season long. To setup Lance Berkman, speedy 2B Kazuo Matsui rules the leadoff position. Able to get key opening hits or a threat to steal bases, Kazuo Matsui is a big-time bullet in the Houston Astros gun.

Left fielder Carlos Lee has a huge bat and plays well with Lance Berkman. Not a strategic hitter, Carlos Lee lives up to his “Horse” nickname with driving power that can knock homers all-around the yard. With 21 homers before the break, Carlos Lee is a force. Free agent pickup SS Miguel Tejada is another slugger who can take over games. RF Hunter Pence also loves the long ball and has 12 homers to go with his 46 RBIs. The Houston Astros wield an effective and well-rounded offense, but their defense has come up short as of late.

Houston Astros: Defense
The departure of locker room cancer P Shawn Chacon will be a gain, not a loss. Ace P Brandon Backe has had a tough year, more so due to the Houston Astros shortcomings than his own errors. Brandon Backe is still one of the best in the MLB, even though his 4.76 ERA is a career high in his tenure with the Houston Astros. The Houston Astros second ace, P Roy Oswalt fairs only slightly better on the ERA scale than Brandon Backe. Roy Oswalt does lead the Houston Astros with strikeouts and the pair can still bring batters to their knees.

The rest of the Houston Astros bullpen is in a state of flux. Closer Jose Valverde emerged as a clutch closer and has stringed an impressive streak of scoreless ninth innings together. Beyond the steady combo of Brandon Backe, Roy Oswalt, and Jose Valverde, things get a little murky. Starting pitchers Wandy Rodriguez and Brian Moehler rotate in and out of the lineup, depending on injuries. Jack Cassel is young and is still trying to find his Big League arm and his identity as either a RP or SP. The pieces of the Houston Astros bullpen is there, but the group must come together to get wins for the impressive offense.

Houston Astros: Standings
Because of the failings of the pitching staff and a shallow amount of depth on the offensive side of the ball outside the superstars, the Houston Astros are at the bottom of the NL Central. The NL Central is an elite division, but the Houston Astros can rally up a few spots in the standings. The rebuilding Cincinnati Reds and the floundering Pittsburgh Pirates barely ranked above the Houston Astros and lack the pure talent of the ‘Stros. The Milwaukee Brewers and rival St. Louis Cardinals are in the middle of the pack. The top of the NL Central is the raging Chicago Cubs, who are almost 20 games above .500. Houston Astros manager Cecil Cooper will be pushed to the limit to get his team to rally.

Houston Astros: Outlook
The Houston Astros have the pure talent to challenge any team in the entire MLB. The All-Star break will give the Houston Astros time to gameplan and get healthy. With Lance Berkman putting in an MVP-caliber year, the Houston Astros have a healthy offense. The maturation of players like J.R. Towles and Michael Bourn will be key to future success if the offense is to truly become dominant. The Houston Astros will face a light schedule in the second half of the 2008 MLB season and should vastly improve their record.