In many ways, the 2018 Astros were better than the 2017 Astros. Much better, even. Houston won two more regular-season games last season than it did in ’17. By run differential, though, it was significantly more dominant. By scoring a gigantic (and MLB -best) 263 more runs than they allowed, the 2018 Astros produced like a team that, with average luck in close games and the way they clustered big innings together, would be expected to win an amazing 109 games. The 2017 Astros were still excellent, scoring 196 more runs than they allowed…though that run differential netted out to an expected record of 99-63, 10 wins short of 2018 expectations. Now throw out the numbers and look at personnel, especially on the pitching side. In 2017, the Astros’ most-used starting pitcher was Mike Fiers . That’s the same Mike Fiers who flashed an ugly 5.22 ERA that year, serving up 32 home runs in 153 1/3 innings — that latter number a telltale sign of a pitching staff racked by injuries. In 2018...
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