The first weekend of baseball is fun, but is not a great indicator of how the season will turn out. The Astros have started the season slowly the past three years, and yet they won the division in all of them. I have no idea how this April will go for the Astros, but it won’t sway my overall thoughts on the season too much. Wait til June before you start making assessments about the 2025 Astros. With that out of the way here are a few thoughts I have on the state of the Houston baseball club.
- The Astros have mismanaged Chas McCormick’s career.
Chas was hurt for most of last season, and perhaps he is already past his prime; however, I think the Astros are giving up on him too early. From 2021 to 2023, Chas McCormick produced three consecutive 2+ win seasons, each with fewer than 120 games started. Yes, he had a platoon split, but he was still an average hitter against righties.
Jake Meyers was given several chances to be the everyday starting CF, and Chas should get a chance to start everyday in right. Cam Smith could play second, and Rodgers could move to the bench.
2. Spencer Arrighetti looked great last night.
I fully expect Spencer to have a sophomore slump, but he looked terrific last night. One of his weaknesses last year was his fastball, but he had a called strike+whiff% (CSW%) of 29 on the pitch last night. I don’t think Arrighetti will be a top-of-the-rotation starter, but if he can pitch to around a 3.8 FIP and log 170 innings, the Astros will have a solid starting rotation.
3. The offense had a terrible opening series, but wait a few weeks to panic.
Walker is especially concerning as he currently looks like another Houston first base dud, but we have to wait a few months before we can start judging him. I am sure he will figure it out.
It is going to be a long season of baseball. The Astros will likely win between 86 and 91 games, but there will be some ups and downs along the way. Enjoy it!