Houston – Jose Altuve does not ask for much. His statistics, the salary and the standing position as the face of a franchise suggest that it should, but Altuve prioritizes the performance of his team on all public comments. Everything to increase it the plot, even if it seems abnormal.
Team officials spent this April looking for a spark for the offensive of Houston Astros in Simple this April. Only five teams woke up on Monday with fewer points scored, only four included a percentage of lower strikes and two totaled fewer circuits than the 21 Houston gathered during its first 27 games.
Altuve is involved in these discussions, unsurprisingly for a player of his stature. Manager Joe Espada said that the All-Star of nine times “is always looking for ways to involve everyone” while offering “very good good ideas”.
Altuve’s latest revocation wrote a range reshuffle. Not since June 17, 2023, if it had started a match elsewhere than the point of the head, where the style of taking an ambush of Altuve can percure the fear of the first launch of the match.
On Monday afternoon, at the request of Altuve, another name appeared at the top of the order of the strikers. The Corner Stop Joremy Peña supplanted Altuve as a headache of the team, the most radical of a series of movements intended to lengthen this apathetic range.
“We will see where it leads us,” said Espada. “I really want to put our guys in a position to succeed, and our range can be dynamic and create opportunities, and we can get a few points at the start of the game.”
Only the Cardinals of Saint-Louis entered Monday with fewer first round points than the Astros. Only the Colorado rockies had a lower basic percentage of the first three places of their strike order during the first round that the .247 Mark Houston had extracted. Part of this is the approach to Altuve free swing – he worked six walks in his first 106 Battes – and a part is the lower start of Yordan Alvarez.
Jose Altuve was struck. 274 with a .678 OPS before the match on Monday. (Alex Slitz / Getty Images)
“My bats have not been really good or as I want in recent times,” said Altuve. “Maybe hitting him on the basis or anyone on the basis will help me get to the point I want. I hit secondly before. When Springer was here, I hit second for many years.”
No one involved in the discussions has disclosed an exact date when they arrived at this decision, although Altuve and Espada have recognized that the conversations have been underway for some time. Peña started in the 7-3 Sunday victory against the Royals of Kansas City on Sunday, but only because of Altuve who received his first day of leave of the season.
Altuve woke up on Monday in a Funk of 9 for 50, a crisis he tried to run as a impetus for this reshuffle. Altuve also recognized a need of more time to catch his breath after having run in the canoe from the left field – a position he has just started to play this season.
“I just need 10 more seconds,” said Altuve with a smile.
“I am here to do everything Joe tells me to do and everything the team needs (of) of me. They needed me in the left field certain matches. They need me in a few games. I will be there. I think that an additional 30 seconds from the left that will make me feel better in marble. ”
In reality, however, the underperformance in the middle of Houston’s order forced the hand of Espada. Slotting Peña in the head point is an attempt to extend a program paralyzed by Calamittes departures from Christian Walker and Yainer Diaz, two men who have combined for a .554 ops since the opening day.
Walker and Diaz are not likely to lose their daily roles, but continue to hit them behind Alvarez has reduced the number of successful throws that Alvarez receives.
Asking Zach Dezenzo or Cam Smith recruits to hit higher in programming is a difficult assignment for players who always adapt to the rigors of the life of major leagues. Neither did a lot either to deserve an elevation of the order of strikers.
Peña a. Its 107 ops + and .327 on the basic percentage of the third third goal player Isaac Paredes for the team’s head, but the peripheral figures of Peña have a much more convincing case for more baths. Its prosecution rate of 31.6% is five points below its career average, exceeding its withdrawal rate at 14.5%. Peña has entered the season with a punchout rate of 20%.
During the third year of its quest to raise baseball, the Peña online driving rate increased to 27.7%. Peña, who had at least one ball level at least 50% in each of the last two seasons, has only a score of 44.6% on her first 110 plates.
“I think Jeremy hit the ball well,” said Altuve. “He can run. He can be very dynamic on the basics, and I think it will help me, will help him as well as the whole team. He is playing very well at the moment, so I think it will work well.”
Peña is the fastest player of the Houston team. Only Matt Chapman has a higher percentage of additional bases taken on safe blows that Peña, who also stole five bases. Putting it on the base in front of Altuve could create a dynamic espada wants the season, but its players did not produce.
“He can run (and) this opens the hole for Altuve, who really likes to strike behind the runners. He does it intentionally when we get the routing runners,” said Espada.
“Create holes in this way or simply draw the inner field, potentially rude. There is something to create something different, a different look for Altuve, that I like in this decision.”
Altuve rarely does anything about it. He spent most of a five-minute melee with journalists on Monday to marvel at the maturity of Peña while urging the director general Dana Brown and the owner Jim Crane to design a long-term contract extension for the curl stop. Similar pleads to re-signal Alex Bregman have become unknown.
“Obviously, many changes lately, but I think they could improve the team,” said Altuve, a man who could speak of the daily starting formation or the trajectory of all this franchise.
“I think we are in an excellent position. The guys are becoming hot. Yordan is hot. Everyone shoots the same way, and that’s what we want. “
(Top photo of Jose Altuve and Jeremy Peña: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)
