Astros Veteran Hitter Deserves to Move Up in Lineup for Team’s Success
The Houston Astros have an outfielder who needs to move up in the lineup, preferably by the end of this month.
For the second consecutive year, the Astros are struggling with pitching health issues. On Thursday, they placed starting pitcher Hayden Wesneski on the injured list due to elbow discomfort, and called up prospect Logan VanWey to take his place. Earlier, they also put Spencer Arrighetti on the IL with a fractured thumb about a month ago.
This is on top of already starting the season without key pitchers like Luis Garcia, Christian Javier, and J.P. France. While Lance McCullers returned from the IL last week, the pitching staff still faces numerous challenges. With so many pitching uncertainties, the Astros’ offense will be expected to carry more of the load.
Houston’s offensive performance has been somewhat average, which many anticipated after the departure of Kyle Tucker and the loss of Alex Bregman.
However, there’s been an unexpected bright spot: outfielder Jake Myers. He’s been impressively consistent with a .298 batting average, showcasing excellent bat-to-ball skills.
The problem is Myers is currently batting in the middle of the lineup, while several players ahead of him aren’t living up to expectations.
Christian Walker, one of the big offseason signings, was brought in to add veteran presence at first base. However, he’s been underwhelming, hitting just .213 with a .635 OPS and only four home runs. His performance from the cleanup spot has been a concern, with just ten RBIs on the season.
Catcher Yainer Diaz, also hitting ahead of Myers, has struggled too, batting .231 with a .620 OPS and only three walks in 121 plate appearances.
To optimize the lineup, Myers should ideally bat third, positioned behind Jeremy Peña and José Altuve. This would create a lineup of three high-contact hitters in the top spots, with Isaac Paredes following in the cleanup position. Paredes’ .391 slugging percentage ranks third on the team among players with at least 100 plate appearances, just behind Peña (.429) and Myers (.423).
Not only would moving Myers up in the lineup be a well-deserved recognition of his performance, but it would also be a smart strategic move for the team’s success.
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