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7-1 w/o correa. 

ensures another non-series loss. last losing series started at the end of april. 

8-0-1 series record since then. 

started the season 2-5. 40-15 since.

.727 winning pct. 

2 more @sea + 3 home vs balt. two of those games involve jv/cole. 

5-0 on current 18 game stretch leading to june 20th @nyy. 

and all this with no tuve, spring, correa, diaz.

we scary. 

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5 hours ago, henrygandorf said:

7-1 w/o correa. 

ensures another non-series loss. last losing series started at the end of april. 

8-0-1 series record since then. 

started the season 2-5. 40-15 since.

.727 winning pct. 

2 more @sea + 3 home vs balt. two of those games involve jv/cole. 

5-0 on current 18 game stretch leading to june 20th @nyy. 

and all this with no tuve, spring, correa, diaz.

we scary. 

IDGAF if Correa's hymen ever recovers.   I want the other 3 guys back.

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Introducing the Astros 2019 Draft Picks--Heavy on Bats, Especially from the College Ranks

by Jake Kaplan

With a system that features many intriguing young pitchers and in a year in which the amateur class is considered to be weak on arms, the Astros spent the early rounds of the 2019 MLB Draft bolstering their position-player inventory.

They selected six bats in the first 10 rounds, including with each of their first four picks and five of their first six. All but one of those six came from the college ranks. For the second consecutive draft, only one of their first 10 picks was a high schooler.

Let’s run through their picks through the first two days. The draft concludes Wednesday with Rounds 11 through 40.

Korey Lee, catcher, Cal — first round, 32nd overall

The Astros stunned draft prognosticators by using their first pick on a player projected by most to be drafted in the second or third round, if not later. Baseball America ranked Lee as the 173rd-best prospect in the class. MLB.com was more generous, regarding him as No. 119. ESPN didn’t rank him among its top 100. FanGraphs was the high man, at No. 45.

Evidently, the Astros believed all of those rankings to be light. Lee’s selection marked the first time they spent a first-round draft pick on a catcher since Jason Castro (10th overall) in 2008. They’ve had a difficult time developing one since. Garrett Stubbs is the best catching prospect in their system, and he projects as a backup long term. Their next-best in the pipeline? Chuckie Robinson, a former 21st-round pick who has struggled offensively in Double A this season.

Enter Lee, whose best tools are his power and his arm. He broke out offensively as a junior this season with a .338/.419/.626 line in 198 at-bats. His propensity to swing and miss is the knock on his bat. But his 15 home runs this season tied for the Cal lead with Andrew Vaughn, the third overall pick in the draft.

“Consistent hard contact is something that I preach in my hitting philosophy,” Lee said. “Obviously, playing with Andrew Vaughn and having the power in front of me, kind of picking his brain, is something helpful that I learned this year. And also just staying strong mentally and staying strong with my plan every single time that I’m going to go up to bat is the best thing that I can do.”

 

A surprise first-rounder, but Korey Lee is definitely interesting. He’s a big, strong man with a bazooka arm behind the plate and obvious raw power. Needs some refinement, but #Astros got a guy with undeniable upside.

 
 
 
 

 

Lee, listed at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, was a full-time starter behind the plate only in his junior season. As a sophomore, he saw time at first base and third base in addition to catcher.

“We really like the bat speed, the power, the potential to really stick behind the plate and become what we think could be a plus defender with a double-plus arm,” Astros domestic scouting supervisor Kris Gross said. “Overall, he has an impressive package of body, speed, ability to catch and then power at the plate.”

Grae Kessinger, shortstop, Ole Miss — second round, 68th overall

Kessinger has strong baseball bloodlines. His grandfather is Don Kessinger, the former six-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award-winning shortstop for the Cubs. His uncle Keith also played in the majors, and his father, Kevin, made it to pro ball. All of them played baseball at Ole Miss. Don also coached Ole Miss from 1991 to 1996.

The latest Kessinger to embark on pro ball isn’t known for one tool but rather his all-around ability. He’s been Mississippi’s starting shortstop all three years and as a junior has batted .332/.427/.458 in 262 at-bats. In SEC play, he hit an impressive .405/.472/.556.

 

Another college shortstop with a well-rounded toolset in Grae Kessinger. above-average arm strength. Smooth defender. Solid tools across the board, nothing huge.

 
 
 
 

 

After he signs, Kessinger and Lee could be bound for short-season Single-A Tri-City. First, Kessinger has to finish out his college career. His Rebels play in an NCAA super regional this weekend against Arkansas.

Jordan Brewer, outfielder, Michigan — third round, 106th overall

Brewer was the Big Ten’s player of the year this year in his only season at Michigan, where he batted .349/.409/.612 in 209 at-bats. He spent his first two collegiate seasons in the community college ranks, at Lincoln Trail College in rural Illinois. A wide receiver in high school who was on track to play football collegiately before suffering a shoulder injury, Brewer is athletic and hits for power.

AP_19110071858617-1024x683.jpg
 
(Andrew Woolley / AP)

Though Brewer played mostly right field and first base at Michigan, he has a good chance to stick in center as a pro. His college season is still alive as well, as Michigan is set to play UCLA in a super regional this weekend.

 

LOVE LOVE LOVE the Astros pick of Jordan Brewer. Extremely productive junior year. May be able to play CF in pro ball. Have mentioned he outproduced Ronnie Dawson in same conference as a junior (another Astros pick from a few years ago)

 
 
 
 

 

Colin Barber, outfielder, Pleasant Valley High School (Calif.) — fourth round, 136th overall

The lone high school player of the Astros’ draft class so far, Barber is a left-handed hitter committed to Oregon who profiles as a corner outfielder. He came back from a broken leg that cost him most of his sophomore season and put himself back on the draft radar with two strong seasons.

 

Saw a lot of swing/miss from Colin Barber, but when he does connect, the ball absolutely rockets off his barrel. Like, get out of the way. #mlbdraft #Astros

 
 
 
 

 

Hunter Brown, pitcher, Wayne State (Mich.) — fifth round, 166th overall

The first pitcher in this Astros draft class comes from Division II. In 85 1/3 innings this season, Brown had a 2.21 ERA with 114 strikeouts and 39 walks. A 6-foot-2 right-hander, he relies on a four-seam fastball that sits in the low- to mid-90s and reaches the upper-90s as well as a slider. His changeup needs refinement.

Matthew Barefoot, outfielder, Campbell University (N.C.) — sixth round, 196th overall

Barefoot, who might have the best name in the Astros’ system as soon as he puts pen to paper, burst onto the scene in the Cape Cod League last summer, where he hit his way to league MVP honors. At Campbell this season, he batted .311/.407/.570 in 235 at-bats. The Astros announced him as a center fielder, but he might end up in a corner spot down the road.

Barefoot bats righty but throws lefty, and he actually pitched in college, as well. Recruited by many schools as a pitcher, he ended up at Campbell because it was the only Division I school that afforded him the chance to hit. He made only two appearances as a pitcher this season.

Blair Henley, pitcher, Texas — seventh round, 226th overall

Henley is a player-development project for the Astros, as the quality of his stuff — he has a high spin rate on his curveball — didn’t align with his level of performance in college. A starter for Texas, the 6-foot-3 right-hander had only a 3.54 ERA as a junior this season. In 73 2/3 innings, he struck out 62 and walked 34.

This is Henley’s second time being drafted. The Yankees took him in the 22nd round of the 2016 draft when he was a senior at Arlington Heights High, where he once threw three consecutive no-hitters.

USATSI_10901076.jpg
 
(Bruce Thorson / USA Today)

Luis Guerrero, outfielder, Miami Dade College — eighth round, 256th overall

Guerrero is a speedy, right-handed-hitting center fielder who impressed the Astros in pre-draft workouts with his explosiveness and pop after missing most of his season because of a wrist injury. He grew up in New York and came to Miami Dade as a second baseman before moving to the outfield. He’s listed at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds.

Peyton Battenfield, pitcher, Oklahoma State — ninth round, 286th overall

A reliever for Oklahoma State, Battenfield has a 2.91 ERA with 71 strikeouts and 21 walks in 58 2/3 innings this season. The 6-foot-4 right-hander has been in the bullpen all three seasons for the Cowboys, who will play Texas Tech in their super regional this weekend.

CJ Stubbs, catcher, USC — 10th round, 316th overall

The Astros rounded out their Day 2 selections with a familiar name. CJ Stubbs is the younger brother of Astros backup catcher Garrett Stubbs, who also played at USC. Garrett retained family bragging rights, though, as he was an eighth-round selection in his draft year.

Though MLB’s draft tracker described Stubbs as a pitcher, the Astros drafted CJ as a catcher. He caught for USC this season after missing last year because he underwent Tommy John surgery, but he pitched his freshman and sophomore seasons before the injury.

CJ Stubbs batted .285/.378/.466 in 193 at-bats this season.

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14 minutes ago, Mitch Hedberg said:

Lol. I get it. But White is the cigarette burn on the seat of a highly tuned Ferrari. Still runs great but damn that burn is ugly. 

oh, i understand.  i bag on white more than just about anybody.  i think as long as we keep winning, they know they can take their time.

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32 minutes ago, Mitch Hedberg said:

Every morning I check Twitter hoping to see White has been DFAd and Alvarez promoted. When will this nightmare end. Hell I'd let Straw DH before White. 

No team runs hot top to bottom and every position. Some one is needed to absorb the girth of all that negative weight so the team can keep firing. He is our cooler and takes one for the team so everyone else can get hot. 

When he leaves, who is the next whipping boy?  Probably Yuli

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fuck, pissed i couldnt make it through last night, saw the replay this morning before work, great fucking win. so fun to see the young guys come through and play some good ball. keep it rolling tonight. loved myles straw when he came up last year and hope he sticks around all season. speed don't slump.

#HTownPride

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3 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

No team runs hot top to bottom and every position. Some one is needed to absorb the girth of all that negative weight so the team can keep firing. He is our cooler and takes one for the team so everyone else can get hot. 

When he leaves, who is the next whipping boy?  Probably Yuli

3Putt?

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2 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

Yuli has one more year left on his contract, he isn’t going anywhere 

Ugh, yeah. He's never been particularly good, but he's been truly awful this year. .259/.294/.397, -0.2 WAR. Per FG, he has produced negative offensive value, negative base-running value, and negative defensive value. 

There may be some bad luck involved (.276 BABIP), so hopefully there is some upward regression coming, but man he has sucked. 

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1 minute ago, Hank Chinaski said:

Ugh, yeah. He's never been particularly good, but he's been truly awful this year. .259/.294/.397, -0.2 WAR. Per FG, he has produced negative offensive value, negative base-running value, and negative defensive value. 

There may be some bad luck involved (.276 BABIP), so hopefully there is some upward regression coming, but man he has sucked. 

He's also "35" and could just be done.

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on mlb central this morning, jp morosi just mentioned the idea that rendon could be a rental for the astros (going back home), and could replace a struggling yuli.  nats are ~hot and are only 6.5 back, but if they fall, look for them to start making moves.

gonna be an interesting july.  would really like to see a month of yordan to see what we have defensively (if he can play 1b/lf).

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Luhnow on 790 just a little while ago:

- Straw is exciting! Showing fans why we were so happy about having him up. Teams have called about his availability in trade talks but we have kept him out for now. Think teams believe we don't value him as much as we do.
- What makes guys untouchable? Nobody is. But obviously the high profile guys will require an extraordinary return. Mentioned some recent examples like Kyle Tucker rumors.
- Straw was in AA 2 years ago and we talked about calling him up for his speed in the playoffs for the ALCS and WS. Mentioned Fisher filling that role instead, scoring on Bregmans hit FTW.
- Very happy with how the draft played out, mentioned a few players and their tools
- Asked about disappointment with Correa situation: Reality is that players are always trying to be their best, even when it comes to getting treatment off the field. It is unfortunate, but nice to have a 10 game lead so you dont have to rush guys back. More important to have everyone healthy for stretch run. 
- Really appreciating that Derek Fisher is getting an opportunity. Something different this time around. He feels like he belongs in the majors, which is why we see him playing so well. When Springer and the rest come back we are going to have to push some guys down, but later in the year with expanded rosters it will be great that these guys are getting big league exerience.
- On Corbin Martin: he will be back. The stuff is elite. How to sequence pitches and not fall behind is something to learn in AAA. Has all the weapons. Just focus on getting ahead instead of trying to nibble. Learning curve. Next time he comes up he will be even better. Mentioned DK's path in relation to Corbin, going through ebbs and flows.
- Every night he gets a notification about Alavarez mashing, but people need to realize even Tucker is playing well down there. Want to bring Alvarez up but have him STAY up, and not flip back and forth. 
- Gonna continue to evaluate what we have in trades/acquisitions but will likely be active in the market as the season goes on. Mentions potential to obviously add rotation piece.

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1 minute ago, tx 3 putt said:

Rendon rental tells me that Altuve or Correa will be our very long term 

Yup - it wouldn't make a lot of sense otherwise, except that you could still upgrade the DH spot by rotating guys. 

Of course, it makes sense when you consider that Correa's next trip to the IL is always right around the corner. Though in fairness, Rendon isn't exactly Ripken himself. 

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We really do have an embarrassment of riches in talent. And God, it's nice to say that.

How disgustingly gross is it to have Straw, Marisnick and Fisher on the bases at the same time like we did last night? When Marisnick is your slowest guy on the basepaths...

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3 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

We really do have an embarrassment of riches in talent. And God, it's nice to say that.

How disgustingly gross is it to have Straw, Marisnick and Fisher on the bases at the same time like we did last night? When Marisnick is your slowest guy on the basepaths...

it's like we suited up three of the Jamaican 4 x 100m track  relay team

Edited by MAROON
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Rendon would make this line up elite :

Springer cf (I assume he’s not as serious as Altuve and Correa)

Bregman SS 

Rendon 3rd

Brantley DH or LF

Yuli 1st

Reddick RF

Charinos / Stubbs C 

Marisnick / straw DH or LF

Diaz / kemp 2nd

 

Edited by tx 3 putt
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The Astros don't need to do anything right now to bolster the offense, at least until the injury situation shakes out. The division is mediocre and we'd win it by double digits with the lineup as is. Add in the injured players and we should finish with the best record in baseball. Some of you just want to do something simply for the sake of doing something. I do see the need for another starter, as there is no obvious help on the horizon. Use some of our chips to get someone  signed for at least another year to  somewhat minimize of losing Cole and/or Miley next year.

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Our DH sucks. We rotate our position players to DH which is something we won't do on the playoffs. I'm thinking about beating the Yankees and Dodgers. The division is a forgone conclusion. We do need help if we are going to beat NY or LA, especially with the health questions. If we can get a .330 hitter like Rendon cheap for a stretch and playoff run I'm all in. It's not a move to make a move, it's a damn good insurance move.

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re: rendon, i think morosi was just trying to stir something up because rendon hasn't reupped with wash and he's from houston.  i wouldn't read more into it.  i don't think he cited sources inside the org or reports coming from our beat guys.  i wouldn't take it as a signal that one of our injuries is super-serious.

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1 hour ago, ChickenSandwich said:

No team runs hot top to bottom and every position. Some one is needed to absorb the girth of all that negative weight so the team can keep firing. He is our cooler and takes one for the team so everyone else can get hot. 

When he leaves, who is the next whipping boy?  Probably Yuli

Stassi if he returns 

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