Roster battles are few and far between for the defending champion Astros this spring, but manager Dusty Baker told reporters (including the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome) that there’ll be a bit of competition in center field between Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick over the next six weeks.
“There’s competition … We hope [Jake] Meyers bounces back from the injury. We’ll see how Chas [McCormick] looks. There’s room for everybody to play. As you know, I’ll play everybody,” Baker said.
McCormick would surely have the inside running to get the bulk of the center field reps this year. The 27-year-old slashed .245/.332/.407 with 14 home runs in his second big league season, while putting up 5 Outs Above Average in about 450 center field innings.
Meyers, on the other hand, hit just .227/.269/.313 with a single home run over 160 plate appearances last season. To be fair to Meyers, he did only return from a torn labrum in June and hit a much better .260/.323/.438 during his rookie season in 2021. Like McCormick, Meyers has put up strong numbers in center field, earning 7 Outs Above Average in around 400 innings at the position last year.
With Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez lined up to handle the work in the corner spots, center field is the only outfield spot with any sort of question mark around it. McCormick would have to be the favorite, but if a full, healthy off-season allows Meyers to regain some of his offensive numbers this spring it could give the Astros some positive selection headaches heading into the new season.
One other player that figures to feature in the outfield mix is veteran Michael Brantley. The Astros inked the 35-year-old to a one-year, $12MM deal this winter, bringing him back for his fifth season in Houston. Brantley’s always hit when he’s been on the field, as evidenced by his .306/.368/.464 line in four seasons with the Astros, but staying on the field has been a problem for the veteran. He went down in June and required season-ending shoulder surgery, limiting his contribution to just 64 games last year. Astros GM Dana Brown provided an update on Brantley’s recovery, and there seems no guarantee that he’s ready to go for opening day.
“It’s still day-to-day. He’s hitting, fielding ground balls, moving well, not feeling much pain. He’s on course. I think it’s going to go down to the wire, but I think it’s going to be close,” Brown said (Twitter).
While that doesn’t rule him out of being available for the Astros first series of the season, it is a slight step back from January when the expectation was Brantley would be ready for opening day. Brantley spent about half of his 64 games in the outfield last year, and when fit he figures to give Houston a left field/DH option in addition to Alvarez and Tucker.
Did the Astros release one of those videos that recaps their championship season as teams often do?
“The 2022 Houston Astros: We Didn’t Cheat This Time (as far as anyone knows).”
So, is their bench currently projected to be: Korey Lee, Mauricio Dubon, Jake Meyers and David Hensley?
Yes, unless Diaz performs well enough in the spring to displace Lee.
Most likely that will happen. Yainer Diaz has a bright future
I am keeping an eye on Meyers for fantasy baseball. His minor league numbers are interesting; Nice contact rate and obp. A nice bundle of steals. And you’re putting him in that stacked lineup.
He looked good after his last call-up. Working back up to full strength hindered him last year.
Another guy of that ilk (not on the Astros) that I’d keep an eye on is Josh Rojas in AZ.
Should have more baserunners ahead of him, strong batting and swing decisions, bunts for base hits if need be, and hit better with runners on (and even better with RISP).
Funnily, he was an old Astros prospect.
Yeah man I have been on the Rojas breakout train for years now it seems like, haha. He is a nice player with all the peripheral skills, and should absolutely benefit from those kids they are bringing up around him.
The guy who I am making sure that I get, and he’s not a “breakout” or sleeper guy or anything…..but I am utterly convinced that Corey Seager is going to wreck that ballpark with no shift….
I don’t generally play fantasy in a league (I do daily lineups), but I keep tabs on MiLB sleepers so I can get budget buys. I mainly focus on the DBacks system.
That being said, I’d keep an eye out for Blaze Alexander later in the season; SS fit (80 grade arm), good batting eye, and aggressive swings on strikes (that looks like he’s trying to time FBs to Oppo with 55 raw power).
He won’t be Seager, but I’m convinced he’ll be a stud when he settles in.
@SODOMOJO
If you enjoy analysis articles, I actually wrote an analysis of Rojas’s batting approach (primarily focused on peripheral stats) titled “Is Josh Rojas A Good Hitter?” for a AZSnakePit.
I tried to explain everything as in depth as possible (it is kind of long) so the analysis can be replicated for other players by other people; you might enjoy it 🙂
Good stuff man! Nice bantering with ya. I’m checking out your article right now. Keep writing
-a former journalism student/sports editor at my community college paper!
Appreciate it, man! Nice bantering with you too. I never see the harm in sharing guys I’m looking out for, since I’m not playing against anyone here and there’s more than enough betting success to go around.
If you enjoy that one, I have another HEAVILY conceptual (and thus subjective) piece about talent evaluation titled “Philosophy of the Philosophy” among the FanPosts on that same site published within the last couple weeks.
Kind of out there, but I found it thought provoking; then again, I wrote it lol
Chas stated in another offseason interview that he was told starting CF was his job to lose based on his perfomance with the starting job in ’22 late & postseason. Don’t really love this line from Baker. I guess he was just trying to give the media something/anything.
Chas is the better option. Meyers can’t stay healthy and seems Myles Straw without the speed
I think both things are true. McCormick is the starter, but there’s room for Meyers to win playing time.
shocked they signed Brantley to a guaranteed 12 million… who were they bidding against…
“66TheNumberOfTheBest” Must be another disgruntled Yankees fan. Still upset that the Astros have OWNED the Yankees for several years. My advice is to accept the karma, feel the Astros warm glow and know that the Yankees can always get to the World Series, they just have to buy tickets like the Dodgers. #WhoseYerDaddy #AstrosNationGoingForTwo