Michael Connor: The Astros Insider

Michael Connor: The Astros Insider

Michael Connor grew up listening to Houston's SportsTalk 790 and always dreamed of being on the mic one day talking about the teams. A fifth...Full Bio

 

There Is No Reason To Freak Out About The Astros 2-3 Start

Annoying:  causing vexation or irritation causing annoyance

That is how one might describe the Astros first five games of the season. A five game stretch that has seen starters not go very deep, the bullpen give up a few runs and outside of Yordan an offense with very little thump.

While it might be annoying, it is completely fine. You can go through any season from years past and find a five game stretch that looks the exact same. When a sluggish start comes in the first week of the season, things get magnified. When you lose to a team that had only scored three runs this past weekend, watching them put seven on your club in the first game of the series, some go crazy with their overreactions. In a marathon of 162 games, you have to pace yourself when it comes to how you feel about the season. There will be many ups, with some downs and a few meh's along the way. At the moment this club is in a meh moment.

While it is fair to have concerns about a lineup without Altuve and Brantley in it, when they roll out this version of their 'A' lineup that they have available, they are still better than most clubs. This is a period of time when their big boys really have to step up. Yordan has done just that. So has Abreu. Bregman has finally showed some life last night, while Tucker needs to do a little more. For the Astros to get through this stretch without those two, it will simply come down to their big boys doing their heavy lifting more days than not.

The pitching will be fine and if after one turn through the rotation you think they're screwed, I have some ocean front property in Arizona to sell you. Starters rarely go deep their first time through and even in the second time through it is no guarantee they will suddenly go deeper. All of this is a reminder that nothing is perfect from the jump of any season and even the defending champions are not immune.

In 2021 and 2022, the Astros were 11-11 after 22 games of the 162 game marathon. The answer is no if you are being honest with yourself. So why would you worry about the club after just five games in 2023. Let it breathe and watch how it plays out. If you get a few weeks into this and it still looks kind meh, we can have a real discussion. But I will say it louder for all of you in the back, this team will be just fine. Just remember this as you sit here and read this, you could be a Mariners fan this morning.

Detroit Tigers v Houston Astros

Photo: Getty Images


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