![]() Now Chas McCormick and Jake Meyers patrol Springer’s old stomping grounds in center, and they aren't bad at hitting either.Īs for the pitching, it’s essentially an entirely new group for Houston beyond Pressly, especially with Lance McCullers Jr. ![]() Replacing Springer isn’t easy, but to help make up for his absence, the rest of the lineup experienced an upgrade. The Astros' best left-handed bats in 2018 were switch-hitting Marwin Gonzalez, Josh Reddick, Tony Kemp and Brian McCann in his final season. But production-wise, the Astros haven’t lost much of a step, as Michael Brantley, Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker have made the Houston lineup more balanced than it used to be. Boston ain’t so lucky this time around - those dudes are locked in.Īlso, George Springer is no longer around, which is still pretty weird considering how synonymous he became with Astros postseason baseball. ![]() They both looked like superstars the year before during the 2017 run, but they were clearly not at their best the last time these two teams squared off at this postseason juncture. Correa, meanwhile, was batting seventh in 2018 following a disappointing, injury-laden season in which he played only 110 games and posted a. That was probably Altuve’s worst postseason series offensively, besides the 2015 ALDS against Kansas City. The enormous Correa and Altuve homers in Game 1 were actually a good reminder of how different things were for those two in 2018. Overall, the 2021 bullpen looks vastly different outside of Brasier, who was one of the breakout stars of the 2018 run and has looked stellar again down the stretch this year. A Rule 5 pick is quite a different flavor than a possible future Hall of Famer in Kimbrel, but if the dude gets outs, that’s all that matters, and Whitlock has done that all year. With Matt Barnes no longer on the roster, there doesn’t appear to be a capital-C Closer on this team, though Garrett Whitlock seems to be the likeliest candidate moving forward. The Killer B’s are no longer, but this outfield group has had its moments just the same.Ĭraig Kimbrel, who recorded a save in three of Boston's four ALCS wins in 2018, wears white socks now. Andrew Benintendi now plays for Kansas City. ![]() His trade counterpart, Alex Verdugo, is now in the Boston outfield, flanking Hernandez in center with Hunter Renfroe in right field. Pressly’s nasty fastball/curveball combo is a familiar sight for playoff opponents, and he has become the primary closer for Houston after mostly being used in the seventh and eighth innings in years past. After being acquired at the deadline in 2018, Ryan Pressly is the only Astros reliever left from that season. ![]()
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