DAT: The Bang is Back. Summer Training Thread.

Welcome back baws. After a quiet and uneventful off season, we're less than 24 hours away from the reigning AL Champions playing their first game of the Spring. There's a lot of intriguing topics to discuss but first, I'd like to thank this years title sponsor, Waste Management.



As for our spring broadcast schedule, set your DVRs accordingly. This is for live broadcasts only, a handful of games will be aired on a tape delay on MLB Network, including tomorrow's opener.



The Astros news most people are talking about as we head into camp is the battle for the back end of the rotation. JV, Grienke and McCullers are the cemented top 3 with Urquidy tentatively penciled in the 4 slot. The battle for the #5 SP is between Josh James, Austin Pruitt and in a distant 3rd, Framber Valdez.

~Think of Austin Pruitt is a Colin McHugh replacement. Pruitt was Luhnow's parting gift before Crane sent him to live on a farm up north. Like McHugh, Pruitt's fastball sit in the low 90s but features a high spin curveball that sat in the top 10 of highest spin rates in 2019.

~Josh James is once again the breakout hopeful. With a high octane fastball that's touched 102 and a nasty slider/changeup combo, he averaged over 14 strikeouts per 9 innings out of the pen. But poor fastball command plagued him to a walk rate of more than 5 per 9 innings. Strom has made mention of cleaning up his delivery this off season with hopes of making it more repeatable

~Framber is left handed


The lineup doesn't feature much turnover. Chirinos at catcher is the only departure which means Martin Moldynachos is the #1. Dustin Garneau will be the backup and rookie Drew Stubbs may be carried as a 3rd catcher. Of note, Stubbs has played some left field and has been working at 2nd base in an effort to increase his versatility if he's going to be carried on the roster.
~Kyle Tucker is likely to make the roster and Dusty has said he and Reddick will battle for the starters job with Reddick having the advantage headed into spring.