March 3, 2025 • 6 mins
With spring games coursing on over the weekend, the Astros took on the Cardinals Friday followed with the Yankees and the Nationals throughout the weekend. Winning against the Cardinals on Friday but falling short Saturday and yesterday, the Astros finish the weekend 1-2 rolling into another fresh week of spring games. Noting some changes around the field with Altuve in left-field now followed by Paredes plugged in at third and rotating prospects around the infield, the Astros look to be stringing things along in determining spots before the start of the season. With the infield looking pretty solid lots of attention has now turned to the outfield, not in regards to their production on defense but rather their production on offense. Attaining his first hits this spring training followed with two RBI's yesterday, Jake Meyers had himself a day with many raising question if this can be sustained in the long run. With Altuve the leadoff hitter moving from the infield and Yordan now mostly the Astros DH, should there be a concern with the offensive production in the outfield roughly pertaining to the backend of the lineup?
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
A game that is predicated on failure. That is the
game of baseball. And the Astros back on the field today,
they're going to be out in Jupiter, taken on the Marlins.
It's going to be from ber Valdez on the mound
after Renel Blanco goes a couple of innings yesterday, giving
up two unearned runs in a four to three loss
to the Nationals. But you know, I mean, we both
(00:22):
know this to Sean that the results themselves on the
scoreboard don't necessarily matter. You're looking at the individual performances
on the field. And one of the individual performances yesterday
was a couple of runs batted in by Jake Myers
and a guy who hadn't recorded a single solitary hit
up until yesterday's game. And speaking of going two for three,
(00:45):
well that's exactly what he did to put his spring
training batting average up to a robust one point eight two.
Now with a four thirty two OPS.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Once again, the weakness is not going to be I'd
worry more about outfield production at the plate right now
than i would Al two vays defense and left field.
I'm not al two Vays defense is going to be
just fine. He'll He'll survive it. When I hear people
talk about, well, what about balls up against the fence
that he's got to rob for home runs? What three
times a year you run into that, it ain't gonna
happen in Crawford boxes anyway, or in Fenway Park. So
(01:17):
I mean, let's let's be real that you may have
a chance to take three of them down during the
season that just barely go over and you get up.
But this guy's a you know, we should be applauding
his you know, ability to move around and do it.
He'll be fine. I'm not worried about it. I'm not
worried about his height. The measurables to me and sports
are overrated anyway. There's certain a few things you can't measure,
and you know, unfortunately that for some but high baseball
(01:40):
IQ and you know, big heart. I'll take that over
a guy who looks the part every day but doesn't
give you the same action. So I'm not worried about that.
I'm worried about what you're talking about. Jake get his
first hit, that's great, but sustaining what one hundred and
forty five to one hundred and fifty games in center
field and the right field position production and obviously with
al two VAP playing left field, your bat's gonna be fine.
(02:02):
It's the center and right field position I'm concerned about.
On offense. You know they couldn't. They had trouble as
a team driving in runners in scoring position last week,
which is something in the past when they've been getting
where they want to go, has not been a big
problem for the Astros. Obviously, we know pitching and defense
does matter, but people get paid to rake and unfortunately
right now that outfield, while the arms may not be strong,
(02:23):
defense will be fine. It'll it'll be it'll survive, and
Jake's a really good center fielder with a pop gun arm.
It's gonna come down to how they produce the plate.
Who is it gonna be. Are we gonna rotate all
year long with lineups or you're gonna find guys that
can produce offensively seven eight nine got to take care
of their business. And it is Chas McCormick, Chas McCormick
two years ago or last year trying to pull everything.
(02:44):
And is Jake Myers ever gonna be a guy that
can you know, uh, north to two fifty, and so
the production part is a concern. You can't have the
sans Altuve, those other two positions can't go the season
constantly patuning hoping that we find somebody that can hit.
They are, they're not gonna win the games they want
to win. If the infield's the only thing we're doing
(03:06):
producing wise at the plate, you're gonna have to get
some production later in the lineup. Sans al tuo Vea
has said, because he'll be at the top of it.
But the Jake we know he can defend, can he
can he be counted on for one hundred and fifty
games to be a productive player at the plate. They're
going to need it because because there's a lot of
good teams. There are three that got good pitching staffs
(03:27):
in this division alone, Dan, and the American League's pretty
brutal to get through. I mean, you know, it's gonna
be one of those competitive years, and I don't think
it's not gonna be up to major league standards at
the plate, in center and right field unless that gets changed.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Well, I mean it goes beyond to the outfield. I mean,
because you talked about the production of the infield, and yeah,
you can pretty much count on Peritis, you can count
on Christian Walker. Both of those guys off to a
good start here during the spring, and I mean at
second base if that's Brendan Rodgers or if it's Marie Dubon.
But those aren't necessarily the guys I'm talking about. It's
(04:03):
the guy that was the ALCS and World Series MVP
for you a couple of years ago and seemingly has
just been a guy with the bat at the plate
the last couple of years. I mean twenty twenty three,
it was hey, where's the power with Jeremy Pania? And
then last year it was hey, where's the consistency with
Jeremy Pania? So those are all things that you have
(04:25):
to concern yourself with when it comes to this Astros line.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
And Dan he struggled late in the season defensively, which
was shocking to me. You know, he had some struggles defensively,
So the consistency goes now, whether that's the bad effect
and the glove or what have you, or just it was,
you know, an aberration of a run. And talking to
him when we were at the ask the you know,
the Baseball Fest, the Astros Fest, there at Dyke and Park.
(04:50):
There was a different look and as I felt like
even though he's what year three for he's a it
felt like he had a little more veteran in him
and it's going to be incoming upon him to do it.
Because my question is this, if he struggles at the plate.
Now he' said last year he started hot and then struggle.
But if he struggles at the plate and the numbers
are similar to what we've seen regular season wise, because
(05:13):
he was a monster his rookie year in the postseason,
if that happens, will there be people and we can
discuss this next Dan. Will there be people and I
love Painia, but will they start to question if he's
the long term answer if he doesn't produce at the plate.
Take away from how we felt about him and all
the stuff in the past and the MVP and ALCS
and this in the World Series, is is his well? His?
(05:36):
Is this year like a Saturday moving day in AUGUSTA? Does
he got to play better to ensure that he's the
future or is that already just etched and stone O
locked and we're just going to deal with it either way?
Will he be good enough his the defense? He'll fix that.
Will he be consistent enough at the plate to warran it.
He's gonna have to have his best year regular season
this year considering what's going on the outfield. As you mentioned,
(05:56):
I'm anxious to see where Jeremy Payne goes and what
the patience level is for the fan base here on
Jeremy Page's bat Bingo.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
That's a segue. We'll continue that next right here on
the Shawn Salisbury Show. He's Shawn Salisbury, Dan Matthews in
for Brian Alima, Triple Emmanuel Elmore as we will close
out the six o'clock hour right here on the Shawn
Salisbury Show Sports Talk seven ninety
A game that is predicated on failure. That is the
game of baseball. And the Astros back on the field today,
they're going to be out in Jupiter, taken on the Marlins.
It's going to be from ber Valdez on the mound
after Renel Blanco goes a couple of innings yesterday, giving
up two unearned runs in a four to three loss
to the Nationals. But you know, I mean, we both
(00:22):
know this to Sean that the results themselves on the
scoreboard don't necessarily matter. You're looking at the individual performances
on the field. And one of the individual performances yesterday
was a couple of runs batted in by Jake Myers
and a guy who hadn't recorded a single solitary hit
up until yesterday's game. And speaking of going two for three,
(00:45):
well that's exactly what he did to put his spring
training batting average up to a robust one point eight two.
Now with a four thirty two OPS.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Once again, the weakness is not going to be I'd
worry more about outfield production at the plate right now
than i would Al two vays defense and left field.
I'm not al two Vays defense is going to be
just fine. He'll He'll survive it. When I hear people
talk about, well, what about balls up against the fence
that he's got to rob for home runs? What three
times a year you run into that, it ain't gonna
happen in Crawford boxes anyway, or in Fenway Park. So
(01:17):
I mean, let's let's be real that you may have
a chance to take three of them down during the
season that just barely go over and you get up.
But this guy's a you know, we should be applauding
his you know, ability to move around and do it.
He'll be fine. I'm not worried about it. I'm not
worried about his height. The measurables to me and sports
are overrated anyway. There's certain a few things you can't measure,
and you know, unfortunately that for some but high baseball
(01:40):
IQ and you know, big heart. I'll take that over
a guy who looks the part every day but doesn't
give you the same action. So I'm not worried about that.
I'm worried about what you're talking about. Jake get his
first hit, that's great, but sustaining what one hundred and
forty five to one hundred and fifty games in center
field and the right field position production and obviously with
al two VAP playing left field, your bat's gonna be fine.
(02:02):
It's the center and right field position I'm concerned about.
On offense. You know they couldn't. They had trouble as
a team driving in runners in scoring position last week,
which is something in the past when they've been getting
where they want to go, has not been a big
problem for the Astros. Obviously, we know pitching and defense
does matter, but people get paid to rake and unfortunately
right now that outfield, while the arms may not be strong,
(02:23):
defense will be fine. It'll it'll be it'll survive, and
Jake's a really good center fielder with a pop gun arm.
It's gonna come down to how they produce the plate.
Who is it gonna be. Are we gonna rotate all
year long with lineups or you're gonna find guys that
can produce offensively seven eight nine got to take care
of their business. And it is Chas McCormick, Chas McCormick
two years ago or last year trying to pull everything.
(02:44):
And is Jake Myers ever gonna be a guy that
can you know, uh, north to two fifty, and so
the production part is a concern. You can't have the
sans Altuve, those other two positions can't go the season
constantly patuning hoping that we find somebody that can hit.
They are, they're not gonna win the games they want
to win. If the infield's the only thing we're doing
(03:06):
producing wise at the plate, you're gonna have to get
some production later in the lineup. Sans al tuo Vea
has said, because he'll be at the top of it.
But the Jake we know he can defend, can he
can he be counted on for one hundred and fifty
games to be a productive player at the plate. They're
going to need it because because there's a lot of
good teams. There are three that got good pitching staffs
(03:27):
in this division alone, Dan, and the American League's pretty
brutal to get through. I mean, you know, it's gonna
be one of those competitive years, and I don't think
it's not gonna be up to major league standards at
the plate, in center and right field unless that gets changed.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Well, I mean it goes beyond to the outfield. I mean,
because you talked about the production of the infield, and yeah,
you can pretty much count on Peritis, you can count
on Christian Walker. Both of those guys off to a
good start here during the spring, and I mean at
second base if that's Brendan Rodgers or if it's Marie Dubon.
But those aren't necessarily the guys I'm talking about. It's
(04:03):
the guy that was the ALCS and World Series MVP
for you a couple of years ago and seemingly has
just been a guy with the bat at the plate
the last couple of years. I mean twenty twenty three,
it was hey, where's the power with Jeremy Pania? And
then last year it was hey, where's the consistency with
Jeremy Pania? So those are all things that you have
(04:25):
to concern yourself with when it comes to this Astros line.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
And Dan he struggled late in the season defensively, which
was shocking to me. You know, he had some struggles defensively,
So the consistency goes now, whether that's the bad effect
and the glove or what have you, or just it was,
you know, an aberration of a run. And talking to
him when we were at the ask the you know,
the Baseball Fest, the Astros Fest, there at Dyke and Park.
(04:50):
There was a different look and as I felt like
even though he's what year three for he's a it
felt like he had a little more veteran in him
and it's going to be incoming upon him to do it.
Because my question is this, if he struggles at the plate.
Now he' said last year he started hot and then struggle.
But if he struggles at the plate and the numbers
are similar to what we've seen regular season wise, because
(05:13):
he was a monster his rookie year in the postseason,
if that happens, will there be people and we can
discuss this next Dan. Will there be people and I
love Painia, but will they start to question if he's
the long term answer if he doesn't produce at the plate.
Take away from how we felt about him and all
the stuff in the past and the MVP and ALCS
and this in the World Series, is is his well? His?
(05:36):
Is this year like a Saturday moving day in AUGUSTA? Does
he got to play better to ensure that he's the
future or is that already just etched and stone O
locked and we're just going to deal with it either way?
Will he be good enough his the defense? He'll fix that.
Will he be consistent enough at the plate to warran it.
He's gonna have to have his best year regular season
this year considering what's going on the outfield. As you mentioned,
(05:56):
I'm anxious to see where Jeremy Payne goes and what
the patience level is for the fan base here on
Jeremy Page's bat Bingo.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
That's a segue. We'll continue that next right here on
the Shawn Salisbury Show. He's Shawn Salisbury, Dan Matthews in
for Brian Alima, Triple Emmanuel Elmore as we will close
out the six o'clock hour right here on the Shawn
Salisbury Show Sports Talk seven ninety
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