Five Takeaways from the Astros/A’s Series
After the Oakland series, I, Michael Luker, have some takeaways that I would like to put on paper. Here are five things I liked during the opening series.
Jose Altuve in the leadoff spot
It’s safe to say that Altuve feels extremely comfortable in the leadoff spot. Yes, I know it’s only four games, but he’s getting on base 50% of the time and he’s batting .375. Altuve is honestly perfect for leadoff, especially with Michael Brantley behind him. It’s a thing of beauty. Hopefully Brantley stays hot once he gets back in the lineup so he can add to Altuve’s league leading 8 runs scored.
Ryne Stanek dealing
This could be the best FA signing the Astros have made since Michael Brantley. Stanek has great stuff and performed extremely well this past weekend against the A’s. In 3 innings pitched he struck out five and most importantly, didn’t give up a hit or a run. If Stanek continues to perform like this, he will most certainly be a high leverage reliever.
Yuli Gurriel’s hot start
Coming off of his most disappointing season as an Astro, many fans weren’t that high on Gurriel this year. It’s very early, but so far, Gurriel is proving them wrong. He crushed the ball all weekend, slashing .467/.589/.733. Obviously those numbers are going to come down a good bit, but it’s nice to see that Yuli is locked in this year.
Zack Greinke turning back the clock
Zack Greinke had a bit of an unlucky 2020, but he once again proved why he’s still an ace on Thursday. Greinke threw six innings of three hit, no run baseball, and his stuff was amazing. I’m not gonna lie, I was very worried with how Greinke was going to perform this year because of his Spring Training numbers, but he has once again proved me wrong. Let’s hope he can keep doing it the rest of the season.
McCormick got an opportunity because of Michael Brantley’s injury, and he made the most of it. He recorded his first big league hit on Saturday and followed it up with his first big league homer on Sunday. I like what I see from McCormick. I know it’s too soon to tell if he’ll be an everyday big leaguer, but he has some great raw tools.
**Photo Credit: Getty Images**
