At the end of April, the Astros were 12-20, the worst team in the American League. Since then, they have gone 63-55, the fourth-best AL record over that time. They have climbed back into contention in a laughably weak Western Division, and actually begin this series in first place, despite a .500 record.
Kansas City Royals (66-84) vs. Houston Astros (75-75) at Daikin Park in Houston, TX
Royals: 4.23 runs scored/game (23rd in MLB), 4.85 runs allowed/game (25th)
Astros: 4.46 runs scored/game (16th), 4.81
runs allowed/game (24th)
The Astros have hit slightly worse at home than they have on the road, with just 47 percent of their home runs coming at Daikin Park. They have the fewest stolen bases in baseball, and the highest caught stealing rate (31 percent) in baseball.
Who’s hot:
- Isaac Paredes is hitting .298/.403/.512 with six home runs over his last 34 games.
- Salvador Perez has begun to heat up, batting .326/.383/.512 with two home runs in his last 11 games.
Who’s not:
- Jeremy Peña is batting just .149/.200/.191 in 12 games in September.
- Isaac Collins is batting just 2-for-28 (.071) in September, although he has drawn a team-high eight walks.
Interesting splits:
- Yordan Alvarez is hitting .362/.472/.687 at home, by far the best home numbers by any hitter.
- Jac Caglianone is third in the AL in OPS since the All-Star break, hitting .323/.352/.551.
Michael Wacha has given up three runs or fewer in nine of his ten starts since the All-Star break, with a 2.29 ERA in that time. Hunter Brown has a 8.82 ERA in four career starts against the Royals, including a start in 2024 where he gave up nine runs while recording just two outs.
Daniel Lynch IV has a 6.37 ERA as a starter in seven games. Cristian Javier has struggled this year, but had his best start in his last outing, giving up just one run in six innings against the Phillies.
Seth Lugo has a 5.76 ERA since the All-Star break, second-worst among qualified starters, but with a 3.79 FIP over that time. The Astros have not yet announced a starter for Thursday, but rookie Ethan Pecko is likely to pitch. He has given up just four earned runs in 15 innings over his last three starts.
The Astros have a 4.12 ERA from their relievers this year, with the eighth-best strikeout rate. The Astros have just 11 blown saves, the fewest in baseball. Josh Hader has 25 saves and has given up just one earned run since July 21, good for a 0.38 ERA in 21 innings over that time. AJ Blubaugh is just ten innings away from becoming the first reliever to throw 100 innings in a season since 2006. Bryan Abreu has a 1.65 ERA in 27 games since the All-Star break.
The Astros have dropped six of eight and are coming off a losing road trip. They are just 37-38 at home, a worse home record than the Royals.
