The race for the first overall pick in 2014

1. Astros 41-83
2. Marlins 48-75
3. White Sox 49-74

There are a ton of teams, like 12 of them, bunched up at 70 losses all the way down to 64 losses but they're too far back to worry about.

Only 38 games left for the Astros. We have a comfortable 8-game lead in the loss column. It's smooth sailing at this point.

Here's the latest mock for the 2014 MLB Draft in June. No surprise who they have us taking number one overall.

http://www.mymlbdraft.com/MLB-Mock-Draft

I may even attend the games at Minute Maid Park more often, buying a mini-season ticket plan, just to see Mark Appel, Carlos Rodon and Jarred Cosart pitch. All of them are fun to watch take the mound. We're going to compete soon enough with one of the better young starting staffs in all of baseball. But this is pretty brutal getting through these hard times.

At this point, I cheer for every game that's over with. Another day closer to the off-season. It's been too long of a season.

George Springer just hit another home run for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Redhawks.
Oklahoma City has the best record in AAA and has a chance to win the championship.
He's hitting .309 and has 35 home runs and 33 stolen bases. Trying for a 40-40 year.

I feel bad for Jarred Cosart. All he's done since being called up to the Majors is toss seven straight quality starts. And all he has to show for it is 5 no-decisions, a 1-1 record and a 1.60 ERA. Last night's game against the Rangers was arguably his worst start based on runs allowed but he was pitching really well as usual. All he allowed was 4 hits over 6 innings, but those 3 earned runs and the one mistake pitch to Adrian Beltre in the bottom of the 6th did him in. That was the first home run he has allowed in his MLB career and obviously his first loss.

On the post-game show they mentioned that the Astros are planning to shut down Jarred Cosart pretty soon. He has already thrown a lot of innings in the minor leagues before being called up. That sounds like a good idea. Let the kid rest up for a fresh start next year.

He has shown he can pitch in the big leagues already. He needs to improve his strikeout-to-walk ratio but that will come with more experience and more work on his breaking pitches. He has a really nasty 92-to-95 MPH cutter to go along with his four-seem fastball, curveball and changeup. If he can toss that off-speed pitch a little more -- mix and matching it with the other three pitches -- that will really fool the hitters and rack up more Ks I feel.

We can enter spring training in March with both Mark Appel and Jarred Cosart being workhorses at the top of our starting rotation. And George Springer as our starting center fielder. That will be a nice boost of young talent right away to go along with what we already have. And soon we'll have Carlos Correa at shortstop and Jonathan Singleton at first base as well. And then draft Carlos Rodon number one overall next June.

We're going to be set with a nice young team very soon. We can even spend big money in free agency on a couple of solid relievers if we want to instantly improve our awful bullpen. But I don't see the Astros spending big money in free agency this upcoming winter. Maybe the year after (before 2015). But whoever the top relievers are, I wouldn't hesitate to sign at least two of them. We could use a big-name closer and set-up man when the time is right, aka when we are ready to compete and become a factor in the American League West.

I wish we could play the Angels every game but then we wouldn't be able to clinch the first overall pick next June.



1. Astros 41-84
2. Marlins 48-76
3. White Sox 50-74

The White Sox have won 4 games in a row so they're playing themselves out of the Carlos Rodon sweepstakes.
Astros have lost 2 games in a row against the Rangers and the Marlins lost last night against the Dodgers.

Only 37 games left. Still a comfortable 8-game lead in the loss column. Come on Marlins, start a winning streak.
I would like this thing to be wrapped up by the start of the NFL season but more than likely, mid-to-late September.

After fielding a wild throw from the pitcher to second, Ian Kinsler tags out Max Stassi who gets caught wandering too far off base.

I feel so bad for Max Stassi. He picked up his first MLB career hit in that game and then got tagged out on that play. Then he got drilled in the face last night with the bases loaded to pick up his first RBI. He spent all night in the hospital but no serious injury or broken bones. X-Rays were negative. The only thing he had was a mild concussion and some bleeding.



1. Astros 41-85
2. Marlins 48-77
3. White Sox 51-74

The White Sox have won 5 games in a row. They're about to go from the third worst record to 12th or 13th if they keep winning because there are a ton of teams not too far away from the White Sox. The Astros were swept by the Rangers and have today off. They start a three-game series against the Blue Jay tomorrow night.

The Astros record since the all-star break is now a dismal 8-24. But we only have 36 games left so I'm happy with that. I'm hoping the Marlins can beat the Dodgers this afternoon. Their game starts in less than an hour. We're either going to be 8 or 7 full games ahead of the Marlins after today.

But the way it's looking, no team is really a threat to us anymore. We'll have the first overall pick in the 2014 draft next June.

1. Astros 41-85
2. Marlins 48-78

Just a two-team race going down the stretch. I'm not even going to include the White Sox anymore. They're about to lose the third pick in the draft and fall out of the top 10 entirely. LOL, they can fall all the way down the 13th pick if they keep on winning. So the Marlins lost 6-0 today. But still a seven-game lead with 36 games left. I'm not too worried.

I've seen Jurickson Profar making amazing plays against us at shortstop, second base and third base.
Jeez, give this 20-year-old kid a gold glove for the next 15 years. He's that amazing on defense.



I believe we may have something special in the infield, like Profar, in 18-year-old Carlos Correa (turns 19 next month). I can't wait.
But Correa is a flat out all-around beast, size wise, and is still growing. He should be able to produce some monster offensive numbers.

the astros have had the first pick locked up for a while, if they continue their season pace they'll go 12-25 over the next 37 games and theres no way the marlins will win 5 or less games

springer 4 home runs away for 40/40 season in the minors

Almost time to call him up when the rosters expand on September 1 because he's ready for the show.


We have a seven-game lead over the Marlins for the first overall pick with 36 games left.

Our next 23 games are probably the easiest three-week stretch we had all season based on the combined winning percentage of all the teams: 3 vs. Blue Jays, 3 at White Sox, 4 vs. Mariners and 3 vs, Twins. Then we have a tough four-game series at Oakland (only winning team we play in that time), but then 3 at Mariners and 3 vs. Angels. We need to lose as many of those particular 23 games as we can.

But our final 13 games are all against good teams with winning records: 3 vs. Reds, 4 at Indians, 3 at Rangers, 3 vs. Yankees.
If I had to guess, we'll likely go 15-21 at best in our final 36 games. I could see us going 10-26 and maybe 9-27 at worse.

My only worry is really these next 23 games. Hopefully we lose tonight's opener against the Blue Jays. Any games we can lose against these other bad-record teams is only a bonus in my eyes. We actually have enough talent to win some of these upcoming series.