I'll try to make this short but I have a lot on my mind.
I'm not trying to write a lot. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed.
First I have to discuss some exciting young prospects they have.
I've seen remarkable strides this year fueled by two successful rookie seasons by Carlos Correa (just turned 21) and Lance McCullers (just turned 22) and we have more promising prospects on the way up. Like first baseman A.J. Reed, who led the minor leagues in home runs this past year. He also led NCAA baseball in home runs two years ago at Kentucky.
A.J. Reed has been invited to the Astros elite winter ball camp. He has a good chance to make the team out of spring training. As well as third baseman and DH Tyler White. Both are the best pure hitters in our farm system right now. Both could be upgrades for us long term over what we currently have. They'll eventually replace Chris Carter and Evan Gattis if they continue to progress.
Two pitching prospects who could make the 2016 opening day roster are Mark Appel and Chris Devenski. Those two pitched on the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies that won the AAA championship a few weeks ago. Devenski had pitched a gem in the world championship game and Appel looked good down the stretch and in the league championship game.
I had always targeted 2016 and 2017 as the turning point for the Astros.
It just so happens they arrived a year earlier than expected. It's not a bad thing.
They're gaining some valuable postseason experience playing the defending AL champions.
Now on to the ALDS and some opportunities they allowed to get away.
4-1 lead in Game 2 and 6-2 lead (six outs away) in Game 4 and lost both games.
They had the defending AL champion Royals on the ropes even in the two they lost.
It's amazing the Astros reached a winner-take-all Game 5 at Kansas City.
To be one win away from the 2015 ALCS is more than I even thought possible.
The bullpen ERA has struggled the past few months. 6+ ERA since mid August.
Before that time they had the 4th best bullpen in ERA in all of baseball.
Will Harris and Tony Sipp were great all year and have struggled lately.
Josh Fields is the only bullpen arm with good velocity. People knew that.
It was frustrating enough watching the AL West division lead disappear in September.
And the bullpen already coughed up a couple ALDS leads as well. It's been a long year.
Trying to acquire Aroldis Chapman or Craig Kimbrel at the trading deadline was their intended target.
The Reds and Padres wanted a lot and time ran out. Those options will be explored again this winter.
The Astros can strengthen their current weaknesses this off-season, in free agency or trades.
In the mean time they still get to play a Game 5 at Kansas City tomorrow night. It's all a bonus.
Collin McHugh is the best guy we could have pitching considering Dallas Keuchel is unavailable on 3 days rest. Mike Fiers and Scott Kazmir could likely be used out of the bullpen if needed even if we had to re-shuffle our potential Game 2 starter in the ALCS if we advance.. I'm surprised Fiers hasn't been called upon yet in this series.
The good thing is we'll either be eliminated on Wednesday Night or we'll advance and Dallas Keuchel will be well rested for Game 1 of the ALCS against the Rangers or Blue Jays. Either way it's been fun and exciting year. The Astros are in a position to compete for the next several years.
The Kansas City Royals are a better team than the Astros are right now but anything can happen in one game.
Once Game 5 starts tomorrow night nothing that happened will really matter. It's one entirely new ballgame.
TL:DR version: The Astros are going to be exciting to watch for the next several years. It's going to feel like 1990 to 2006 all over again. During those 16 years the Astros had the 5th most wins in all of baseball behind the Braves, Yankees, Cardinals and Red Sox. Even if they lose Game 5 against the Royals it's been a successful 2015 year.
And if they win Game 5 they advance to the ALCS when nobody thought it was possible this soon. Sports Illustrated had picked the Astros to win the 2017 World Series. For a franchise that has never won a World Series, or even one World Series game (Swept in their only World Series) it's just nice to be thought of so highly.
Also good luck to the Rangers and Blue Jays in their Game 5 of the ALDS.
I always thought the Blue Jays and Royals were the two best AL teams this year.
And the Astros and Rangers, odds are against them, can still make it a Lonestar ALCS.
I'm happy with the long-term direction the Astros are going in. This 2015 postseason has been an added bonus to me.
Anyways, I love you guys. I miss you guys. That's all I have to say for now. Thanks for your time.