Evan Gattis Dangerous for Houston Astros’ Opponents
By Jon Flint
The Houston Astros made several moves during the offseason, but none will pay bigger dividends than the acquisition of Evan Gattis. Making a return to his home state, “El Oso Blanco” enters a revamped lineup in which more at-bats and less time behind the plate make him a very dangerous asset within the AL West.
Playing out the second year of his incredible comeback story, Gattis began last season as the Atlanta Braves’ starting catcher, but struggled to find consistency with a recurring back injury. Gattis did hit .263 with 22 homers and 65 runs driven in, but there’s little doubt the bad back hampered productivity while limiting him to 108 games.
The good news for Astros fans is that Gattis will hardly see time behind the plate in 2015. Already committed to Jason Castro as the starter and Hank Conger as a backup, Houston will maximize Gattis’ bat by keeping his 6-foot-4 and 260 pound frame out from behind the dish and hopefully in fair health.
Gattis initially figured to take over a starting role in left field. However, Colby Rasmus has since been signed and suddenly the Astros have a bit of a logjam in their outfield. If he does not take on left field duties, Gattis could likely serve as the occasional designated hitter. The 28-year old is probably best served in the DH role, even if it means Chris Carter becomes the odd man out versus right-handed starting pitchers.
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Gattis admitted he was more of a Texas Rangers fan while growing up, but come the end of the season, he should be madly in love with Minute Maid Park. After flashing his power at the pitcher-friendly confines of Turner Field, he moves onto Houston where his big, right-handed bat is bound to thrive. The average Evan Gattis fly ball pushed 300.63 feet last season, a number way ahead of the league average. Playing at Minute Maid, he should have no problems accumulating cheap homers down the 315-foot foul line to the left field wall.
The best case scenario for the Astros is a three-headed monster featuring Gattis, Carter, and Jon Singleton as the heart of their lineup. The three posted 79 homers in 331 games last season and an average combined .486 slugging percentage. Where and how Houston manages to fit all three into the lineup is still an issue, but undoubtedly a good one to have.
The Astros parted with three solid prospects in order to bring “El Oso Blanco” to Houston. General Manager Jeff Lunhow understands that an explosive offense can be exactly what Houston needs to see success in 2015.
Can the Astros mimic the Cinderella story of last season’s Kansas City Royals? If so, you can bet Evan Gattis will be right in the middle of it.