Houston Astros Expected to Promote Alex Bregman Soon

After a dismal start to the season, the Houston Astros have stormed back and are quickly rising in the American League West standings. In order to keep up their hot stretch, the team is expected to promote top prospect Alex Bregman as early as this weekend.

It’s not often that teams can start as bad as the Houston Astros did and suddenly be in the playoff hunt come All-Star week.  But the 2016 Astros are no normal team.  A roster loaded with young talent on the field and the mound doesn’t come along very often, so it’s only natural that the Astros would get back into the thick of things.

While they’ve been on a hot streak for a while, the team is expected to bolster their lineup by calling up top prospect Alex Bregman later this week, per Jim Bowden of ESPN.

Bregman was the number-two overall pick in last year’s draft as a shortstop, but has played multiple positions this season – including third base – as the Astros prepare him for his major league debut.

His arrival is much needed, as the Astros offense has been rather average throughout much of the season.

Last season, the Astros offense finished 6th in MLB with 729 runs scored – but this season, they’re just 16th in the league with 401 runs scored.  That puts them behind plenty of good teams, but they also rank behind the lowly Los Angeles Angels and struggling Seattle Mariners.

Bregman’s .309/.416/.603 slash line and 19 home runs across Double-A and Triple-A will likely be the move that puts the Astros over the top and keeps them competitive with the Texas Rangers.

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

His promotion is no surprise after his outstanding performance at the 2016 Futures Game.  The 22-year-old went 3-for-5 and was just a homer shy of the cycle.  Our own Jason Burke noted that Bregman would likely be in the majors already if it weren’t for a hot two months from Luis Valbuena, who hit .316 in June and is hitting .333 in July.

Despite Valbuena’s presence, Bregman’s time is now.  If he’s promoted this weekend, Valbuena will likely shift over to first base, where the Astros have had little to no production all season.

Bregman’s combination of plate discipline, power and athleticism will allow the team to gain a force at any spot in the lineup, while also getting a plus defender at the hot corner.

It’s worth noting that Bregman’s strikeout rate jumped from just 9.1 percent in Double-A to 18.4 percent in Triple-A. That’s to be expected for any prospect as they transition to Triple-A, so it’s likely not a major concern among Astros officials.

Next: Minor League Notes: Red Sox Prospects Shine

Bregman has only played eight career games in Triple-A, and has already hit five home runs.  Five homers in 38 at-bats.  That’s one homer for every 7.6 at-bats.

Rather than waiting until September and playing the “will they, won’t they” start him game, Houston would be best suited to get Bregman in the lineup as soon as possible.