Houston Astros: Center Field
One of the surprise teams in baseball last season, the Houston Astros were expected to take that next step forward and to potentially represent the American League in the World Series. Instead, the Astros have been one of the worst teams in baseball with a 15-24 record, 7.5 games out of first.
Seemingly everything has gone wrong in Houston this season. The starting rotation has struggled, their biggest offseason acquisition, Ken Giles, has been an utter disaster, and the offense has been, for the most part, thoroughly anemic. To be perfectly honest, the Astros could use help in any number of places.
However, the biggest issue facing the Astros may well be in center field. Last year, Carlos Gomez was brought in to help solidify the Astros defense while providing another solid bat to the lineup. This year, he has been a black hole, producing a meager .182/.238/.248 batting line and a horrendous OPS+ of 36.
A free agent at the end of this season, Gomez’ awful start could also be costing himself a solid payday. As it stands, the Astros have brought up Tony Kemp, who could end up seeing playing time in center. While Kemp, at 5’6″, is not the ideal size for an outfielder, he is a tremendous athlete and has hit at every stop in the minors. Should he hit the ground running, it may not be a surprise for Kemp to start to receive the majority of the playing time in center going forward.
The Houston Astros may not have a lot of time left to wait before making moves, and have already begun shaking up their roster. If Carlos Gomez continues to slump, he may not have a chance to get back to his usual level of production.
Next: National League Central