Houston Astros: Evan Gattis finally catches up at the plate

Houston Astros designated hitter Evan Gattis sported an atrocious batting line throughout the first month of the year. But the seasoned hitter has put the pieces together recently.

It looked like a failed experiment. After one month, the Houston Astros designated hitter Evan Gattis boasted a disappointing .200 average with one home run and eight RBIs.

But Houston manager A.J. Hinch kept him in the lineup, expecting the 31-year-old veteran to find his rhythm. And his patience paid off.

Gattis made history Wednesday after he launched two home runs against the Athletics, garnering five RBIs. He is the first player in franchise history to collect five RBIs in back-to-back games, per MLB.com‘s Brian McTaggart.

Yet, the former backstop’s surging series against Oakland is just a tidbit of his newfound success. He’s essentially been on a tear at the plate since May 12. Since then, he smacked 12 homers and improved his OPS by a whopping .216 points.

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Gattis is a dependable power hitter, as he eclipsed 30 bombs just two years ago. And Astros fans know he’s prone to cold stretches throughout the year.

Hinch’s decision to dub Gattis as the team’s primary designated hitter was surprising. Ironically, the veteran fared much better while hitting as a catcher – by a lot.

Nevertheless, the manager’s commitment forced the former catcher to get accustomed to hitting full-time. It also allowed Max Stassi to shine as part of the backstop rotation.

Gattis will surely endure another dry spell at some point this season. Yet, if he can balance those periods with torrid stretches, Houston can’t complain.

Houston’s Hot Hitting Streak

Gattis isn’t the only one enjoying a summer hitting spree. The Astros as a whole are punishing opposing pitchers.

During its season-high seven-game winning streak, Houston accrued 79 hits. That’s more than 10 hits per contest.

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While the subpar staffs from Texas and Oakland took much of the damage, it’s still an impressive feat. The recent hitting surge pushed the Astros into third for runs scored, just two runs behind the Yankees.

Yet, this year’s squad has yet to match last year’s dominance at the dish. Houston currently boasts a .261/.331/.427 slash line. Last season, the Astros posted a much better .282/.346/.478 line.

In fact, the team’s .823 OPS was the highest in one season since the 2009 Yankees – they compiled a .839 OPS. Houston arguably possessed the best offense of the decade thus far.

Whether Hinch’s cadres will reach the level it did last year offensively is still unknown. But it has a prime opportunity ahead of it. The Astros won’t face a team with a winning record until after the All-Star break.

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So far, they’re taking advantage of poor pitching. If Houston continues to produce as it has the past two series, there’s no reason why the club can’t match what it did a season ago.