The Houston Astros have seen their fair share of breakout seasons across the past few years. Third baseman Alex Bregman is in the midst of one in 2018, and it’s barely halfway through the season.
Alex Bregman’s 100th hit of the season wasn’t a fluke, nor a dribbler. Rather, it was a milestone for the Astros third baseman.
Oakland pitcher Emilio Pagan attempted to keep Bregman off the plate. But the first-time All-Star instead bolted one straight over the left field fence.
The home runs signaled several feats for the budding star. First, it was his second of the game, thus capping his first career multi-homer game. Second, Bregman now leads the league’s best offense in homers.
More surprisingly, his 19th home runs matches his total from last year – across 155 games. He played in his 91st game of the year Tuesday.
Several players across the league are in the midst of true breakout seasons. Blake Snell perplexes hitters down in Tampa Bay, while Max Muncy and Eddie Rosario are pitchers’ nightmares in their respective ballparks.
#Astros Alex Bregman last 162 games played:
— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) July 11, 2018
109 runs scored
184 hits
47 doubles
5 triples
30 home runs
103 runs batted in
75 bases on balls
9 hits-by-pitch
6 sacrifice flies
3 reaches on error
17 stolen bases
.297/.378/.535
.387 wOBA
151 wRC+
107 batted balls of at least 100 mph
Yet, it seems that the Houston infielder has a case for the MLB’s biggest breakout season thus far. The 24-year-old already matched his WAR from last year. He ranks ninth in the category across the entire MLB.
While Jose Altuve is still the most valuable player on the team, Bregman has proven to be the No. 2 guy – for now. Carlos Correa’s injury and George Springer’s cold stretch gave the hot corner specialist a chance to move into the spotlight.
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And his numbers since June 1 are enough proof of his success. In that span, Bregman is hitting better than .300 with 14 bombs and 37 RBIs.
Those numbers pushed his OPS above .900, which is currently the best on the Astros. And his 53 walks also leads the club. There are few categories that don’t have Bregman atop the leaderboards on the offensive end.
Houston fans have witnessed the evolution of a star in just three seasons. And now the All-Star has an opportunity to take the next step by remaining consistent.
This seems like just the beginning for the Astros youngster. And Bregman chooses not to be overshadowed by his teammates, most of which are very talented.
Next: Two Houston All-Star snubs
But no, the third baseman is making a name for himself. If his hot stretch isn’t a fluke, Houston might have yet another star on its stacked rosters.