Thomas Campbell – USA TODAY Sports
Since being called up in July, Houston Astros outfielder Robbie Grossman has been on a tear. He’s hitting just under .500 with three home runs, nine RBIs, and three stolen bases in his last eight games alone. Grossman is not traditionally known as a power hitter, having hit only two home runs all year in Triple-A. That being said, he did hit 13 home runs as early as 2011, so the power potential may be there.
Regardless of whether or not the power is here to stay, Grossman is putting it all together. After a feeble first call-up earlier in the year when he was forced into the starting center fielder role, Grossman was called up again recently with much lower expectations.
From there, it was all Grossman.
He quickly established that the Astros needed him in their lineup, and went from hitting last to first in the span of a couple games. In a system chock full of prospects, Grossman was never at the top of the crop. The highest he got in the Astros’ top-20 watch was 20th. And yet, it’s Grossman who’s showing the most offensive production out of anyone in the current Astros lineup.
He’s raised his batting average to around .270 and it continues to go up. The tear continued in the Astros’ most recent game against the Boston Red Sox, where he got another home run and two RBIs out of the leadoff spot, going 2-for-4.
Is there a chance Grossman could be used in a more RBI-friendly spot in the lineup?
It’s no secret that the Astros have lacked clutch hitting, or hitting at all really, so is Grossman being wasted in the leadoff spot? It’s a possibility, but having someone get on base at the top of the order is obviously very useful, and Grossman is doing just that.
