Thomas Campbell – USA TODAY Sports
I don’t think there is enough buzz around Robbie Grossman. The Houston Astros have plenty of recently emerged or ready-to-emerge players that are on the brink of becoming stars (ie. Jarred Cosart, George Springer). Yet Grossman, who largely flew under the radar on his way to MLB and stay the same even while he was at the pro ball club, continues to be illusive.
But, maybe it’s better that way.
When Grossman was initially called up in April, he flailed and found himself back down in the minors before May was up. That would be the last time he allowed the Astros to even consider sending him down. After being called up again in July, he got off to a roaring start, hitting in 10 straight en route to a .472 average with three home runs and nine RBIs. Grossman was never known for his power, but he managed to hit four home runs and 21 RBIs before all was said and done.
He finished his second stint in the majors with a .322 average. That’s enough to at least give the guy a leg up on the competition going into spring training.
As is the case with most Astros hitters of 2013 though, strikeouts were a problem as he struck out 39 times in a span of just over a month. He also took fewer walks than his minor league resume suggested he would, but these things could easily be fixed given more practice and experience.
All things considered, Grossman should have earned the starting job in left field. While Spring Training may offer a whole new picture, it should be his position to lose.
Follow Josh Sippie on Twitter, like him on Facebook, add him to your network on Google, or reach him at
