Strikeouts Are Houston Astros' Biggest Weakness So Far In 2016

Not a lot has gone right for the Houston Astros in 2016, as the team has failed to follow up last year’s postseason appearance by playing like a club poised to return to the playoffs this year. The Astros have had plenty of problems, but their biggest issue has been the their amount of strikeouts, as Houston leads the majors in that category.

Of course, striking out is nothing new to the Astros. Houston has led the American League in strikeouts every year since 2013, including last year when the Astros reached the postseason. However, having a lineup filled with players who are prone to strikeouts has caught up with them this year. The Astros have the lowest team batting average in the American League, and the power in the lineup has not been enough to make up for the strikeouts and overall lack of hitting.

The most egregious offender in Houston’s lineup has been Carlos Gomez, who has struck out 62 times despite spending time on the DL and only playing in 44 games this season. That strikeout rate is far above what Gomez has done in the past, and having him strike out as much as he has without providing much production has hurt the offense. Carlos Correa’s strikeout rate has also been much higher in his second big league season. This would be acceptable if Correa continued to build off his rookie season, but his average and power are both down from last year.

Essentially, Gomez and Correa have jumped on the bandwagon of a team already filled with players who strike out at a high rate. The Astros have come to expect a lot of strikeouts from players like George Springer, Colby Rasmus, Jason Castro and Evan Gattis, but adding players like Gomez and Correa to that list has been too much for them to overcome.

Outside of Jose Altuve, the Astros have no player who is capable of hitting for a high average and getting on base at a high rate. Instead, they have a lineup full of all-or-nothing hitters who are striking out far more often than they are producing at-bats that help score runs. This high-risk, high-reward method of hitting is simply not working for them this season, and unless they can find a new approach and stop striking out at such an alarming rate, it’ll be difficult for Houston to return to the postseason in 2016.