Houston Astros 2023 Season Preview
Normally the reigning World Series champions don’t have an awkward offseason, but that was the case with the Houston Astros. Jeff Bagwell’s official job title is Community Outreach Executive, but he sure had a lot to say about the Astros and their incorporation of analytics into the decision-making process. Among Bagwell’s comments were things like, “This game is played by humans, man. It’s not played by computers.” He lamented how far into the numbers and metrics the Astros have gone.
Those comments came shortly after owner Jim Crane fired GM James Click and assistant GM Scott Powers. Ultimately, the Astros hired Dana Brown, who was the vice president of scouting for the Atlanta Braves, a team that – you guessed it – incorporates a lot of analytics into the decision-making process. The Braves have been tremendously successful in identifying and developing homegrown talent, but so have the Astros.
How anybody could find fault with what the Astros have achieved is mind-blowing. They’ve played in FOUR OF THE LAST SIX WORLD SERIES! They’ve won two of them and haven’t fallen short of the ALCS since 2016. Not much has changed with the roster or the expectations for 2023. The window certainly isn’t closed. I’m just curious how much longer it will be open, especially if more head-scratching decisions are coming down the pike.