20 Greatest Houston Astros

20

Nolan Ryan

The harder you throw, the more strain on your arm, and the more likely you will suffer an injury. But that’s not the only factor in pitching injuries. According to sports medicine, throwing 95 miles per hour with good mechanics is less strain on the arm than throwing 90 miles per hour with poor mechanics. Nolan Ryan had near-perfect mechanics, and that’s why he pitched injury free for most of his 27-year career. When he was 26 years old he struck out 383 batters, 125 more than anyone else in baseball. When he was 42 years old, Ryan struck out 301 batters, and when he was 45, he was still striking out a batter per inning.

19

Bob Watson

18

Mike Scott

17

Yordan Alvarez

16

Don Wilson

15

George Springer

One of the great things about baseball is that on any given day a player can turn the page. In the 2017 postseason that’s what happened to George Springer. In the 2017 AL Championship Series, Springer went 3-for-26 against the Yankees, failing to drive in a run. Luckily, Justin Verlander pitched like the lovechild of Cy Young and Greg Maddux, and the Astros won the pennant. In Game One of the World Series, Springer stayed cold, going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. He wasn’t in a hole, he was in a trench. But in Game Two, Springer had three hits, the final one a two-run homer in the 11th inning to defeat the Dodgers. He hit four homers in the Fall Classic, one in each of the final four games of an epic seven-game battle. His five homers matched a Series record, and the Astros won their first championship. Springer batted .389 with a record eight extra-base hits in the World Series, and drove in seven runs. As a result, he earned the Willie Mays Award as MVP of the Fall Classic.

14

Terry Puhl

13

Bill Doran

Through age 29, Doran put up solid numbers with a multi-faceted game that included solid (though unspectacular) defense, good power, and great baserunning. One year he stole 42 bases, another year he hit 16 home runs despite playing in the Astrodome.

12

Joe Morgan

Before he was a perennial MVP candidate and a spark at the top of the lineup for the Big Red Machine, Little Joe had several amazing seasons in the Astrodome. You could make the argument that at his peak, he was the best second baseman Houston ever had, beyond both Craig Biggio and Jose Altuve.

11

Larry Dierker

10

Carlos Correa

Now in his second stint with the Astros, and Houston seems to be where he belongs.

9

Alex Bregman

Bregman already has a short peak that’s more valuable than Paul Molitor’s. His short peak is about the same as that of Sal Bando and Graig Nettles, and slightly better than Edgar Martínez.

8

Jim Wynn

7

Roy Oswalt

When he was pitching in the minor leagues in 1999, Oswalt hurt his shoulder, and might have torn something. A few days later he was checking the spark plugs on his truck when he inadvertently touched a wire and his truck started, sending a surge of electricity through Oswalt, whose hand was still on the plug. He reportedly held on to the plug for several seconds, until he fell away from the truck. According to Oswalt, after the incident his shoulder never hurt again. In a Sports Illustrated article years later, Roy told his wife, “My truck done shocked the fire out of me, and my arm don’t hurt no more.”

6

Lance Berkman

Berkman was one of the top prizes the Astros plucked from the amateur draft during a great run of drafting success from the late 1980s to the turn of the century. In 1987 the Astros drafted a catcher named Craig Biggio, the following year they drafted outfielders Luis Gonzalez and Kenny Lofton. In the next few years they nabbed pitcher Shane Reynolds, third baseman Phil Nevin, and relief pitcher Billy Wagner. By this time the Astros were winning division titles, but they continued to add talent, drafting high school pitcher Roy Oswalt, Berkman, college pitcher Brad Lidge, infielder Morgan Ensberg, and outfielder Michael Bourn.

5

Cesar Cedeno

As a 19-year old rookie for Houston, Cedeño hit .310 with 32 extra-base hits and 17 stolen bases in only 90 games. He led the league in doubles the following year and stole 20 bases. When he was 21 he was an All-Star (hit .320, stole 55 bases, and hit 20 home runs). His next season was just as good. He went over the 20/20 mark in three straight seasons, and he was a frightening combination of speed and power.

4

Jose Cruz

Describing his hitting philosophy, José Cruz said, “I go for choppers and bloopers.” For most of his career, Cruz played in two professional baseball leagues: in the States in the spring, summer, and fall, and in his native Puerto Rico in the winter. Despite being a great player, he went relatively unnoticed outside of Houston and San Juan. “Nobody has ever written or said much about me, but I’m quiet and don’t say much myself,” Cruz said. “I just love to play baseball. I play 12 months a year and I never get tired.”

3

Jose Altuve

2

Craig Biggio

The career of Craig Biggio breaks down like this: four years as a catcher, 14 as a second baseman, and two as an outfielder. He was an All-Star as both a catcher and second baseman. Like most second basemen, Biggio hit the wall at age 34, which is why the Astros asked him to play center field. Unlike most second basemen on this list, Biggio was a poor defender. He wasn’t a particularly great outfielder either, but he played every day and continued to churn out doubles.

1

Jeff Bagwell

“His wide base—a perfect blueprint for a single-arched bridge—has been a constant, a platform for a vicious uppercut that imperils pitches, whether imperfect or not.” — Al Carter, Dallas Morning News