Three players who need to improve for the Astros to contend in 2024
Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman.
A fifth of the way into the 2024 MLB season, there have been plenty of surprise teams to start the season, and some have gotten off to disappointing starts.
The team off to the most disappointing start is the Houston Astros, currently 12-22 and in fourth place in the American League West. After spending most of the last decade as royalty in the AL West, the players must figure things out quickly if they want to compete.
Here are three players who need to produce for the Astros, if they want a chance to turn things around in 2024.
Josh Hader, relief pitcher
2024 stats: 1-3, 6.14 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 24 strikeouts in 14.2 innings pitched
The Astros prized offseason addition, Hader has had a rocky start to his 2024 season.
Joining the Astros on a five-year, $95M deal, the 30-year-old left-hander made five NL All-Star appearances with the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres before hitting free agency last offseason.
With 10 earned runs allowed in 14.2 innings pitched, Hader sits with a 6.14 ERA and has allowed opposing hitters to bat .255 against him compared to his career .160 batting average against.
After allowing three home runs in 56.1 innings last season, Hader has already allowed two in his 15 appearances this season.
While the team’s struggles are not entirely on him, Hader has been far from the stalwart at the end of games and has allowed teams to steal games away from the struggling Astros.
The second-highest-paid relief pitcher in the MLB at $19M per season, the Astros can’t afford for him to be mediocre.
Alex Bregman, third base
2024 stats: .202/.284/.269, one home run and 11 RBI in 31 games played
The runner-up in the 2019 AL MVP award race, Bregman has failed to reproduce the 41 home runs and 112 RBI he had that year.
Coming off of back-to-back solid seasons where he averaged 24 home runs and 96 RBI while hitting .261, Bregman has been struggling at the plate in 2024.
Currently slashing .202/.284/.269, he has only six extra-base hits and 11 RBI for a struggling Astros team that is desperate for production.
His Baseball Savant page is not very encouraging, either.
Entering the final year of his contract, the 30-year-old is off to his worst season as a member of the Astros and as he heads into free agency he will need to turn things around fast.
Chas McCormick, outfielder
2024 stats: .236/.325/.278, three extra-base hits and eight RBI in 21 games played
One of the Astros’ breakout stars in 2023, slashing .273/.353/.489 with 22 home runs, 70 RBI and stealing 20 bases, McCormick has looked like a totally different player in 2024.
With zero home runs so far this season, the 29-year-old has only managed three extra-base hits and eight RBI in 21 games for the Astros.
McCormick’s Baseball Savant page looks worse than Bregman’s outside of his strikeout percentage, compounding the Astros’ struggles at the plate.
After missing time this season with discomfort in his right hamstring, he has also seen his solid defense take a hit. His range value last season was in the 87th percentile and that has dropped down to the 76th percentile in 2024.
With plenty of time to go on a run, McCormick will hope to turn things around as the Astros look to rebound from a slow start.
Want more articles like this? Follow Yardbarker on MSN to see more of our exclusive MLB content.
More must-reads:
Trending slideshow: Which MLB players have the most career WAR? (Provided by Yardbarker)