Pick of the week: The Astros will soar past the Nationals
Illustration by Soli Santoyo.
Marcus Leary, Contributing Writer
This week we’re turning to the nation’s capital for a Major League Baseball matchup between the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals on Friday, April 19. This game will be game one of a three-game series.
This will be a rematch of the 2019 World Series, where the Washington Nationals took home their first trophy. Since the World Series battle, the Astros have a 4-2 record against the Nationals, according to ChampsorChumps.
Both teams are off to a slow start this year, with the Nationals standing at No. 12 in the National League and the Astros at No. 14 in the American League, according to ESPN.
As of Sunday, April 14, the Astros have a clear offensive advantage with 46 more hits, 19 more total runs and six more home runs than the Nationals, according to ESPN.
The only offensive stat the Nationals have a significant edge in is stolen bases, where they are second in the MLB with 28, according to ESPN.
On the pitching front, both teams are almost even. Washington has a better ERA with 4.53 compared to Houston’s 5.35. Houston has better starters with six quality starts, but Washington has better closers with five saves, according to ESPN.
Houston also has MLB stars like second-baseman Jose Altuve and right-fielder Kyle Tucker, that the Nationals lack.
Altuve leads the MLB in total hits with 29, and is first in the American League in batting average with a .403, according to ESPN.
Altuve also contributes on the defensive side of the ball where he is tied for first in fielding percentage and is fourth in double plays, according to ESPN.
Tucker is a reliable, defensive threat, playing in 138 full innings, with a fielding percentage of 100%, and 27 putouts, according to ESPN.
Not only is Tucker a defensive threat but he leads the Astros in RBI’s with 13, according to ESPN.
Despite the Astros having a worse record, I believe the star power of Altuve, Tucker and left-fielder Yordan Álvarez, alongside the explosive team offense, will be too much for Washington and give Houston the edge.
