So today really sucks. The world of late sucks overall and obviously getting this virus under control and keeping people healthy is the most important thing, but today still sucks for us that love sports and specifically the Astros. We are supposed to be downtown doing shows all day today leading up to the first game of the 2020 season, but here we are...continuing list season on the blog. This week I have put together the following lists for:
Monday: My Favorite Astros That People Might Forget Were Astros
Tuesday: My Favorite Rockets That People Might Forget Played For The Rockets
Wednesday: Our Favorite Athletes To Hate As Houston Sports Fans
So with today being a day we were supposed to enjoy as another opening day, the list for the blog today goes back to the Astros. Let's put together the Astros all-time opening day lineup.
I am going about this from the standpoint of looking at each players career overall and their status in it, as well as how great they might have been in the given years that they were the Astros opening day starter at that given position. Some of these guys might only have one or two opening day starts for the Astros at their position, but they might have been at a stage of their career where they were actually better in that given year than a player who had more starts overall for the franchise. So to the list we go...
Catcher: Craig Biggio
Opening Day Starts At Catcher: 3 (1989-1991)
Career Accolades: Hall of Fame, 7x All-Star, 4x Gold Glove, 5x Silver Slugger
Career Accolades At Catcher: 1x All-Star
Career Stats At Catcher: 410 games, .267 BA, 22 HR, 129 RBI, .336 OBP, .366 SLG, .702 OPS
Why Biggio:
The best of Biggio at the plate came during his time at second base, but given the Astros lack of being catcher rich in their history, his three years as the opening day catcher and making one All-Star Game as a catcher put him over the top for me here.
Honorable Mention: Brian McCann, Brad Ausmus, Jason Castro, Alan Ashby
First Base: Jeff Bagwell
Opening Day Starts At First Base: 15 (1991-2005)
Career Accolades: Hall of Fame, 1994 NL MVP, 1991 NL Rookie of the Year, 4x All-Star, 1x Gold Glove, 3x Silver Slugger
Career Stats At First Base: 2105 games, .297 BA, 446 HR, 1512 RBI, .407 OBP, .540 SLG, .947 OPS
Why Bagwell:
No real reason to explain this pick. One of the greatest first baseman to ever play the game and probably one of the three to five greatest overall right handed first baseman in the history of the game.
Honorable Mention: Yuli Gurriel, Lance Berkman, Glenn Davis, Bob Watson, Lee May
Second Base: Jose Altuve
Opening Day Starts At Second Base: 8 (2012-2019)
Career Accolades: 2017 AL MVP, 6x All-Star, 1x Gold Glove, 5x Silver Slugger, 3x AL Batting Champ, 2019 ALCS MVP
Career Stats At Second Base: 1199 games, .315 BA, 126 HR, 520 RBI, .364 OBP, .465 SLG, .830 OPS
Why Altuve:
This is a place where there will be contention on who the pick is. For me, going Altuve here over Biggio is definitely aided by my choice to put Biggio at the catchers spot. Altuve is already two opening day starts away from matching Biggio for the most in franchise history and while he is still on his way to becoming a member of the hall of fame, his overall accolades are, for me, already superior to what Biggio was able to put up outside of the mass overall career numbers that Craig put up. In his first nine big league seasons I feel that you can already make a case for Altuve being the second best player in the history of the franchise. In about 900 fewer games at the position for Altuve, most of his career numbers are already approaching what Biggio put up in his time there, the biggest gaps coming in home runs, runs batted in and doubles, those numbers with another 900 games in his career should eventually pass Biggio's with ease.
Honorable Mention: Craig Biggio, Jeff Kent, Bill Doran, Joe Morgan
Third Base: Alex Bregman
Opening Day Starts At Third Base: 3 (2017-2019)
Career Accolades: 2x All-Star, 1x Silver Slugger, 2018 All-Star Game MVP, 2019 AL MVP Runner-Up
Career Stats At Third Base: 402 games, .274 BA, 71 HR, 232 RBI, .371 OBP, .507 SLG, .879 OPS
Why Bregman:
The Astros have not been super rich at third base despite having some big years from players at the position throughout their history. While his sample size is still small overall, he has already accomplished so much overall that it would be hard for me to pick another player as the best third baseman in the history of the franchise.
Honorable Mention: Ken Caminiti, Morgan Ensberg, Enos Cabell, Doug Rader, Bob Aspromonte
Shortstop: Carlos Correa
Opening Day Starts At Shortstop: 3 (2016-2018)
Career Accolades: 2015 AL Rookie of the Year, 1x All-Star
Career Stats At Shortstop: 543 games, .277 BA, 101 HR, 368 RBI, .357 OBP, .489 OBP, .846 SLG
Why Correa:
This might be the position where the Astros have their weakest history of stud players. Correa missed opening day last season, snapping his streak of three straight opening day starts. While injuries have plagued him more often than not, keeping him from amassing even bigger numbers this early in his career, he is clearly the best shortstop in the history of the franchise already.
Honorable Mention: Miguel Tejada, Adam Everett, Roger Metzger
Left Field: Lance Berkman
Opening Day Starts In Left Field: 3 (2001, 03-04)
Opening Day Starts For Astros: 8 (4 at First Base, 3 in Left Field, 1 in Center Field)
Career Accolades: 6x All-Star
Career Stats: 15 yrs, 1879 games, .293 BA, 366 HR, 1234 RBI, .406 OBP, .537 SLG, .943 OPS
Career Stats In Left Field: 504 games, .296 BA, 86 HR, 313 RBI, .415 OBP, .535 SLG, .950 OPS
Why Berkman:
So the outfield is where things get tricky and I have to manipulate my picks here and maybe not put a guy where you would typically put him, but given how this has already played out, Berkman finds himself in left, like Biggio finds himself behind the plate. Left Field is where Berkman made the second most starts of his big league career and second most opening day starts for the Astros. While yes we are punting some defense here with this pick, you cannot have an all-time Astros opening day lineup without Berkman in it. He is no worst than fifth on the Astros all-time best players list.
Honorable Mention: Jose Cruz, Luis Gonzalez, Bob Watson, Carlos Lee, Moises Alou
Center Field: Cesar Cedeno
Opening Day Starts In Center Field: 9 (1972-76, 1978-81)
Opening Day Starts For Astros: 10 (9 in Center Field, 1 in Right Field)
Career Accolades: 4x All-Star, 5x Gold Glove
Career Stats: 17 yrs, 2006 games, .285 BA, 199 HR, 976 RBI, .347 OBP, .443 SLG, .790 OPS
Career Stats in Center Field: 1439 games, .296 BA, 162 HR, 766 RBI, .357 OBP, .463 SLG, .820 OPS
Why Cedeno:
Cedeno has made the most starts in the history of the franchise in center field and is at worst a top 15 and more likely a top 10 player in the history of the franchise. One of the first players in the history of the team to be viewed as a five tool player, a consistent monster through the first seven years of his big league career. Jim Wynn has the second most career opening day starts for the Astros in center, coming in with six and would be the pick for some in this position, but I go with Cedeno here because of his overall skill set at the position.
Honorable Mention: Jim Wynn, Michael Bourn, George Springer
Right Field: George Springer
Opening Day Starts In Right Field: 4 (2015-16, 2018-19)
Opening Day Starts For Astros: 5 (4 in Right Field, 1 in Center Field)
Career Accolades: 3x All-Star, 2x Silver Slugger, 2017 World Series MVP
Career Stats: 6 years, 744 games, .270 BA, 160 HR, 426 RBI, ..361 OBP, .488 SLG, .849 OPS
Career Stats In Right Field: 501 games, .268 BA, 93 HR, 264 RBI, .363 OBP, .472 SLG, .835 OPS
Why Springer:
Springer has made the second most opening day start in right field for the Astros behind Terry Puhl's eight. One of the games most feared sluggers now, has become a bigger monster at the plate each year in his career, rocketing himself up the Astros all-time greatest players list. The straw that stirs the drink for the Astros in this era of the franchise, if he stays here long term, will see himself cemented into a list like this for a long time to come.
Honorable Mention: Hunter Pence, Richard Hidalgo, Derek Bell, Moises Alou, Terry Puhl
Designated Hitter: Evan Gattis
Opening Day Starts At DH: 2
Opening Day Starts For Astros: 2 (Both at DH)
Career Accolades: 2017 World Series Champion, Astros Home Run Leader 2016
Career Stats: 6 years, 706 games, .248 BA, 139 HR, 410 RBI, .300 OBP, .476 SLG, .775 OPS
Career Stats At DH: 351 games, .235 BA, 64 HR, 200 RBI, .289 OBP, .437 SLG, .726 OPS
Why Gattis:
So this spot is clearly the weakest in Astros history given that they have only had seven opening day starters at the DH spot in their now just seven years in the American League. By default I am giving Gattis the nod here at this spot as he is the only player to make multiple starts at the DH spot in the history of the franchise. While I should probably go with Beltran here for his overall work in his career, he played so few games overall in his career at this spot and only one year of it while he was here, his not being that great overall in that one season in 2017 kept me from giving the nod to him. When Yordan Alvarez makes his first career opening day start at the DH spot for the club, he will instantly take this spot from Gattis.
Honorable Mention: Carlos Beltran
Starting Pitcher: Justin Verlander
Opening Day Starts: 11 (2008-14, 2016-19)
Opening Day Starts With Astros: 2 (2018-19)
Career Accolades: 8x All-Star, 2011 AL MVP, 2x AL Cy Young (2011, 2019), 2006 AL Rookie of the Year, 2011 Pitching Triple Crown, 2011 AL ERA Title, 2017 ALCS MVP, 3x MLB Wins Leader, 3x MLB Strikeout Leader, 2x AL Strikeout Leader, 4x MLB Innings Pitched Leader, 3x MLB Whip Leader, 1x AL Whip Leader, 3 No-Hitters
Career Stats: 15 years, 453 starts, 2982 IP, 225-129, 3.33 ERA, 3006 SO, 850 BB, 1.135 WHIP
Career Stats With Astros: 2+ years, 73 starts, 471 IP, 42-15, 2.45 ERA, 633 SO, 84 BB, 0.837 WHIP
Career Stats On Opening Day: 11 Starts, 65 IP, 4-1, 3.32 ERA, 69 SO, 21 BB, 49 H, 1.0769 WHIP
Career Stats On Opening Day With Astros: 2 starts, 13 IP, 2-0, 0.69 ERA
Why Verlander:
So the starting pitcher really gave me the hardest time when it came to making a decision. I have changed my mind three times, but I'm going with Verlander and stopping my waffling on it. The Astros have a rich history of pitching and at the end of the day, there is no wrong choice for who you would hand the ball to. To make the decision I took into account their entire career, accolades and how they have done overall in their opening day starts. In the history of the franchise, they have had 25 different guys take the mound on opening day, 13 of them doing it multiple times. I narrowed my choices down to these guys, along with Verlander.
Pitcher: (Opening Day Stats With Astros)
Roy Oswalt: 8 Starts, 47.1 IP, 2-4, 3.80 ERA
J.R. Richard: 5 Starts, 31 IP, 2-2, 4.35 ERA
Mike Scott: 5 Starts: 31.2 IP, 3-1, 5.12 ERA
Nolan Ryan: 3 Starts: 16.1 IP, 1-2, 7.16 ERA
Shane Reynolds: 5 Starts, 32 IP, 3-1, 3.38 ERA
Larry Dierker: 4 Starts, 33 IP, 4-0, 2.73 ERA
Joe Niekro: 3 Starts, 17 IP, 0-1, 5.82 ERA
Dallas Keuchel: 3 starts, 21 IP, 3-0, 0.86 ERA
Just going off the number listed above, Richard, Ryan and Niekro were the first scratches and boy did it feel wrong to knock Nolan Ryan off that quickly. Moving onto what they have or did in their careers, Reynolds, Oswalt and Dierker fell off next. And again I find myself feeling dumb for knocking off the likes of Oswalt and Dierker specifically, that quickly. DIERKER WAS PERFECT IN HIS FOUR CAREER OPENING DAY STARTS YOU IDIOT AND NOBODY HAS MADE MORE OPENING DAY STARTS IN ASTROS HISTORY THAT OSWALT YOU BUFFOON!!! I knocked those guys off next because they lacked some of the overall career accolades of the guys left, Verlander and Keuchel. Mike Scott should probably have stuck around to this stage given that he has a Cy Young award like these two and a better overall career than Keuchel, but this is where the opening day performances came into play and did not get him this deep into my elimination process despite going 3-1 in his five opening day starts.
So with it down to Verlander and Keuchel, you are probably screaming that I have recency bias and sure, I absolutely kind of do. These two guys played massive roles in bringing Houston our first World Series title. Both guys have a Cy Young, but Verlander's career overall made this an easy choice despite Keuchel being a BEAST in his three opening day starts. Keuchel went seven innings in all three of them, two of them pitching shutout ball, giving up just two runs in the other. But as you could see from Verlander's two opening day starts in Houston, he has been just as good. So after all of this debating myself and changing my pick multiple times, Verlander is where I land for this pick.
If I was picking from this group to win just one game, no matter the situation, I think my pick would come down to Verlander or Nolan Ryan. No matter what, there is no real way to go wrong with any of these picks given how rich the Astros history of pitching is.
So there it is, my ultimate Astros opening day lineup. Let the debate begin, all of our lineup cards might look completely different. What we can all agree on is this, again, not having baseball today is just no fun. But life right now and all of us staying safe and healthy is what matters most...baseball will be back with us before we know it.
Another list coming for you tomorrow, so come right back to the blog to find out what the subject is. Hear me each morning on The Sean Salisbury Show from 6-10am and find me on twitter HERE.