Most. I’ve never been sold on the guy.
However, he is very young and I am often wrong.
Hensley ain’t particularly young. He’s 27. He’s older than Tucker, Alvarez, Pena, Meyers…you get the drift. Not that he can’t be a valuable player.
He has a Jack Mayfield vibe, seasoned and fundamentally sound. The catcher situation is still of concern, assuming Meyers and Brantley are healthy enough. If LMJ is considered available in April, that would be stunning
Gammons tweeted some interesting things about Bryan Abreu.
There have been whispers about trying him as a starter this spring.
If that works and he is half as good as he was last year in the bullpen this could be a monster rotation that does not miss Verlander at all.
I just imagined Abreu outpitching Verlander in one of the 3 games in June.
Maybe a combined no-hitter !!
Ok I’m getting ahead of myself.
I see the Mayfield comparison but Hensley is better with a bat across the board - hit tool, eye, and power. He may even be faster than super Jack.
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I’m not sure I see comparisons to Mayfield, other than they’re both infielders. I really liked Mayfield, and I wish the Astros could have found spot for him. But given his role, he needed to hit more than he did, and they just couldn’t give him more playing time. Hensley hit well in his limited time last year, and while I don’t think he’d hit .345 over 300 at bats, hopefully he can at least be a replacement for Diaz. It’s February…hope springs eternal.
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I don’t think Hensley will be a star or anything, but I bet by this time next year we’ll see his value the same way we saw Marwin’s. He looked completely unintimidated by MLB pitching in some big spots late last year.
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I think they are comparable because they are both multi position infielders who worked for many years to rise from non prospects to getting a shot in the show.
On the field I think they are pretty different players.
I was shouting, not whispering, about Abreu as a starter.
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That is what impressed me the most.
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Wow! In my mind I thought he was 22 or 23. He’s a tall Jack Mayfield.
Me too. I saw nothing that told me he wasn’t capable and ready for it.(re: Abreu).
I think 27 is the perfect age to assume a utility role in the MLs. At that age you’ve seen a lot and done a lot to prepare you and probably realize that this is your best chance to stick with a ML club.
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Nice bit of news for a change.
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Based on what Brown said in the McTaggart interview it sounds like Gage has put himself into a pisition where an opening day roster spit is his to lose.
It also sounds like he likes Dirden but wants him to work on some things in the batters box. That tells me they want him in Sugar Land, not Houston even if Brantley starts the season on the IL
My “friend” posted this morning that Kessinger has really impressed people in camp. He said they are talking about him like they talked about Chas, Pena, and Meyers before they came up.
Not that I expect Grae before all star break at earliest. Just forwarding some opinions and posts.
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That would be a hell of a turnaround for Kessinger.
USA Today’s MLB preview issue had Houston leading the AL in wins, with the brief attendant profile postulating Brown being a more than adequate replacement for Verlander
Astros are going to miss JVL, but looking foward to see how Brown does over a whole season.
So am I. If his command has improved as much as has been suggested, the sky’s the limit.
I’m optimistic about Brown as much as the next guy, but it’s unfair to expect him to replace Verlander. In his just over three seasons with the Astros Verlander was 61-19 with a 2.26 ERA and won two Cy Young Awards. Let’s not put the weight of the world on the kid.
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