Getting to Know Astros/Hooks SS Alex Bregman

Unfortunately, in my weekend trip to Corpus Christi, Astros 2015 first round pick SS Alex Bregman didn't have his finest performance of the season as he went 0-for-4 for the evening and ended up on the DL as he came up lame trying to reach on a groundout. But, despite the 0-for-4, the Texas League Player of the Week for the week of April 17th managed to get wood on the ball in each of his four at-bats. Known for making good contact, he has only struck out five times in the first 13 games of his 2016 campaign.

Alex Bregman (L) with Joe Musgrove - April 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

In the 2016 Houston Farm System Handbook, I wrote the following about Bregman before I had even seen him in person.

As the second overall pick in the 2015 draft, Bregman came with certain expectations and he fulfilled them nicely. His bat speed helps him make solid consistent contact to all fields (athough much of his power has been to the pull side so far). He is not a particularly speedy runner, but makes up for it with good baserunning instincts. And he has quickly become the best defensive shortstop in the Astros minor league system. He doesn't have the spectacular skill set of a Carlos Correa, but he more than makes up for it with hard work, aggressiveness and good baseball instincts.

Now that I've had a chance to watch Bregman in person, I would add to that assessment that Bregman is a natural leader. He leads by example with a quiet confidence and calm energy. In the dugout, he's not a number one draft pick; he's just one of the guys. I found him to be personable and genuine with a quick smile and a twinkle in his eye.

Corpus Christi Manager Rodney Linares said of Bregman, "What's not to like? He started off really hot. He's got a lot of good attributes. He's a leader, shows up, works hard, smart, pretty good defensive shortstop so he's got a lot of things going for him." Bregman's hot start (.340/.431/.660) is no surprise to Linares given Bregman's knowledge of the strike zone. Linares sees a lot of potential for Bregman to hit for high average and collect more than his share of extra base hits.

Alex Bregman - April 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Of Friday night's injury, the general consensus seems to be that Bregman will be on the DL a week to 10 days, but I feel certain that the Astros will play things very cautiously and the DL stint could be somewhat longer. I caught up with Bregman on Sunday morning after he spent about an hour and a half in the training room. We didn't talk about the injury in this interview, but he is anxious to do everything in his power to get back on the field as soon as possible. We did talk about several other topics, though, including the elephant in the room.

Thank you for your time, Alex, and best of luck as the season continues.