Spring Training Leaders: 3/11/17

Checking in on the Spring Training stats for a few of the Astros who aren't a lock* to make the opening day roster ...

One caveat: Spring Training stats, especially early on are somewhat meaningless. Pitchers are working on specific pitches, tweaking their delivery and simply getting their arms back up to speed. Hitters are working on their timing in the box, tweaking their stances/load and are looking for specific pitches/locations they want to work on either hitting to the opposite field, laying off of altogether or the like. Don't make too much out of bad ST stats. But the flip side of that is that a young player who does particularly well in ST against much older and more experienced competition will put himself on the radar of the front office and the MLB coaching staff as did Tyler White in 2016. So ST stats are mostly meaningless, but not completely.

Jandel Gustave - June 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Let's take a look at the pitchers first.

Obviously, these are all small itty-bitty teeny-weeny sample sizes but there are a few Astros pitchers who have not allowed a hit or a run so far, including RHP Dayan Diaz (1.0IP), RHP James Hoyt (2.0IP), LHP Albert Minnis (1.0IP) and RHP Trent Thornton (0.2IP).

However, of those pitchers having thrown a minimum of four innings so far this season, these are your early leaders:

RHP Jandel Gustave
4G 4.0IP 0.00ERA 0.500WHIP 1BB 5SO .083AVG

LHP Framber Valdez
3G 4.0IP 0.00ERA 0.750WHIP 1BB 4SO .154AVG

RHP Joe Musgrove
3G/3ST 8.0IP 1.13ERA 1.000WHIP 2BB 7SO .214AVG

RHP Michael Feliz
4G 5.1IP 3.38ERA 0.750WHIP 0BB 4SO .222AVG

RHP David Paulino
3G 7.0IP 3.86ERA 1.143WHIP 1BB 4SO .250AVG

Colin Moran - September 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

And now for the position players who are leading the pack early on (minimum 12 AB) ...

3B Colin Moran
16AB .438/.526/.875 1-2B 2HR

OF Alejandro Garcia
14AB .429/.500/.429

3B J.D. Davis
13AB .385/.529/.462 1-2B

OF Derek Fisher
12AB .333/.529/.500 2-2B 5SB

2B/LF Tony Kemp
21AB .333/.364/.381 1-2B

1B A.J. Reed
22AB .318/.400/.773 1-2B 3HR

*It's highly likely that some of these players will be on the opening day roster, but since those on this list who are on the 40-man roster all have options remaining, they will be the easiest to send to AAA to start the season.