Two Truths, One Lie: Astros Edition

I notice a few recurring themes as I dig into our rivals within the AL West. First, there is some genuine hatred for the Houston Astros. Second, this is arguably the most completive division in the league. Current standings aside, there's been some key moves and non-moves across the AL West landscape. None more so than the Astros not resigning ace Justin Verlander. Let's dive into Two Truths, One Lie with that trash can-banging club from Houston.

Truth #1: The Astros' depth will be tested.

Houston has always had a rock-solid starting staff, but they stood out from the other teams in the league by showcasing lineup depth. They kicked off this season with All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve (broken thumb) and Michael Brantley (shoulder). Those are two critical pieces to the offense. So manager Dusty Baker has penciled Mauricio Dubon, Corey Julks, and David Hensley in their place.

While the trio has held their own, they are far from the clutch hitters Altuve and Brantley are when this lineup clicks.

Truth #2: Framber Valdez will slide into the Ace spot.

Left-hander Framber Valdez threw 25 straight quality starts last season, playing Robin to Verlander's Batman. Now that the sure-fire Hall of Famer is in New York, Valdez was slotted to take over as the #1 starter in Houston's rotation. Early season results are promising, as the 29-year-old Southpaw is sporting a 2.25 ERA over his first five starts.

Baseball Savant's deep dive into the analytics has Valdez in the fortieth percentile in barrel percentage, which means he is still creating considerable weak contact. But when batters barrel him up, they hammer pitches at an average of 92.9 miles per hour. That is knocking on the doorstep of hard-hit territory. So despite the rise in the barrel and hard-hit rate (50%), Valdez still qualifies as the Astro's ace.

Lie #1: Jose Abreu will push this lineup to new heights

When GM James Click signed White Sox perennial All-Star Jose Abreu, there was a collective panic across Mariner Twitter. Comments centered around the Astro's embarrassment of riches offensively, with many fans wondering how any team could overtake them in the standings. Well, a little under one month into the season, and all is right in the world.

The lumbering first baseman has regressed from career norms to a .250/.289/.572 slash line with no homers. Abreu has the lowest average exit velocity of his career (89 mph), striking out at a career-high 23.7%. He'll figure it out at some point. But then again, let us hope it takes a bit.