Astros’ dynamic offense pitching for additional help

Astros’ dynamic offense pitching for additional help originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Paced by early AL MVP candidate Yordan Alvarez, the Houston Astros opened the MLB season with a dynamic offense, able to produce power and finesse.

Through their opening 11 outings, the Astros led the league with 111 hits, 64 walks and a .394 on-base percentage. Their 34 doubles were 12 more than the next-best club.

They ranked second with a .299 team batting average and were tied for second with 15 home runs.

Entering Tuesday’s matchup against the Colorado Rockies, the Astros’ electric offense collected 28 runs in their previous three games.

So why were the Astros 6-5 and losers of two straight?

Well, including Saturday’s 11-0 shutout over the Athletics, the Astros' pitching staff yielded 32 runs in its previous four games.

With Alvarez (1.0), Cam Smith (0.9) and Jose Altuve (0.9) leading the AL in fWAR, the Astros' offense opened the campaign with big run-producing numbers.

But so has the pitching staff.

Astros’ offense outproducing pitchers

As Alvarez continues to generate early AL MVP buzz, entering Monday with an OBP of .540, tops in the league. Altuve ranked second at .531.

The 2019 AL Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star, Alvarez collected 12 hits, including four home runs, during his opening 50 at-bats. He also had a league-leading 13 bases on balls.

Will Altuve continue to enjoy a career renaissance? At 35 years old, the former MVP and nine-time All-Star opened with a slash line of .378/.531/.649/1.179. The future Hall of Famer could establish career highs if he maintains his early-season pace.

The dynamic offense could keep the Astros in the pennant chase, but can the pitching staff, and its 5.75 earned-run average, do its part?