2016 Houston Astros

2016 Houston Astros / Franchise: Houston Astros / BR Team Page

Record: 84-78, Finished 3rd in AL Western Division (2016 AL)

Managed by A.J. Hinch

Coaches: Craig Bjornson, Rich Dauer, Trey Hillman, Dave Hudgens, Gary Pettis, Alonzo Powell, Dan Radison, Brent Strom and Alan Zinter

Ballpark: Minute Maid Park

History, Comments, Contributions

The 2016 Houston Astros were coming off a great 2015 season, which erased memories of the darkest period in team history, in which they set a new record for most losses in three consecutive years, to earn a spot in the postseason after leading the AL West for most of the year, and then coming within a late-inning collapse in Game 4 of the ALDS from eliminating the Kansas City Royals from further contention. On top of that, they did it by using mainly young players, so they entered the season with a lot of optimism.

April proved to be a cold spell however, as they finished the month at 8-17, just one game better than the worst record in the American League, posted by the Minnesota Twins. Pitching was the major problem, as they had the worst ERA in the league, with both the starters and relievers getting knocked around. On the hitting side, they were leading the league in strikeouts with 246.

On May 24-26, the Astros set a major league record for opponent strikeouts in a three-game series, as they whiffed 52 Baltimore Orioles batters during those three days. They were also the first team to strike out 15 or more batters in three consecutive games. It was a team effort, as, for example, in the middle game, the bullpen recorded 16 of the team's 19 Ks, and overall for 29 of the 52.

Awards and Honors

• All-Stars: Jose Altuve and Will Harris
• AL Gold Glove: Dallas Keuchel (P)
• AL Silver Slugger Award: Jose Altuve (2B)
• 2016 Topps All-Star Rookie Team: Alex Bregman (3B)

Further Reading

• Richard Justice: "After '15 success, Astros poised for encore: Houston stacked with young talent, hoping to go beyond last year's achievements", mlb.com, March 16, 2016. [1]
• Gabe Lacques: "Astros' big shift almost complete: From development to domination", USA Today Sports, March 13, 2016. [2]
• Bob Nightengale: "After steady rebuild, Astros on verge of taking a step back", USA Today Sports, August 17, 2016. [3]
• Jorge L. Ortiz: "Astros look to win back preseason believers after brutal first month", USA Today Sports, May 2, 2016. [4]
• Jorge L. Ortiz: "Surging Astros preparing for a return to the postseason", USA Today Sports, July 21, 2016. [5]
• Phil Rogers: "Astros hungry for more after taste of triumph", mlb.com, February 29, 2016. [6]

2016 MLB season by team