Super Utility Player Was Recent Flash in the Pan for the Houston Astros

A super-utility player was a recent one-hit-wonder for the Houston Astros.

Sep 20, 2021; Anaheim, California, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Marwin Gonzalez (9) crosses the plate after hitting a grand slam home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the ninth inning at Angel Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have been the gold standard of the MLB for nearly a decade.

Riding a streak of seven straight ALCS appearances, the Astros look like they will have a chance to make it eight in 2024. Their team is peaking at the right time and if Kyle Tucker can come back healthy, watch out.

Part of the reason on has been so successful is that they have a very strong core group of players. Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Pena and Justin Verlander have been through a lot and know what it takes to reach the top.

Every year, there is someone who provides unexpected production to help buoy the team when things aren’t going well. This year, starting pitchers Ronel Blanco, Hunter Brown and Spencer Arrighetti could fall into that category.

At the start of this ALCS streak, it was super utility player Marwin Gonzalez who helped set the tone for the team.

For almost his entire career, he was someone that teams could plug into the lineup anywhere on the field in a pinch. While he wasn’t a star by any means, he proved to be reliable.

But, in 2017, everything seemed to click for him. He recorded a slash line of .303/.377/.530 with 23 home runs and eight stolen bases in 134 games and 515 plate appearances. 

Several career highs were recorded that season as everything came together at once. He keyed the team’s run to the World Series as well.

“He also provided some heroics amid Houston's championship run, most notably with a game-tying homer off Kenley Jansen in Game 2 of the World Series,” wrote Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report.

Naturally, it wasn’t a season Gonzalez ever got close to replicating again in his career. He spent five more seasons in the MLB and has played two in Japan.

That is why Rymer highlighted Gonzalez, as he selected him as the Astros' biggest one-hit-wonder in recent history.

Of course, some people don’t believe it is a coincidence that the best season of his career came when Houston was caught stealing signs. There isn’t a player on the team who had as many trash can-banging moments as Gonzalez.

In 1,004 games and 3,667 plate appearances as a Major Leaguer outside of the 2017 season, he hit only 84 home runs. That is likely enough evidence for many people to make sense of why he had such an incredible one-off breakout campaign.