Could Top Prospect Be Houston Astros Answer To First Base Woes?
It may not seem like a likely scenario, but something’s got to give when it comes to the ongoing offensive issues at first base for the defending 2022 World Series Champion Houston Astros.
And Astros prospect Joey Loperfido could very well be the answer to Houston’s first base woes.
Whether he’s injured or not, the signing of Jose Abreu to man first base has been a complete disappointment thus far.
Abreu’s offensive production, or lack thereof, has been the forefront of many sports columns, memes and social media posts.
But Houston could very well have that future first baseman and hidden gem waiting in the wings at Double-A Corpus Christi.
Granted, this is a guy who started the 2023 season with the High-A Asheville Tourists, but he only spent eight games in North Carolina before getting the call to pack his bags and head to Texas.
The Astros' No. 16 prospect, Loperfido is a left-handed batter and can play in the outfield, first base and second base.
In 16 games with the Double-A Hooks, Loperfido is slashing .328/.459/.603 through 58 at-bats with four doubles, four home runs, 18 RBI and five stolen bases.
That's a whole lot better than Abreu's slash line of .218/.265/.261 without a single home run.
Others in the Astros organization have made the leap from Double-A to the Majors, completely bypassing Triple-A play.
The two most recent players in Houston’s organization to accomplish that feat were J.D. Martinez and Jose Altuve.
I’d say they turned out to be pretty decent players in the Majors, to say the least.
Look, Loperfido may not be the next J.D. or Altuve, but then again he very well could.
It’s worth a shot at the very least.
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