Behind Enemy Lines: How Astros' Top 7 Hitters Are Performing at Home as Mariners Head Out to Houston

In order to secure their fourth consecutive series victory, the Mariners will have to exorcise some demons and accomplish the rare feat of limiting the Astros' dangerous lineup at Minute Maid Park. Ty Dane Gonzalez dissects how Houston's top hitters are faring at home.

Fresh off their third consecutive series victory, the Mariners are going for the ultimate heat check starting Monday. 

Minute Maid Park has been a house of horrors for Seattle, losing 26 of its last 30 games when visiting Houston. The biggest reason for this? For over half a decade, keeping Astros hitters at bay when playing at "The Juice Box" has been one of the sport's most difficult tasks—not just for the M's, but for almost every major league pitching staff. 

Since 2015, Houston has led MLB three times in home wRC+ and finished in the top-six two other years. Tip of the cap to the organization's front office, which has more often than not built—and sustained—an offense conducive to taking advantage of Minute Maid Park's unique confines. 

This extraordinary level of success, however, has not entirely carried over to 2022 thus far. In fact, despite their current 14-6 record in Houston, the Astros have been a middle-of-the-pack offense, ranking 16th in home wRC+ (106) entering Monday's slate of games. Interestingly enough, the Mariners are leading the league with a home wRC+ of 134. 

Even with some statistical regression, however, Houston's lineup is still very much dangerous. Plus, it doesn't always take a great piece of hitting to significantly impact a game at MMP, thanks to the 315-foot walk out to the famed Crawford Boxes in left field and the short porch in right. As such, there is always the looming possibility that what would be a routine flyout at 29 other ballparks winds up putting four runs on the board in the blink of an eye. Therefore, visiting teams not only have to match the Astros in skill, but in a fair bit of luck as well. 

With that said, let's dive a bit deeper into the Astros' offense and take a look at which of their seven best hitters are benefitting the most from home cooking. 

1B Yuli Gurriel

Gurriel's one of the few Astros hitters who's performed better outside of Minute Maid Park than in it this year. He's slashing .179/.225/.269, ranks 10th on the team with a wRC+ of 46 and is still in search of his first home run. 

2B José Altuve

No matter where he's played this year, Altuve has been great and that has especially rung true at home. Through 57 plate appearances, the veteran second baseman is sporting a ridiculous .392/.456/.706 slash line with four home runs and a team-high 241 wRC+. 

3B Alex Bregman

Bregman hasn't done much to rebut the "Minute Maid merchant" claims this year, posting an 89 wRC+ on the road and a 161 wRC+ at home—second to Altuve's 241. Overall, he's slashing .282/.366/.521 and is always a threat for one of those "Crawford Box specials." 

SS Jeremy Peña

Peña, like Altuve, has been good everywhere, but he's fared even better at home as a rookie. The 24-year old shortstop is mashing baseballs to the tune of a .300/.354/.517 clip with four home runs and 10 RBI. 

OF Kyle Tucker

Tucker is following a similar path to Gurriel, but to even more of an extreme. While he currently possesses the second-best road wRC+ (171) on the Astros, the power-hitting outfielder is slashing just .175/.297/.238 with a single home run to his credit at Minute Maid Park. 

OF Michael Brantley

As to be expected with a consistent producer like Brantley, there's good stuff to find in both his home and road splits. The veteran has been a tick or two better down in Houston, however, slashing .299/.377/.403 with seven runs driven in. 

DH Yordan Álvarez

Álvarez's monster year has known no bounds, though it should be mentioned that he's been significantly better away from Houston. That said, while he's hitting for a modest .208 average at home, he's still getting on base at a .351 clip with a slugging percentage of .444, a 136 wRC+ and four home runs.  

Other Notables

Outfielders José Siri and Chas McCormick are another pair of rare Astros who, like Tucker, Álvarez and Gurriel, have shattered their home numbers on the road. Siri's 102 wRC+ in away games is strikingly contrasted by an abysmal 34 wRC+ at home, while McCormick has suffered a 52-point dip in wRC+ from road (116) to home (74).