Houston Astros are still earth-bound but help is on the way

Players such as George Springer are a sign that things are starting to swing in the Houston Astros' favour. But more help is needed. Scott Halleran / AFP

As harbingers of a new era go, the Houston Astros could have done worse than misspelling their new phenom’s name on his major-league debut.

George Springer broke into the majors on Wednesday at home against the Kansas City Royals. The scoreboard operator appeared to be more caught up in the moment than most, dubbing the 24-year-old outfielder “Gerorge Springer”. Despite the added weight of the extra consonant, Springer did manage his first big-league hit.

Springer means more to the Astros than just another bright, young prospect. He is the first blue-chip position player to land in the majors since the organisation began a comprehensive rebuilding programme after coming under new ownership.

Houston have been a fixture at the bottom of the league in recent years, failing to manage a winning season since 2008 and losing more than 105 games in each of the past three years. Their future was murky, as well, with their farm system rated last in Major League Baseball by Baseball America from 2008 to 2010.

Since Jim Crane brought the Astros in November 2011, they have focused on incorporating sabermetric ideas into their front office and restocking their farm system with prospects. A key move in that effort was luring general manager Jeff Luhnow away from the St Louis Cardinals, where he drafted an MLB-best 24 future major-leaguers from 2005 to 2007.

This rebuilding, while necessary to roust the organisation from its long-term woes, has yet to come to full fruition and will look ugly on the field for some time yet. Houston are 5-13 this season after swapping the friendlier confines of the National League Central for the more competitive American League West, and another last-place finish is likely on the cards.

Springer was the most major-league ready of the Astros’ prospects, starting this season hitting .353 with three home runs and nine RBI in Triple-A. The others need more time to develop, meaning Houston’s rise may need another year or two.

Hope, as Stephen King wrote, “is a good thing, maybe the best of things.” The problem with building around hope is that bringing along young players is an inexact science at best.

The Chicago Cubs are attempting a similar rebuild, complete with a much-praised farm system and a major-league side stuck in last place. Unlike the Astros, the Cubs can still draw fans with their popular image and Wrigley Field. Houston have no such fallback option.

Should the Astros succeed, though, they could inspire more teams to seek success by drafting wisely instead of just outspending their rivals.

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