Dusty Baker Articles - Page 2

The 2023 Houston Astros have been confusing, and that is apparent when looking at their home-road splits on the season. The Astros went 39-42 at home in the regular season, but were 51-30 on the road, and that trend has continued in these playoffs. Dusty Baker opened up about the trend with the Astros this […]

The Houston Astros roster has changed a lot ever since they broke into the contending scene in 2015. But amid all the roster churn, one major driving force has remained a constant at the top/heart of the Astros’ order in Jose Altuve. Altuve, who has been with the Astros since 2011, has made his mark […]

The Houston Astros are back in business. The reigning World Series champions prevented themselves from falling into a 0-3 hole in the 2023 American League Championship Series against the Texas Rangers by pulling off an 8-5 win Wednesday night in Arlington. And right after that game, Houston manager Dusty Baker was already trying to play […]

Analytics is a term baseball fans, and sports fans in general, have likely heard more of in recent years. Many front offices are turning to a numbers-based approach when it comes to their roster construction of teams. Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker made a brutally honest admission about analytics before giving Texas Rangers manager Bruce […]

The Houston Astros dominated the Texas Rangers in the regular-season, beating their interstate rivals nine out of 13 tries in 2023 — but Dusty Baker knows that means nothing once the American League Championship Series kicks off on Sunday night. “Clean slate,” he said when asked about the Astros’ success against the Rangers, per MLB.com’s […]

Managers Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker have a lot in common. They both won the World Series, surpassed 2,000 career wins and are surely headed to Cooperstown. The former has helped the reloaded Texas Rangers immediately fulfill their potential, while the latter stabilized a Houston Astros team mired in negativity and scandal. When the American […]

With the Houston Astros advancing past the Minnesota Twins with a win in Game 4 of the ALDS, it sets up an epic clash with the rival Texas Rangers in the ALCS, and Dusty Baker’s comments should get baseball fans excited for the series. “They know us, and we know them,” Dusty Baker said, via […]

Welcome to the Yordan Alvarez show. The Houston Astros slugger is absolutely flourishing in the MLB Playoffs thus far and continues to hit at a historic rate, slashing .500 in three postseason games to go along with four home runs, two doubles, and six RBIs. After Alvarez went 3 for 5 with a pair of […]

There are six games left in the Houston Astros’ season, with three coming against the Seattle Mariners this week. Longtime star Justin Verlander was expected to take the mound tonight against Dominican hurler Luis Castillo of the Mariners. The Astros still have a chance to clinch a playoff berth, making Monday’s game in Seattle especially […]

There are only seven games remaining on the schedule of the Houston Astros, but they have yet to lock up a seat in the 2023 MLB playoffs. Still engaged in a tight race to the top of the American League West division against the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners, the Astros did not do […]

The Houston Astros are currently locked in a tight battle with the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners for AL West supremacy. However, at the moment, the top of the AL West is lava, with the three contending teams not exactly playing convincing baseball over the past few weeks. The Astros, in particular, are coming off […]

The Oakland Athletics are surprisingly having their way against the Houston Astros, who just lost back-to-back games to the A’s. The Astros suffered a loss to Oakland in the series opener on Monday, 4-0, then again on Tuesday night to the tune of a 6-2. Houston manager Dusty Baker shares his thoughts about the recent […]

The Houston Astros are dealing with a bit of locker room turmoil regarding manager Dusty Baker and outfielder Chas McCormick. Although McCormick has been having one of the best statistical seasons of his career thus far in 2023, the Astros fanbase has been up in arms recently about his perceived lack of playing time. Some […]

One of the biggest mysteries with the Houston Astros this season has been Chas McCormick’s lack of playing time despite having a very strong statistical season. There has been some speculation that McCormick’s weight has been a concern for manager Dusty Baker, but he has denied that. McCormick spoke about playing at a heavier weight […]

The Houston Astros defeated the Texas Rangers in convincing fashion on Monday. Houston won 13-6 and made a statement as both teams battle for the AL West title. However, Houston was also dealt a concerning injury. Key reliever Ryne Stanek was carted off the field after suffering an apparent ankle injury. Manager Dusty Baker provided […]

Houston Astros fans who were hoping to see Michael Brantley during the stretch run toward the playoffs may not get their wish. Astros manager Dusty Baker said Thursday that Brantley is “not physically there yet” and will remain in the minors as he rehabs his shoulder, according to Brian McTaggart. “He’s not ready and I […]

The Houston Astros have maintained consistent success in recent years. Houston’s legacy was tarnished following their 2017 sign-stealing scandal. That said, the franchise’s resiliency to continue performing at a high level despite facing constant backlash has been commendable. Astros manager Dusty Baker, who took over the team in 2020 after news of the scandal was […]

There’s no better time for any hitter in baseball to heat up, especially with the postseason beckoning. And for the Seattle Mariners, a team that ranks in the middle of the pack in runs scored per game in 2023, they’ll be counting on Julio Rodriguez to shoulder a heavy offensive workload. And to Rodriguez’s credit, […]

Kyle Tucker just gave the Houston Astros a huge win in the most incredible fashion imaginable: hitting a ninth-inning grand slam off of Baltimore Orioles superstar Felix Bautista. Bautista is having one of the best seasons by a relief pitcher in recent memory but faltered in a home matchup with the Astros. A walk from […]

The Houston Astros are promoting Jon Singleton to the active major league roster, per the Athletic. Singleton was once a top prospect in the Astros’ system, but he hasn’t played for the big league team since 2015. With very little depth on the squad, Houston needs a left-handed power bat off the bench. Astros general manager […]

Injury recovery times are usually tricky. Most players would want to rest after nursing the health concern and have a slow integration back into the rotation. The Houston Astros and Dusty Baker are taking a different approach to this. They are using a return strategy for Jose Altuve that is unlike what most teams do. […]

Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano left the MLB All-Star Game Tuesday due to back tightness. American League manager Dusty Baker provided the following update on Romano, via ESPN: “He threw his last pitch in the bullpen before he went out there, he just felt a little tightness in his lower back, and we got […]

Justin Verlander and the New York Mets are in Houston to start the week for a three-game series against his former team and the reigning World Series champions. Before Monday night’s game at Minute Maid Park, Verlander and Astros manager Dusty Baker shared a moment on the field as the pitcher was presented with his […]

The Houston Astros are not used to being in this position. As they approach the halfway point of the season — they have played 72 games with a 39-33 record — they find themselves in third place in the American League West. They trail both the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels, and they are […]

Yordan Alvarez remains sidelined for the Houston Astros due to his neck injury, but based on Dusty Baker’s latest comments, the outfielder and designated hitter is progressing well in his recovery. Alvarez hasn’t played for the Astros since last Sunday and missed their whole series against the Tampa Bay Rays due to the lingering neck […]

The Houston Astros have not had much to go their way over the early stages of the 2023 season. The Astros dropped a second consecutive game to the Minnesota Twins on Saturday. As was the case in their series-opening defeat to Minnesota, Houston’s high-octane lineup tallied double-digits in strikeouts. The reigning World Series champions struck […]

Houston Astros’ manager Dusty Baker said SP Lance McCullers Jr. is still not throwing, per Chandler Rome. Initial concerns came to the surface when Baker revealed that McCullers Jr. was going to be “temporarily” shut down from throwing early in Spring Training. However, McCullers Jr. then said he doesn’t believe he will be ready for Opening Day. […]

With Michael Brantley re-signed and Jeremy Pena coming off a breakout season, Dusty Baker and the Houston Astros are ready to defend their World Series title. But while Pena might be the new kid on the block, Baker still thinks Brantley will be a valuable weapon for the Astros. Baker confirmed that when Brantley is […]

Lance McCullers Jr. is one of the Houston Astros’ most talented pitchers. Injuries have been an issue for him in recent years, and manager Dusty Baker recently shared a concerning update on Houston’s right-hander, per Brian McTaggart. “Temporarily,” Baker said in response to whether or not McCullers Jr. has been shut down from throwing. Baker […]

The Houston Astros are in the middle of an unprecedented stretch of success in the modern era of the MLB. They have made it to the ALCS  in six straight seasons, winning the World Series in two of those seasons. So can the Astros make it seven straight seasons in 2023? Manager Dusty Baker certainly […]

The Houston Astros were so close to acquiring catcher Willson Contreras from the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline last season, but the transaction ultimately did not push through, in part because of Astros manager Dusty Baker’s contrarian stance. But Baker is singing a different tune now, it seems. Fresh off his successful steering of […]

The New York Mets and Justin Verlander agreed to a massive two-year contract in MLB free agency on Monday. The 39-year-old is set to make the move out to Queens after having won the World Series in a career year with the Houston Astros in 2022. Astros manager Dusty Baker got brutally honest on the […]

With the Houston Astros winning the 2022 World Series, Dusty Baker finally won a ring as a manager. Baker, who won the 1981 World Series as a player with the Los Angeles Dodgers, managed for nearly 30 years before winning a title, with several heartbreaks along the way. Now, he has proven that he can […]

The Houston Astros just won their first World Series since 2017 in epic fashion, taking down the Philadelphia Phillies in six games thanks to a series-clinching three-run homer from Yordan Alvarez in Game 6. Most importantly, it was a bittersweet moment for manager Dusty Baker, who captured his very first ring in 25 years of […]

The Houston Astros have won the World Series. But while they are no strangers to winning it all after securing it in 2017, manager Dusty Baker is. Or, at least, he was until he led a stacked Astros team to the 2022 championship. After winning it all as a player with the 1981 Los Angeles […]

Dusty Baker, as well-respected of a manager as he is, could never escape the specter of the 2002 World Series that escaped his San Francisco Giants. Last season’s World Series loss did little to quiet down the narrative that the 73-year-old manager just isn’t the guy to get a team over the hump. But after […]

After years of heartbreak, Dusty Baker finally caught his white whale. The Houston Astros manager won his first World Series ring after his team knocked out the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6. Behind the heroics of sensational rookie Jeremy Pena and star slugger Yordan Alvarez, Houston finally nabbed their first trophy after the controversial 2017 […]

Dusty Baker finally vanquished his World Series curse as a manager, and so what better way to celebrate it than a champagne with the rest of the Houston Astros? The Astros made sure their manager gets to enjoy the epic victory. Right after their 4-1 win in Game 6 to seal the World Series title […]

After last year’s World Series heartbreak, Dusty Baker wouldn’t let his Houston Astros suffer the same pain. Sure enough, they got the job done this 2022 and the veteran manager made history in the process. The Astros took down the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 behind a big homer from Yordan Alvarez at the bottom […]