Just hours before the trade deadline on August 2nd, the Houston Astros decided to trade for veteran first baseman Trey Mancini from the Baltimore Orioles. Mancini, who had a solid offensive year for Baltimore, was expected to fill a hole at the first base position for Houston. However, things have not gone as expected so far.
During his time in an Astros uniform, Mancini has been lackluster to say the least. Through 49 games played with the team, Mancini's slash line is just .182/.267/.377 totaling to an unimpressive .644 OPS.
This is nothing like his usual self, especially in comparison to his numbers with the Baltimore Orioles this year. Through 92 games played with Baltimore, Mancini's slash line was .268/.347/.404, which is considerably better than it is currently.
The Houston Astros picked up Trey Mancini in hopes of replacing the aging Yuli Gurriel at first base. The 38-year-old currently has an OPS of just .646 this season, and has underperformed. However, he is not looking as bad in comparison to Trey Mancini.
Despite being a disappointment since joining the Houston Astros, he still is, and will remain, a fan favorite. This is due to his inspiring MLB comeback from cancer a couple of years ago. In 2020, Mancini was forced to sit out after he was diagnosed with colon cancer.
However, he quickly healed and returned to the Baltimore Orioles in 2021, where he blasted 21 home runs. His determination and unwillingness to give up is truly an inspiration to us all. No matter what he does, fans will always look at him in a positive light because of this.
Nevertheless, the Astros have had yet another amazing season this year. They again won the American League West with a record of 105-56, having locked in their playoff spot.
An inside look at the Houston Astros' spectacular 2022 MLB season
For the fifth time in the past six MLB seasons, the Houston Astros have won the AL West. It hasn't even been close this season, with the second-placed Seattle Mariners being 16.5 games behind. What makes this even more impressive is that the Mariners are still a playoff team as well.
The Astros continue to prove time and time again that they are still an elite team in Major League Baseball. Even when fans write them off as cheaters, they continue to show their dominance year after year.