Chicago White Sox: 5 Houston Astros players to be terrified of

The Chicago White Sox has a date with the Houston Astros in the ALDS. The Astros present a tough first-round draw for the White Sox. They have been the best team in the American League since 2015.

However, they have been surrounded with controversy after evidence emerged that they were using an elaborate system to steal signs when they won the 2017 World Series and when they won the American League pennant in 2019. Despite being exposed as cheaters, the Astros have a deep lineup full of playoff experience.

Their 93-69 record was the second-best in the AL. They gave the Chicago White Sox fits this season, sweeping them in dominant fashion during their four-game series in Houston. They won the season series 5-2. The Astros lead the all-time series 38-35.

The Astros will also be the home team for this series which doesn’t bode well for the White Sox. The White Sox have an 11-20 record at Minute Maid Park. However, the White Sox got the best of the Astros the last time they met in the playoffs, sweeping them in the 2005 World Series.

We can only hope that the Chicago White Sox are able to see history repeat itself. If it does, they have a chance to have themselves a very nice postseason run. This is going to be tough but they are good enough to do it.

The Chicago White Sox are going to face a very scary Houston Astros team.

The series is set to kick off on Thursday so the White Sox have a chance to do their final scouting reports. Here are five players that they need to watch out for:

Jose Altuve

Jose Altuve is one of the best hitters that the Chicago White Sox will face.

Jose Altuve instantly became the most hated man in baseball when word of the Houston Astros cheating scandal got out. He was at the center of attention after it looked like he was wearing a wire during his epic walk-off home run in 2019 to send the Astros to the World Series.

But even with the volatile reception from fans everywhere he goes, he continues to play on an elite level. Altuve leads the Astros in runs scored. He is also second on the team in home runs (31) and hits (167). This season, Altuve is slashing .278/.350/.489 with a .839 OPS. Despite batting leadoff for the majority of the season, he still managed to drive in 83 RBIs.

Altuve’s small stature makes him difficult to pitch too. His strike zone is small and if you make a mistake Altuve has the power to make you pay. His unique combination of power and speed make him the most dangerous hitter on the Astro’s lineup.

The six-time All-Star second baseman has been decorated with five Silver Slugger Awards and was voted Astros most valuable player on four separate occasions. Altuve has a slick glove as well. He took home a Gold Glove award at second base in 2015.

Altuve has proven he is a good player regardless if he is cheating or not. The White Sox pitching staff needs to find a way to minimize his impact. In 63 postseason games, Altuve is hitting .306 with 18 home runs and 40 RBIs.

Carlos Correa

Carlos Correa will be a thorn in the Chicago White Sox side in this series.

Like Altuve, Carlos Correa has been a staple in Houston. Correra has turned himself into a cornerstone of the franchise after the Astros rebuild. He also happens to be hated across the MLB because of his role in the Astros cheating scandal. It’s the price you have to pay when you are one of the best players on the best teams in the American League.

Correa is just that and his resume backs it up. He is the 2015 Rookie of the Year and a two-time All-Star. This season, he has put up solid numbers once again. He hit .279 with 26 home runs and 96 RBIs. Correa tends to raise his level of play during the postseason and has a knack for getting big hits.

In 2015 he made burst onto the national stage with a 4-for-4 performance in the ALDS that included two home runs. This was the first of many big moments for Correa in the postseason. In 2019 he hit a walk-off home run in the 11th inning to help the Astros down the Yankees in Game 2 of the ALDS.

In 2020, he crushed a walk-off home run off Tampa Bay Rays reliever Nick Anderson for a walk-off homer in San Diego where Game 5 of the ALCS was being played due to COVID-19. His heroics helped the Astros stave off elimination.

A few weeks earlier, he hit a huge three-run homer off A’s starter Frankie Montas in Game 4 of the ALDS to help blow the game wide open. White Sox pitchers need to be careful of Correra, especially late in games or he will make them pay.

Lance McCullers

Lance McCullers will be the game one starter against the Chicago White Sox.

The White Sox will be getting a heavy dose of Lance McCullers at the start of the series. That’s because Astros manager, Dusty Baker, has given McCullers the ball for Game 1 of the ALDS.

McCullers has earned this assignment and the White Sox will have their hands full. The 28-year old right-hander has the lowest ERA amongst Astros starting pitchers with a 3.16 mark. He has also racked up 185 strikeouts and held opponents to a .205 batting average.

He has ample postseason experience as well. He has pitched in 14 games, making seven starts over the course of his postseason career. McCullers has a solid 3.28 ERA in those 14 postseason appearances. He even earned a save during the 2017 ALCS.

McCullers’ slider is his most devasting weapon. It has one of the highest spin rates in baseball. His slider compliments a 97 mph sinker that keeps hitters off-balance. The White Sox saw firsthand how nasty McCullers slider is. They have already faced him twice this season and McCullers came out of the contest as the winning pitcher each time.

In his first start against the White Sox, he allowed two runs on two hits over six innings. He was able to work around four walks and was credited with a quality start.

On July 16th, the White Sox met up with McCullers in Chicago. This time the results were even worse for the Southside Hitmen. McCullers threw seven innings of one-run ball. He only allowed two hits and victimized the White Sox for 10 strikeouts. Both of the White Sox hits came in the first inning. They could only muster two walks the rest of the day on him.

The slider was a deadly weapon for him against the Sox. Brian Goodwin got caught looking at one, while Zack Collins, Tim Anderson, Adam Engel, Jose Abreu, Andrew Vaughn, and Leury Garcia all went fishing. The White Sox need to solve McCullers slider if they hope to start off the series on the right foot.

Kyle Tucker

Kyle Tucker is someone that Chicago White Sox pitchers need to be scared of.

Kyle Tucker is one of three players on the Astros with 30 home runs this season. The 24-year-old is playing his first full 162-game season in the MLB and is making quite a name for himself.

Tucker got his feet wet in the MLB in 2018 and 2019 playing a combined 50 games between his first two seasons. He became the Astros primary right fielder in 2020 during the shortened 60-game season.

This season, he has erupted slashing .294/.359/.557 with a .917 OPS and 90 RBIs. He has been swinging a hot bat recently as well. Tucker took home Player of The Month honors in September for the American League. For the month, he batted .333 with 10 doubles and six home runs.

Tucker poses the biggest threat to the White Sox on the base paths. He leads the Astros with 14 stolen bases. That may not seem like many, but for a team that does not run a lot, he is their premier base stealer.

Holding runners on first is something the White Sox have struggled with. White Sox catchers have allowed the most stolen bases in the MLB. If Dusty Baker decides to exploit this weakness then Tucker will be the player called upon most to do it if he reaches base.