The Houston Astros are among the best at picking up tells from pitchers, as they have a staff that’s devoted to watching countless hours of video, and it’s paid off, especially since one single pitch can be the difference between winning and losing.
Not only that, the team’s lineup is comprised of high-IQ players that are also great at picking up tendencies, as they do a great job of making pitchers work, and offering at the right pitches, at the right time.
There’s been talk about the Astros having picked up on pitchers tipping pitches early in games, like when the team lit up Rays ace Tyler Glasnow for four first-inning runs in Game 5 of the American League Division Series. The Astros have downplayed it, though, even though it does like they were able to decipher when a fastball or offspeed pitch was coming.
It continued into the NLCS, with the Astros looking like they picked up a few tells on Luis Severino and James Paxton as well. Astros manager AJ Hinch was asked if his guys have been using that information to their advance, and he actually found the tip-pitching allegations “funny.”
“I think it’s kind of funny,” Hinch said, via ESPN.
He continued:
“If they don’t want to tip their pitches,” he said, “then they should take consideration into doing the same thing over and over again.”
We completely agree with Hinch’s take. It’s not the Astros’ fault that opposing pitchers are showing their hand before hurling the baseball toward the plate. All is fair in love and war, and the Astros are still playing the game the “right” way.
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