This season, we’ve seen a lot of ballclubs resort to bringing in a position player to pitch when the game is far out of reach, whether they’re ahead or behind.
We’ve seen the Chicago Cubs use Franmil Reyes for an inning.
We also saw the St. Louis Cardinals use Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina on the mound with games out of reach.
There is, however, one team that has yet to do that this season, and that would be the Houston Astros.
They are the only team this season that has not had to use a position player on the mound at any point.
Astros Remain Lucky In One Regard
This has to be frustrating for other teams.
They’ve had to exhaust all their resources at certain points in the year, but the Astros haven’t.
To some, it doesn’t seem fair that the team that all fans outside of Houston hate for the sign-stealing scandal have been the only team that hasn’t had to use a position player on the mound.
Even the Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League Baseball’s best team by record, have had to do it at least once this year.
It makes fans of other teams jealous in a way.
Using a position player to pitch is usually a complete last resort.
It’s usually only done so that a team can save the bullpen in a blowout game, one that they’re typically well behind in.
But of course, the one team that has not yet had to do that is the Astros.
All other teams have been unfortunate at various points this year, just not Houston.
Perhaps that will change once the Astros secure the best record in the American League and there isn’t anything left to play for until October.
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