Astros Offseason Addition Seeing Strong Results From Recent Work on Swing

It would be a tall task for anyone to replace the diminutive force that is Jose Altuve at second base for the Houston Astros, but former National League Gold Glove winner Brendan Rodgers is up for the challenge.

Now, it is not as if Altuve is off the team, of course. He just now primarily roams the grass in left field instead of manning the keystone as he has since 2011. And while Rodgers has not had as successful a career offensively as Altuve, things may be looking up for the second baseman.

Rodgers, 28, entered the year with a career .265/.316/.406 batting line with 46 home runs, 207 RBI, and a 90 OPS+. This year, the righty is batting .235/.312/.324 with one home run, 10 RBI, and an 84 OPS+ across his first 24 games, but it is the recent work the second baseman has done on his swing that could see his trajectory looking up.

Early Returns From Brendan Rodgers' Work on His Swing

A key focus Rodgers had when joining the Astros over the winter was working with their coaching staff on his swing. The goal for the righty was to drive the ball more in the air, cutting back on his drastically high ground ball rate.

To this point, it has worked. His 37.2% ground ball rate this year is a career-low for Rodgers, and he has career-highs in hard-hit rate (51.2%) and average exit velocity (91.1 MPH) to go along with the increase in balls hit in the air.

The change in his inputs led to an output that the righty has not seen in quite some time. On Tuesday night, Rodgers drove a high fastball from Milwaukee Brewers' pitcher Chad Patrick the other way for a home run. It was the first home run of his tenure with Houston and the first opposite-field home run he has hit since 2022.

“Especially backside, it’s been quite some time, I feel like, since I’ve stayed through a ball and got the proper launch angle and exit velo to be able to sneak it out of here,” Rodgers said, via the Houston Chronicle. “So it felt good.”

Rodgers getting going would be a revelation for the Astros' offense, which has struggled to find consistent success this year. If the second baseman can find a new gear at the plate, it could go a long way to helping keep the dynasty alive in 2025.