First baseman Yuli Gurriel has been a staple of this Houston Astros team since August of 2016 when he made his Major League debut. Since then, Gurriel went on to help propel Houston to numerous postseason berths and two World Series championships.
As one of the veterans on the roster, Gurriel played an integral role during the 2022 MLB season, even if his production saw a decline from his career numbers.
The team saw the departure of Carlos Correa last offseason which prompted Gurriel to take on an even larger leadership role in 2022. He did not disappoint. Not only did his leadership and tenacity make him a fan-favorite, he remained one of the more popular players in the clubhouse that younger players and veterans alike leaned on.
However, we can’t have a conversation about Gurriel’s season without touching on the tangible production numbers.
Over the course of 146 games, Gurriel slashed .242/.288/.360 with eight home runs. It is a far cry from his career numbers in which he has hit .284/.328/.448. The first baseman came off a career year in 2021 in which he registered a 131 OPS+, but the type of regression he saw in 2022 was worrisome.
Yes, his defensive metrics showed he could still be effective at first, but 2022 was the first season where Gurriel turned in a negative DRS at the position. The caveat is that DRS isn’t an incredibly reliable defensive metric over a short span, usually two full seasons of play at a position is advisable when using the stat. But just looking at it even over the course of one season still paints a general picture.
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The general picture for Gurriel’s 2022 season was that he saw a decline at the plate and on the field.
One thing that he does have in his favor is the ability to stay on the field. He has never played in less than 84-percent of games in a single season since his first full season in 2017. He continued the same trend this past season.
All of that being said, his offensive and his defensive declines are surely what’s prompting the Astros to look at other options at first base in free agency. At 38 years old, Gurriel isn’t the typical rebound candidate and any signs of decline at that age almost certainly mean it’s here to stay.
Overall Grade: B
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