George Springer falls short of 40/40
Astros center fielder George Springer had a historic season for the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks and Triple-A Oklahoma City RedHawks. Recap Springer's attenpt to enter the select 40/40 club, a feat only four players in Major League history have done. The verified members of the Minor League club are listed below.
Verified 40/40 Seasons in Minor League History
| YEAR | PLAYER | CLUB | LEAGUE | HR | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Len Tucker | Pampa (Texas) Oilers | Southwest | 51 | 47 |
| 1948 | Dick Wilson | Mexicali (Calif.) Aguiles | Sunset | 42 | 41 |
| 1934 | Frank Demaree | Los Angeles Angels | Pacific Coast | 45 | 41 |
| 1930 | Pat Wright | Fort Wayne (Ind.) Chiefs | Central | 52 | 42 |
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Sept. 1: Stolen Base No. 45
Aug. 30: Stolen Base No. 44
Aug. 26: Stolen Base No. 43
George Springer added to his steals total when the Astros prospect singled in the fifth inning off top Brewers prospect Jimmy Nelson and stole second for his 43rd stolen base of the season against Nashville. Read More »
Aug. 24: Stolen Base No. 42
Aug. 23: Homer No. 37
Aug. 22: Stolen Base No. 40
Aug. 20: Homer No. 36; Stolen Base No. 39
By any measure, George Springer had a pretty good game on Tuesday night.
He slugged his Minor League-leading 36th homer to score his 100th run of the season in the first inning, then delivered a walk-off single in the ninth to give Oklahoma City a 6-5 victory over Albuquerque.
"It was a good game," Springer said, "a good comeback for us."
It also was the RedHawks' 17th straight home win.
"It's fun. The team goes out and makes good pitches and we're making timely hits," Springer said. "We have the confidence to win, even if it comes down to the last at-bat." Read More »
Aug. 18: Homer No. 35
Aug. 17: Homer No. 34
Aug. 15: Homer No. 33
The Houston Astros own two of baseball's best power prospects in first baseman Jonathan Singleton and center fielder George Springer. On Thursday for Triple-A Oklahoma City, the pair put that ability on full display.
Springer went yard in the eighth inning, and one out later, Singleton followed suit to put the finishing touches on the RedHawks' 8-2 win over the Tucson Padres.
The 23-year-old Springer, taken with the 11th overall pick in the 2011 Draft, finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs, two walks and a run scored. Read More »
Below you'll find select highlights, recaps and features from Springer's remarkable season.
Aug. 9: Homer No. 30; Stolen Base No. 38
George Springer joined a very elite group on Friday night.
The Astros' No. 3 prospect slugged a two-run homer to reach the 30-30 mark and lead Triple-A Oklahoma City to a 6-3 triumph over Las Vegas at Cashman Field.
Springer already had 37 stolen bases when he came to the plate with one out and a runner at first base in the fifth inning. He sent an 0-1 pitch from 51s starter Matthew Fox over the wall in left-center field for his 30th longball of the season.
"It was just something I could hit early in the count and there was a guy on first and I was trying to drive the ball somewhere and ended up getting a pitch I could handle," Springer said.
"I've been starting to press a little. [The 30th homer is] in the back of your mind as a hitter and now it's something that I'm proud of, but I've still got 20-something games to go and have to help the team win." Read More »
Aug. 1: Stolen Base No. 36
July 27: Home Run (inside-the-park) No. 28
July 22: Stolen Base No. 25
July 10: Home Run No. 26
July 9: Home Runs Nos. 24, 25
George Springer grew up watching Manny Ramirez. On Tuesday night, he put on a show for him.
The Astros' No. 3 prospect homered twice, tripled and tied a career high with five RBIs in his first four-hit game of the season, but Triple-A Oklahoma City dropped an 11-8 decision at Round Rock.
Springer's second two-homer game in four days came against the Express, for whom Ramirez hit his first longball since joining the team on Sunday.
"I grew up watching him when he was with the Sox, being in that area," said Springer, a New Britain, Conn., native who attended the University of Connecticut. "It's one of those things that as a player you can't describe -- to play against a guy who's had so much success, a guy you watched as a kid, and now you're playing on the same field." Read More »
June 25: Two All-Star home runs
George Springer, the Astros' No. 3 prospect, was named the Texas League All-Star MVP after he homered twice and drove in three runs in the South Division's 6-0 win.
"A kid like him, you've got to be on your game when you face him," Frisco's Neil Ramirez said. "I think at times it elevates your game, too."
"To be honest, I'm pretty sick of seeing him against us. It was nice to be on the same side with him," Frisco skipper Buechele added. Read More »
June 23: Springer gets promoted
The Houston Astros announced Sunday night that right-handed pitcher Jake Buchanan and outfielder George Springer will be promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Springer and Buchanan will join the RedHawks after participating in the Texas League All-Star Game Tuesday at Northwest Arkansas.
"It was good that he came here last year and saw the challenge ahead of him and he still has a long way to go, although he's had a very, very productive first half," Hooks manager Keith Bodie said. "Obviously when you have a guy like that in your lineup he contributes a lot." Read More »
Feature: Springer still scorching
Corpus Christi's George Springer is not one to complain about the searing temperatures he's experienced in the Texas League. Why should he? The way things are going, he may never want to cool off again.
The No. 3 prospect in the Astros system charged into the season with a hot bat that has lifted him to the top of the hitting charts. He leads the Minors with 18 home runs and is first in the Texas League with 50 RBIs, 35 extra-base hits, a .633 slugging percentage, 50 runs scored and 138 total bases.
"You just have to stay short and -- I know this going to sound dumb -- stay really simple," the right-handed Springer said of his power to all fields. "Hit the ball wherever it presents itself." Read More »
June 2: Home Run No. 17
It just illustrates the kind of season George Springer is having when, in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader, he matched his season high of five RBIs -- in the first inning.
Considered a five-tool athlete coming into the Draft in 2011, Springer appears to be consolidating those tools in the Double-A Texas League.
On Sunday, the center fielder went 3-for-5 with a home run and a double that yielded five RBIs in Corpus Christi's 10-run first, and he scored three times as the Hooks went on to edge the Arkansas Travelers, 13-9.
Combined with his performance in his team's 5-3 win in 10 innings in twinbill opener, Springer finished 4-for-7 with six RBIs on the day.
"I'm not in that position if not for the at-bats of my teammates who were on base," Springer said of his first-inning exploits in Game 2. "It's one of those things where I'm just happy to help us win. Obviously that was a big first inning for us, scoring 10 runs. Read More »
May 27: Home Runs Nos. 14, 15
The Major League team might be in the American League West cellar, but the future looks bright for Astros fans willing to stick around for a couple of seasons.
After watching a pair of the team's top prospects put on a hitting clinic for Double-A Corpus Christi Monday, that's certainly the way Hooks manager Keith Bodie sees it.
"It's an exciting thing to look in the crystal ball for the Houston Astros right now and see the guys on the horizon," he said after the team's 14-4 win over Arkansas.
Center fielder George Springer hit a pair of home runs and drove in five runs and right fielder Domingo Santana homered and scratched out four hits in the win. Read More »
May 19: Stolen Bases 11, 12, 13, 14
George Springer went 0-for-3 on Sunday, but he still put on an offensive show in Corpus Christi's 5-3 win over Midland.
The Astros' No. 3 prospect walked twice and stole four bases to tie the club record set by Jonathan Villar last June 9. Read More »
May 11: Home Run No. 12
George Springer has been slowing down his game and quickening the pulse of Texas League pitchers.
The Astros' No. 3 prospect hit his Minor League-leading 12th homer of the season and finished a triple shy of the cycle Saturday night as Double-A Corpus Christi rolled past visiting Frisco, 9-3.
After flying out in his first at-bat, Springer smacked an RBI double and scored in the third inning. He singled in the fourth and led off the seventh with a solo shot, capping his third three-hit night of the season.
"It was a line drive and it was one of those ones where I was looking for a good pitch to drive in a good count," Springer said of his homer. "It was one of those ones where you hit it and it happened to go out of the park." Read More »
May 6: Home Run No. 11
Springer, the Astros' top outfield prospect, finally broke the scoreless tie with his Minor League-leading 11th home run in the eighth inning, a two-run drive to left off Matt Stites (1-1). Domingo Santana followed with his fourth homer in the next at-bat to make it a three-run cushion.
"I heard it," Foltynewicz said of Springer's blast. "I think it hit off the top of the light post and came straight down." Read More »
April 23: Home Runs Nos. 6 and 7
For a prospect with a fast bat and faster legs, all George Springer wanted to do this year was slow things down.
Seventeen games into his first full season at Double-A Corpus Christi, Springer has the game moving at exactly the pace he wants.
The Astros' No. 3 prospect belted a pair of home runs and added a stolen base Tuesday as the Hooks edged the Midland RockHounds, 7-6.
The three-RBI, 3-for-4 performance raised his batting average to .299 and his OPS to 1.054. The homers give him a Texas League-leading six, while the steal was his fourth. Read More »
April 6: Home Run No. 2
Offseason Q&A with George Springer
MiLB.com: You've talked a little about knowing what kind of player you are. What kind do you see yourself as right now?
Springer: In my own mind, I'm a guy that's going to compete for you every day. It doesn't matter if we're up nine or down nine, I'm going to play hard and do all I can to be a good teammate. ... If I go 3-for-3 but we lose, I'm going to be upset. But if I'm 0-for-3 and we win, I guarantee you I'll be happy. Read More »