Astros Insight: No time to panic.....yet.

If you are an Atros fan like me, you will probably cringe when I tell you that they have the worst record of ANY team in Spring Training games. They won their first game of the spring but have yet to crack the win column again since then. At 1-11, they are the only team under the .100 winning percentage. Ay!

But to their defense, this is only Spring Training. All this numbers will soon be forgotten. It still has potential to mess with their psyche if their losing ways continue. Losing is no fun regardless of setting. Pitching coach Dewey Robinson still sees light at the end of the tunnel. He has been most impressed with the work of the starting pitching, namely Russ Ortiz, Mike Hampton and former Braves farmhand Jose Capellan. The other pitchers such as Brandon Backe and Brian Moehler are only showing glimpses of what they can really do but needs to step up their cases. And Wandy Rodriguez needs to get healthy again. And of course, Roy Oswalt is just Roy Oswalt, enough said. The bullpen has also been a positive case with closer Jose Valverde anchoring what is arguably one of the best bullpens in the league.

Amongst the hitters, they ALL seem to be in a funk at the same time. Theoretically, that's good since then all should come out of their slumps at the same time, preferably by opening night. Among the regulars in the lineup Michael Bourn is hitting .219, Hunter Pence .233, Kaz Matsui .045, Geoff Blum .105, Aaron Boone .111. Only Lance Berkman amongst our regular is hitting good at .308. And what about the competition for the catcher starting job? Well Humberto Quintero is at .125, J.R.Towles is at .083 and Lou Palmisano is at .091...who has the upper hand there? Did you really wanted to be a Dodger Ausmus? But enough sad stories. The rookies are the one that has impressed me the most. Drew Sutton, Chris Johnson, Brian Bogusevic and John Gall are all batting higher than .300 and have been tearing the cover off the ball.

But then again, it's only Spring Training. No time to panic yet. Let us wait for the regular season to start and only then we can get a better feel of what this year awaits us. GO ASTROS!