Astros hit by pitch odds: Who will be 1st player plunked?
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We still don't know when - or if - the MLB season will take place this summer, but whenever baseball returns, we know one thing for certain: The Astros are going to get plunked.
Houston's batters will be in the crosshairs all season long as retaliation for the sign-stealing scandal that resulted in neither player suspensions nor stripped wins. Some opponents will take matters into their own hands - who will be the first target?
Here are the odds for which player will be the first hit by pitch:
| PLAYER | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Alex Bregman | +350 |
| Carlos Correa | +400 |
| Jose Altuve | +400 |
| George Springer | +450 |
| Yuli Gurriel | +700 |
| Michael Brantley | +1600 |
| Yordan Alvarez | +1800 |
| Josh Reddick | +3000 |
| Kyle Tucker | +3000 |
| Martin Maldonado | +4000 |
| Aledmys Diaz | +5000 |
| Field | +3000 |
Alex Bregman (+350)
Bregman is the favorite in this market for a reason - well, two reasons.
One is that he's an easy scapegoat for opponents. Bregman and Jose Altuve bore the brunt of public scorn over the scandal, in part because of speculation that both wore buzzers to indicate which pitches were coming. Bregman was also evasive and glib in his early "apology," which is easy fodder for fellow players to retaliate against.
The other reason is that he's naturally a target to be hit by pitches. He ranked second on the team last year in HBP (9) - leader Robinson Chirinos (13) is no longer on the club - and he led Houston in the stat in 2018 (12). Bregman even got plunked between the shoulders during spring training, which may or may not have been intentional. Still, it's a sign of what's likely to come this summer.
Jose Altuve (+400)
Despite his diminutive frame, Altuve gets hit by a lot of pitches. Like, a lot. He's been plunked at least six times in four of the last five years, ranking first or second on the team in each of those seasons. That number could rise this year. He's public enemy No. 1 in the eyes of many players and fans, both for his insincere response to the scandal and the perception that the Astros' cheating helped elevate his game in key spots.
It helps that he bats high in the lineup, too. If the Astros' Opening Day opponent decides to unleash early, Altuve would be an easier target than Bregman, who's likely to bat third or fourth with Altuve sliding into the two-hole.
George Springer (+450)
Springer is less of an obvious choice - he showed some remorse, after all! - but the 2017 World Series MVP might be the best bet of all. For one, he benefited the most from the scandal, according to some fan theories, and the hardware he won in 2017 doesn't help him escape scrutiny. He's also been hit by 50 pitches over the last six years, including 11 times in 2016 and 2017.
The real advantage to betting Springer is similar to what we mentioned with Altuve - there's a solid chance he'll be the leadoff hitter in 2020. That means any team that decides to take revenge early can stare down Houston's first batter and unleash. At +450, that's as solid of a bet as any on the board.
C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.