The Crawford Talks: A show about the Houston Astros

Mike Meltser and The Athletic's Jake Kaplan take you inside the clubhouse and cover the big stories in what will be a fascinating 2021 season for the Houston Astros. <hr /><p style="color: grey; font-size: 0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Astros Season Preview: Pitching Questions and Carlos Correa Contract Banter

Mike and Jake return to preview the Astros' 2021 regular season ahead of Opening Day. They discuss their overall feelings about how the team stacks up, questions they have about the pitching staff, the Carlos Correa contract situation and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

03-30
54:49

George Springer is gone, Michael Brantley is back. What's next for the Astros?

Mike and Jake discuss George Springer's departure to the Blue Jays, the Astros' deal to bring back Michael Brantley, and they evaluate where the team stands with only a few weeks to go until the scheduled start of spring training. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

01-26
50:06

Taking Stock of the Astros’ Offseason To Date

Mike and Jake discuss the state of a slow Astros’ offseason, the free agencies of George Springer, Michael Brantley and others like Jackie Bradley Jr., and Carlos Correa’s long-term outlook. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12-03
47:06

Jeff Luhnow speaks plus a look ahead to the Astros offseason

Mike and Jake discuss the biggest on-field developments for the Astros in 2020 and share their thoughts on the pending free agencies of George Springer and Michael Brantley. Later, they react to Jeff Luhnow’s comments from earlier in the week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10-22
50:00

The End of the Road for the 2020 Astros

Mike and Jake discuss the Astros’ ALCS Game 7 loss to the Rays, Carlos Correa’s emergence as a team leader and the meaning of this surprising playoff run. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10-18
43:36

Zack Greinke, Dusty Baker and ALCS Game 4

Mike and Jake react to Zack Greinke’s postgame comments after Game 4 and analyze Dusty Baker’s decision to let Greinke finish the sixth inning. They also share their thoughts on the series to date and how the Astros should approach their pitching in Game 5. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10-15
45:20

Previewing an Astros-Rays ALCS

Mike and Jake discuss how the Astros match up against the Rays, offer their keys to the series and reveal their predictions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10-10
50:55

The Astros Advance to the ALCS

Mike and Jake analyze the Astros’ upset of the A’s in the ALDS. They discuss the stunning offensive explosion by Houston’s lineup and revisit their predictions from earlier in the week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10-09
49:29

Setting the Stage for Astros-A’s in the ALDS

Mike and Jake preview the best-of-five Astros-A’s ALDS that begins Monday. They discuss the keys to the series and each team’s rotation decisions. Lastly, they share their predictions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10-04
38:50

The Astros are Headed to the ALDS

Mike and Jake analyze the Astros’ two-game sweep of the Twins in the wild-card round, from Houston’s successful pitching strategy to Minnesota’s implosion. They also look ahead to next week’s ALDS and discuss how the Astros should line up their rotation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10-01
50:27

Previewing the Astros-Twins Wild Card Series

Mike and Jake share their thoughts on the Astros’ postseason draw, how the team matches up against the Twins and who should start in Game 2. They also discuss the curious decision to start Lance McCullers in a meaningless game on Saturday, and they revisit their preseason over/under picks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09-28
46:14

The Disappearing Act of the Astros Offense

Mike and Jake analyze the underperformance of four key Astros hitters and Dusty Baker’s decision to sit George Springer on Monday. Then they preview the final series of the regular season and discuss possible roles for Framber Valdez in the wild card round. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09-24
42:38

Has George Springer Played his Last Home Game as an Astro?

Mike and Jake discuss George Springer’s two-home run performance on Sunday and the outfielder’s looming free agency. They also discuss the upcoming free agencies of Michael Brantley and Yuli Gurriel, and the continued struggles of the Astros’ offense. Then, they bring on Paul Gallant of 710 ESPN in Seattle to preview this week’s Astros-Mariners series. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09-21
48:43

Justin Verlander’s Astros’ Tenure Might Be Over

Mike and Jake convene for an emergency podcast episode, in which they discuss Saturday’s news that Justin Verlander will undergo Tommy John surgery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09-19
34:57

The Curious Case of the Astros’ Offense & the Game 3 Starter Debate

Mike and Jake react to the first two games of the Astros’ series against the Rangers and discuss the recent performances of José Urquidy and Lance McCullers in the context of the looming postseason rotation decisions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09-17
49:16

Wrapping Up the Terrible Road Trip & Previewing the Home Stretch

Mike and Jake discuss the end to the Astros’ 2-9 California trip and look ahead to the final 13 games of the regular season. They talk about the latest on Justin Verlander and the impending return of Lance McCullers Jr. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09-14
45:10

The AL West Race Is Over & An Encouraging Justin Verlander Update

Mike and Jake discuss the Astros’ struggles in Oakland, the team’s latest pitcher injuries and Dusty Baker’s questionable bullpen management. They also share their reactions to Wednesday’s news about Verlander’s 50-to-55-pitch bullpen session. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09-10
48:53

Sorting Through the Wreckage

Mike and Jake analyze the Astros’ awful weekend in Anaheim and explain how Dusty Baker’s bullpen mismanagement has exacerbated the team’s biggest weakness. Subscribe to The Athletic using this special promo and receive 40% off! Also, subscribers will have access to exclusive episodes. http://theathletic.com/crawfordtalks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09-07
43:33

The Trade Deadline has Passed. Now What?

Mike and Jake discuss the storylines they will be monitoring for the rest of the Astros’ regular season and analyze the team’s decision to stand pat at the trade deadline. Subscribe to The Athletic using this special promo and receive 40% off! Also, subscribers will have access to exclusive episodes. http://theathletic.com/crawfordtalks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09-03
43:56

Taking Stock of the AL West Race

Mike and Jake discuss whether they think the Astros have a legitimate chance to overtake the first-place A’s before season’s end and share their takeaways from the weekend. Subscribe to The Athletic using this special promo and receive 40% off! Also, subscribers will have access to exclusive episodes. http://theathletic.com/crawfordtalks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

08-31
43:23

Recommend Channels