I don't think I've seen this link posted.

[NeilT]

http://deadspin.com/the-astros-are-good-now-what-the-hell-1713362634

"On-base percentage is still God for most MLB teams, and milking as many pitches and walks as possible out of every game is a great way to win. The problem with this kind of philosophy is that watching a bunch of Red Sox beardos spend four hours grinding their way through 12-pitch at-bats doesn’t always make for the best viewing experience. The Astros aren’t interested in that bullshit; they’re here to swing the goddamn bat and try to hit some goddamn dingers, on-base percentage be damned."

[jbm]

I'll be curious how the club is constructed in the near future.  I assume the author intends to imply that high strikeout/high homerun/good speed/low average is a secret uncovered by the management and thus they intended to construct a team like that.  Maybe, maybe not.  It might be that Valbuena, Rasmus, Carter, Gattis are guys that neatly fit into what they could get given their budget/trade assets.  We will know more in the future.

Personally, I don't think that is the type of player they have looked for in the draft, and therefore don't see that as an organizational preference, but I am often mistaken. 

ETA Gattis to the list

[Limey]

The Astros aren’t interested in that bullshit; they’re here to swing the goddamn bat and try to hit some goddamn dingers, on-base percentage be damned.

Embracing the AL.

[MusicMan]

I'll be curious how the club is constructed in the near future.  I assume the author intends to imply that high strikeout/high homerun/good speed/low average is a secret uncovered by the management and thus they intended to construct a team like that.  Maybe, maybe not.  It might be that Valbuena, Rasmus, Carter are guys that neatly fit into what they could get given their budget/trade assets.  We will know more in the future.

Personally, I don't think that is the type of player they have looked for in the draft, and therefore don't see that as an organizational preference, but I am often mistaken. 

I tend to agree.  I think Luhnow was looking for what could get the most wins now without sacrificing the future, and that's what was available.

[juliogotay]

I tend to agree.  I think Luhnow was looking for what could get the most wins now without sacrificing the future, and that's what was available.

Yes, I tend to believe that is the case. The Gattis/Carter model does not seem to be the one that they have followed in the draft.

[roadrunner]

I think the Astros are trying to draft and develop the best players available, and then will lean towards power bats when it comes to similar players.

With the big league club, I don't think there's any question they prefer power bats.  Carter, Gattis, and Rasmus were all pretty intentional deals.  It's not like Rasmus was a need, Luhnow could have easily tried to swallow Grossman/Hoes for the year.

[JJxvi]

The article does go on to say this...

It’s also worth mentioning that the Astros are one of the more ultra-analytical teams in baseball. The front office is full of dudes who used to work for Baseball Prospectus and NASA, which means there’s a good chance that this strange formula for success wasn’t created by accident. This team is a good reminder that the answers to baseball’s many math problems don’t always look like Kevin Youkilis and Adam Dunn.

[jbm]

I think the Astros are trying to draft and develop the best players available, and then will lean towards power bats when it comes to similar players.

With the big league club, I don't think there's any question they prefer power bats.  Carter, Gattis, and Rasmus were all pretty intentional deals.  It's not like Rasmus was a need, Luhnow could have easily tried to swallow Grossman/Hoes for the year.

Of course the deals were intentional, but that doesn't answer much, IMO. No one, no matter that their preference is, wouldn't prefer Rasmus (who is also a better fielder) over minor leaguers. I'm not saying your wrong, but those guys were well within their budget and/or easy for them to acquire without mortgaging the future.