The Houston Astros have longed for solid first base production. After years of mediocrity, Christian Walker was supposed to come in and change that. However, so far Walker has not performed up to standard.
After being one MLB’s more underrated first baseman as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Christian Walker signed a three-year, $60 million contract with the Astros this past offseason.
Walker has seen his production fall off a cliff since landing in Houston. After smacking 95 home runs and managing an OPS north of .800 in the three seasons prior, Walker is hitting just .217 with 10 home runs and a .653 OPS, well below where he was not too long ago.
As such, Sports Illustrated has cited Walker as the team’s most disappointing player so far this season, noting that Walker has contributed to the Astros’ prolonged problem at first base that stretches back to 2022.
“First base has been a black hole for the Astros for the better part of this decade. Since 2022, Houston first basemen have slugged .354, the worst mark in the majors,” Sports Illustrated’s Nick Selbe wrote. “Walker—who signed a three-year, $60 million deal this winter—was supposed to reverse that trend. Instead, he’s joined the chorus line.”
This wouldn’t be the first time the Astros have signed a previously productive first baseman who immediately fell off upon signing with the team. One may recall Jose Abreu receiving a three-year, $58 million contract in November 2022, eerily similar to that of Walker’s. Abreu appeared in just 176 games for the Astros, hitting .217 with 20 home runs and a .625 OPS before being released last July.