8 Baseball Players who Played for Yankees and Astros
There is a good chance that if you’ve found this page then you’re playing the Immaculate Grid.
That also means that today’s grid has asked for players that have played for both the New York Yankees and Houston Astros.
And, it also means that you’re probably stuck on this particular box and you’re looking for a little help. Sound about right so far?
Well, good news, you’re in the right place.
I’ve done some research and have found players who played for both the Yankees and Astros. Here is a mix of well-known All-Stars and some hidden gems that you may have forgotten about.
Gerrit Cole
Gerrit Cole is in his 11th year in the majors and is currently pitching with the New York Yankees. Cole has been a dominant pitcher in the league since making his debut with the Pirates in 2013.
Cole is a six-time All-star (Pirates, Astros, Yankees) and twice a runner-up for the Cy Young award. He’s also gone over 200 strikeouts in a season with all three teams he’s played for and in 2019 he won 20 games with the Astros.
*Cole has been the most popular pick for this grid square in a previous game (Grid 100).
Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens is one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history. His career, spanning 24 seasons from 1984 to 2007, was filled with success, including stints with the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros.
Clemens racked up an impressive 354 wins with a 3.12 ERA, and his 4672 strikeouts place him third on the all-time list. Clemens was a workhorse, logging a career total of 4916.2 innings. Clemens was an 11-time All-Star and won the Cy Young Award seven times, more than any other pitcher in history.
His accolades also include two World Series titles, both with the Yankees, in 1999 and 2000. However, Clemens’ career has been overshadowed by allegations of performance-enhancing drug use, which has thus far kept him out of the Baseball Hall of Fame despite his remarkable statistics and accomplishments.
Clemens Key Stats
- MVP (Red Sox)
- Cy Young (Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees, Astros)
- All-Star (Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees, Astros)
- 3000+ Career Strikeouts
- 300+ Career Wins
- 20+ Win Season (Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees)
Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson, also known as the ‘Big Unit’, was a towering force in baseball from 1988 to 2009. He threw mainly for the Mariners and Diamondbacks but also played for the Montreal Expos, Yankees, Giants and Astros.
Johnson won the World Series with the Diamondbacks in 2001, where he was also the World Series MVP. He racked up over 300 wins, more than 4,800 strikeouts, and bagged the Cy Young Award five times. Johnson got into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.
Joe Niekro
Joe Niekro was a prominent right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, who had an impressive career spanning from 1967 to 1988. Known as one of the most successful knuckleball pitchers, he won 221 games, including a no-hitter in 1973.
Niekro spent the majority of his career with the Houston Astros, where he became the franchise’s all-time leader in wins. His standout year came in 1979 when he won 21 games and helped the Astros to a playoff berth.
Not only did he excel individually, but he and his brother Phil Niekro hold the record for the most combined wins by brothers in MLB history.
Carlos Beltran
Carlos Beltran is a 9-time all-star who played an incredible 20 years in major league baseball. Over his 20-year career, he played for 7 different teams – 2 of which were the Royals and the Mets.
Beltran also played for the New York Yankees, St Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants – making him an extremely versatile Immaculate Grid answer.
Beltran Key Stats
- Rookie of the Year (Royals)
- All-Star (Astros, Mets, Cardinals, Yankees)
- Gold Glove (Mets)
- Silver Slugger (Mets)
- 40+ Home Run Season (Mets)
- 100+ RBI Season (Royals, Mets)
- 40+ Stolen Base Season (Royals)
Lance Berkman
Lance Berkman, also known as “Big Puma,” had a distinguished 15-year career in Major League Baseball, primarily with the Houston Astros. A switch-hitting first baseman and outfielder, Berkman was a key figure in the Astros lineup from 1999 to 2010.
He compiled a .293 batting average, 366 home runs, and 1234 RBIs over his career. Berkman’s ability to get on base was a significant aspect of his game, boasting a .406 career on-base percentage.
He was a six-time All-Star, and in 2011, he played a crucial role in the St. Louis Cardinals’ World Series victory. He finished seventh in the MVP voting that year, having one of his best seasons with a .301 batting average, 31 home runs, and 94 RBIs.
Berkman Key Stats
- All-Star (Astros, Cardinals)
- 40+ Home Run Season (Astros)
- 100+ RBI Season (Astros)
Doug Drabek
Doug Drabek pitched in the MLB from 1986 to 1998. He is most recognized for his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros.
With a record of 155-134 over 398 starts, he accumulated over 1500 strikeouts and a career 3.73 ERA. A highlight of his career was earning the Cy Young Award in 1990, winning 22 games with the Pirates.
He also made an All-Star appearance in 1994 with the Astros and recorded 53 complete games and 21 shutouts, demonstrating his endurance and dominance on the mound.
Ivan Rodriguez
Ivan Rodriguez, also known as “Pudge”, was a beast in baseball from 1991 to 2011. He played for 6 different teams over his career including the Rangers, Tigers, Nationals, Yankees, Astros and Marlins. Rodriguez was a key player in the Marlins’ 2003 World Series win.
He chalked up over 2,800 hits, and hit over 300 home runs in his career with a single-season best 35 home runs in 1999 – his MVP year. Rodriguez made the All-Star team 14 times and won an impressive 13 Gold Gloves for his standout defensive skills.
Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017, Pudge is often considered one of the best catchers the game has ever seen.
Rodriguez Key Stats
- Hall of Fame (Rangers, Tigers, Nationals, Yankees, Astros, Marlins)
- MVP (Rangers)
- All-Star (Rangers, Tigers)
- Gold Glove (Rangers, Tigers)
- Silver Slugger (Rangers, Tigers)
- World Series Champ (Marlins)
- 100+ RBI Season (Rangers)
RARITY SCORE ALERT: Even though Ivan Rodriguez is an all-time great, there is a really good chance here to get a low percentage grid answer.
He only played one season each (actually not even full seasons) for the Yankees and Astros – 33 games in a half-season with the Yankees in 2008 and 93 games in a half-season with Houston in 2009.
