Stats Pinpoint Exactly When Astros' Sign-Stealing Likely Started in 2017

As the days of the offseason slowly drag on, evidence of sign-stealing by the Houston Astros continues to mount.

Somehow, their chances of clearing their name took yet another big hit with this latest revelation. A simple look at the numbers indicates that the Astros' strategy, which likely started in mid-May of the 2017 season, paid immediate and blatant dividends.

In the middle of May of that year, the Astros' team whiff rate takes a noticeable dive almost exactly around the time that the first audible noise from the dugout can be heard on video. It dropped from approximately 28% through the first month or so to around 21%, and it stayed there for the rest of the year.

But it doesn't stop there. The drop in swinging strikes also corresponded with a massive spike in the Astros' offensive production.

Their team slash line prior to the first audible noise was .272/.340/.425 ,according to Baseball Prospectus. By the end of the season, however, they were slashing .282/.340/.478 as a team, sporting a monstrous increase in power production.

After all, it's much easier to drive an off-speed pitch when you know that it's coming.

All this does is further incriminate Houston. The numbers mean that the Astros either suddenly developed a team-wide sixth-sense at the plate or they started cheating, and the former seems incredibly unlikely.

The stats don't lie. It's only a matter of time before they get punished for their underhanded methods.