TCB March Madness 2013: Justin Maxwell Vs Rudy Owens

TCB's Astros Fan Favorite March Madness Tournament is underway. From now until the end of Spring Training, 64 players will face off in a head-to-head public vote to determine who advances to the next round, and who will eventually be crowned the community's favorite Astros player. For more details, click here for the introductory post.

The rules are simple: Determine which player you think should advance to the next round by voting for that player. Arguments made for an advancing player in the comments section below may be used in that player's description for the next round. Vote subjectively, objectively or by using your trusty magic eight ball. Votes will last exactly 24 hours.

3 - Justin Maxwell

Claimed off waivers from the New York Yankees April 8, 2012, Justin Maxwell quickly became one of Jeff Luhnow's smartest moves, posting a 2.3 WAR in only 352 at bats. In his first plate appearance with the Astros, he hit a pinch hit two-run homer, helping the Astros defeat the Atlanta Braves 8-3. Maxwell isn't all offense, though, as he showed he could handle center field, and is penciled in as the Astros Opening Day starting center fielder.

Vs

62 - Rudy Owens

Acquired in the Wandy Rodriguez trade, Rudy Owens took a bit of a step back after being acquired by Houston. The left-handed starter posted a 4.34 ERA in 45.2 innings of work at AAA. However, his overall body of work in the minors has been outstanding, and he showed significant improvement in his final four starts of the season for Oklahoma City, posting game scores of 55, 51, 57 and 53 (game score of 50 gives a pitcher's team a better than 50% chance to win the game). If Owens pitches well, expect him to get a shot at the majors at some point this season.