Ryan Gusto isn’t one to take praise for his accomplishments. He credits his batterymates C.J. Stubbs and J.C. Correa and the outfielders that turned hits into outs, praising the glove work of Kenedy Corona and fellow 2019 draftee Colin Barber.
Gusto, an 11th-round pick of the Houston Astros four years ago, turned heads in Double-A Corpus Christi this summer, grabbing a pair of Texas League Pitcher of the Week awards in July and August.
These honors fueled not only himself but a tight-knit rotation, one that also churned out a second award in August for Blair Henley.
“That’s where I can throw in how great the team was in Corpus,” Gusto said. “It becomes a competition at that point. You just got an award, so now, the other guys are like, ‘Okay, well, I’m going to get it this week.’ And then it becomes even more of a playful competitive thing that really pushes you all that much more to go for that second one.”
Gusto, 24, struck out 62 batters in 61.1 innings, and minus his first start with the Hooks, he posted a 2.15 ERA in 13 appearances. He arose to dominance in his mid-season promotion, finding his name on the Texas League All-Star Team with Rhett Kouba and Joey Loperfido by the end of the year.
Before a trip through a make-or-break league, Gusto turned in subpar numbers for High-A Asheville. The righty made 12 appearances. He struck out 53 batters in 48.2 innings but sported a 6.47 ERA.
In player development’s eyes, those numbers aren’t quantifying the success and leaps he made. The Astros focus on development all the way around. The behind-the-scenes pitcher meetings told the full story of what was working well and what was not.
“Regardless of what the box score says, on a given night, everybody’s got goals that they’re trying to achieve,” Tourists pitching coach Sean Buchanan said.
“We’re constantly looking back on the outings and asking ourselves, ‘Did we move closer to our individual goals last night?’ … Ryan embraced his goals, chased his goals and attacked his goals while he was in Asheville. He’s pretty relentless about it, and I think that’s a part of what ended up making him successful in the long run.”
Ryan Gusto | Credit: Corpus Christi Hooks
Gusto toyed with two additions to his arsenal, while pitching in a hitter-friendly park at McCormick Field. Finding a feel for his stuff came with time.
“One thing Ryan has shown is that when he sets his mind to something he can go get, he can achieve it,” Buchanan said. “When he’s working on his individual pitches, he’s got his goals. He knows what he’s chasing after, and just like a lot of his other stuff, he pursues it pretty relentlessly.”
Gusto added a cutter to his mix in April, a move player development gave priority with numerous pitchers in the last three years. A sweeper also made home to his arsenal, starting last season.
“I understand that maybe the numbers don’t look so good in Asheville, but I think that what stood out to the Astros was that my stuff was there, especially this year,” Gusto said. “Maybe the numbers aren’t really showing as much, but I think they were confident at that point that my stuff could play at the next level.”
Mechanically, Gusto became the pitcher he saw himself as. He also found comfort in his pitch shape and locations. Everything came together in Corpus Christi, signaling the “good timing” of the promotion.
Gusto eclipsed the 100-inning mark for the first time in his career, but he didn’t want the season to end there. Physically, he felt great, believing he had more left in the tank. Yet Gusto recognized the importance of being healthy at this stage in his career.
“I was really proud of the season that I was able to make every start without having to miss any or have any injury delays or anything like that,” said Gusto, who missed the 2021 season due to Tommy John surgery.
After a strong second half with the Hooks, the Astros may look at Gusto as a candidate for non-roster invitees. Something completely out of his control, Gusto won’t let the outcome affect him mentally.
“Regardless, I have to show up as soon as spring training starts, do my thing and continue what I did the second half of this year especially,” Gusto said.
Gusto believes he’s ready to make another leap in the system. His advancements in control, stuff and mechanics built confidence in himself that he can pitch in the big leagues.
“I think I’m ready to be there,” Gusto said. “I just need to keep competing and showing that I’m ready for that.”
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