The Houston Astros‘ 2024 season saw some struggles, starting with a challenging 12-24 record in their first 36 games. The team was hit hard by injuries, notably with Kyle Tucker sidelined and Cristian Javier out for the season. However, they managed to rebound, largely due to strong performances from their pitching staff. Looking ahead to 2025, there’s reasons to be optimistic about the Astros’ pitchers:
First off, just take a look at how they performed in April of 2024, and how they performed after. April 2024 was one of the worst months we have seen from the Astros pitching since this Golden Era started back in 2017. In March/April, the Astros went 10-19. This was largely due to the pitching staff having a really rough month. In those 29 games, the pitching staff had a 5.01 ERA and walked 122 batters—that ERA was the 5th worst in baseball during that stretch. The last time the Astros had a month where they had an ERA above 5.01 as a staff was July 2017, when they posted a 5.08 ERA.
Now check this out… the last time the Astros pitching staff walked at least 122 batters in a month was way back in September 1991—when they walked 129 batters! May was a little bit of a struggle for the starters too as they posted a 4.47 ERA. But after that, the pitching staff turned things around dramatically. Over the next five months (including May), they posted a 3.48 ERA, significantly cut down on walks, and improved their walk-to-strikeout ratio month by month. The Astros finished the 2024 season 6th in ERA at 3.75. From May 1st to the end of the season, the Astros were second in baseball with that 3.48 ERA. From June 1st to the end of the season, they had a 3.44 ERA which was tied for the best in baseball. This turnaround came down to individual players stepping up and really elevating their performances.
Framber Valdez – Valdez had a solid start to the season, but he ran into some struggles in May. However, once June hit, he really hit his stride. Over his next 20 starts, stretching through the end of the season, Framber posted an impressive 2.38 ERA, which ranked 4th in all of baseball during that stretch. He gave up just 91 hits in 128.2 innings while striking out 131 batters. By the end of the season, he finished with a 15-7 record and a 2.91 ERA. He also earned a 7th-place finish in Cy Young voting and ranked 15th in AL MVP voting. That’s a true ACE-level performance from Valdez.
Hunter Brown – Brown came in 2024 with big expectations to take that next step and be a top of the rotation guy. He got off to a really rough start posting a 9.78 ERA in six April starts. He improved in May lowering his ERA down to 3.42. He then went on a tear. From June 8th to the end of the season (19 starts), Brown had a 2.20 ERA. He struck out 119 over 114.2 innings while walking just 35 batters. That was the 3rd best ERA in baseball during that span with only Paul Skenes and Chris Sale having a lower ERA than Brown. He finished the year with a 3.49 ERA over 30 starts.
Spencer Arrighetti – Arrighetti started the season in Triple-A but due to injuries, the Astros called him up early and he made his debut on April 30th. He got off to a rough start posting a 6.36 ERA over his first 13 starts. However, from June 26th to the end of the season (15 games), he posted a 3.40 ERA and struck out 102 batters in just 84.2 innings. During that same time, Luis Gil, who won AL Rookie of the Year, had a 4.35 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 70.1 innings. In those final three months, Arrighetti showed why he was a top pitching prospect.
Ronel Blanco – Blanco was the one pitcher in this group that got off to a great start posting a 1.65 ERA in April. He proved that the month of April wasn’t just a flash in the pan. After posting a 3.42 ERA in May, he went from June 11th to the end of the season (19 games) posting a 2.81 ERA. He also racked up 107 strikeouts in 102.2 innings. He finished the season going 13-6 with a 2.80 ERA and 166 strikeouts in 167.2 innings. Another starter who was great over the final three months of the season.
While the starting pitching saw a noticeable improvement after May, the bullpen also rose to the occasion with some standout performances. In April, the bullpen posted a 4.90 ERA, ranking as the 6th worst in baseball. However, they turned things around in May, posting an impressive 2.26 ERA. From May 1st through the end of the season, the bullpen’s ERA dropped to 3.40, the 4th best in all of baseball. This turnaround was driven by several pitchers who made significant strides in improving their early-season numbers.
Josh Hader – The Astros spent big money on Josh Hader to come in and be a lockdown closer. Unfortunately, he got off to a slow start posting a 8.38 ERA through his first 11 games. After that rough stretch, he really caught fire. Over the next 48 games, Hader would post a 2.17 ERA with 72 K in 49.2 innings and set the new franchise record with 29 consecutive saves.
Bryan Abreu – Abreu was once a top pitching prospect but the conversion to relief pitcher is looking like a brilliant idea. Like Hader, he got off to a slow start in April posting a 4.97 ERA through his first 12 games. The next 50 games he went on a tear and posted a 2.15 ERA with 73 K in 50.1 innings. Abreu and Hader made for a lethal back end of the bullpen.
Taylor Scott – Scott was signed as a free agent by the Astros in December of 2023 but ended up being a steal for Dana Brown and company. The right-hander pitched in 62 games in 2024 and posted a 2.23 ERA while striking out 71 in 68.2 innings. He is under contract until 2029.
A couple weeks ago, Astros General Manager Dana Brown mentioned a couple relief pitchers they will count on with Ryan Pressly being traded to Chicago… and these three guys pitched really well in 2024 too.
Kaleb Ort – Ort was picked up off waivers in May of 2024 and immediately was sent to Sugar Land. In Triple-A, he showed off the raw ability he had running his fastball up near 100 MPH and striking out 22 in 16 innings. Due to some injuries, he got a shot in Houston and made the most of it posting 4 BB/26 K in 24.2 innings with a 2.55 ERA.
Bryan King – King was picked up off waivers in December of 2022. He missed all of the 2023 season but was phenomenal in 2024. The left-hander had a 2.21 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 36.2 innings in Triple-A earning him a call-up. At the MLB level, his stellar performance continued posting a 2.39 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 26.1 innings.
Forrest Whitley – The former first round pick and top prospect, Whitley put together the best season is his career since his breakout year in 2017. The right-hander made the permanent move to the bullpen and in Triple-A for Sugar Land this year he was dominant posting a 1.89 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 35.1 innings. He made his big league debut this year too and struck out 5 over 3.1 innings. He figures to be a big time contributor in the pen in 2025.
So the main question remaining might be who will slide in as the 5th starter for the Astros in 2025, and they have a few options to choose from.
Hayden Wesneski – Wesneski was part of the trade that sent Tucker to Chicago, and while Paredes and Smith were the more high-profile names in the deal, Wesneski brings considerable potential to the table. The Houston native pitched in 28 games for the Cubs last season, including 7 starts, posting a solid 3.86 ERA and striking out 67 batters in 67.2 innings. He primarily relies on a sweeper but also features a mid-90s fastball. Astros GM Dana Brown has already expressed that they plan to give him every opportunity to earn a starting role, and with the team’s track record of developing pitching talent, it will be exciting to see what Wesneski can accomplish in Houston.
Potential Prospects for Rotation:
A.J. Blubaugh – Blubaugh, selected in the 7th round of the 2022 draft from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, quickly caught the Astros’ attention. They were aggressive in advancing him to Double-A in his first professional season and sending him to the Arizona Fall League, where he posted an impressive 2.25 ERA and struck out 17 batters in 12 innings. Blubaugh features a low-to-mid 90s fastball, complemented by a sweeper and a reliable changeup. In 2024, he spent most of the season in Triple-A, finishing strong with a 3.06 ERA and 58 strikeouts over his final nine starts, including a standout performance in the PCL Championship Series, where he struck out 6 in 5.2 innings.
Ryan Gusto – Gusto has been in the system since being an 11th round pick in 2019. Gusto was clocked up to 98 MPH last spring and worked on refining a sweeper/slider in 2024. The results were impressive—over his final 18 games of the season, he posted a dominant 2.08 ERA with 98 strikeouts in 108 innings, limiting opponents to a .199 batting average. He earned a call-up to make his MLB debut in the final game of the season, though the game was unfortunately canceled due to weather.
Colton Gordon – Gordon was an intriguing draft pick in 2021 after a good college career, but went into the draft after having Tommy John Surgery. Gordon has pitched really well in his minor league career posting a 3.74 ERA over three seasons. He won’t over power hitters with his fastball in the low 90s, but he has phenomenal command and pitchability with his secondary offerings making him an uncomfortable at-bat. Gordon was part of the three headed monster in Triple-A as he posted a 3.94 ERA with 124 strikeouts over 123.1 innings in 2024.
Miguel Ullola – Ullola is a young flame throwing right hander. The 22-year-old features a plus fastball that sits mid-90s and touches 99 MPH. While he has some command issues, he has overpowered the hitters in lower levels with the fastball/slider combination. The fastball and slider are his two best pitches, but he does throw a curveball as well. In 2024, he struck out 171 batters in 130.1 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.
As highlighted, the Astros boast four starting pitchers who delivered solid performances throughout 2024 (Valdez, Brown, Blanco), along with one (Arrighetti) who showed significant improvement as the season progressed. The bullpen is equally strong, featuring elite arms like Hader and Abreu at the back end, with key contributors such as King, Ort, and Scott also stepping up. On top of that, the team has a wealth of MLB-ready talent waiting in Triple-A. With all these factors in play, there’s ample reason to be optimistic about the Astros’ pitching depth heading into the 2025 season.
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