Houston Astros Starter Has Taken Big Step Forward This Season

Which Houston Astros pitcher has taken a big step forward this season?

Sep 11, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown (58) reacts after getting an out during the fifth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

With the Houston Astros playing some good baseball, they are seeking to win the American League West once again and make a run in October. 

For seven straight seasons, the Astros have made the American League Championship Series, which is one of the most impressive feats over the last decade in all four major sports. Last season, they were just a game away from the World Series, but were unable to defeat the Texas Rangers in Game 7. 

While success has been plentiful for Houston this decade, their 2024 season didn’t get off to a good start. Houston was shockingly below .500 in the first month of the season, as injuries and poor play resulted in some bad baseball. 

However, thanks to their pitching staff, the Astros were able to right the ship and are now getting closer to wrapping up another AL West Crown. 

One of the players who has really stepped up for the Astros this season has been their young right-hander, Hunter Brown. Recently, MLB.com named Brown as the most encouraging player for the Astros this season. 

“Brown began the season 0-4 with a 9.78 ERA, 2.22 WHIP and .366 batting average allowed in his first six starts. He turned his season around when he started throwing a sinker, giving him something to use inside to right-handers. Prior to Wednesday's loss to the A's, he went 11-3 with a 2.28 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and .214 batting average against in 22 games (21 starts) since May 5, with 16 quality starts. Brown’s hard-hit rate had dropped 14.5 percentage points over last year, the largest decrease for any qualifying pitcher. His 29.9% hard-hit rate ranked in the 98th percentile, one year after he placed in the 13th percentile with a 44.4% hard-hit rate. -- Brian McTaggart”

It looked like 2024 was going to be more of the same for Brown after a poor 2023 season. However, he and the Astros made some changes with the sinker being added to his arsnal. 

This tweak has made all the difference to the young pitcher, as he is having an excellent season for Houston. The emergence of the young pitching prospect came at a good time for an Astros rotation that has dealt with a ton of injuries the last few years. Now, Brown looks like he will be a staple in the rotation for years to come. 

As Houston prepares for October, the performance of their young pitcher has helped them immensely this season, as they likely wouldn’t be in the position they are without him.