Can Houston Astros Rookie Sustain Newfound Success After Slow Start?

Houston Astros rookie Spencer Arrighetti is turning things around after a terrible start to his MLB career.

May 19, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti (41) delivers a pitch. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

A lot of things went wrong for the Houston Astros in April, and Spencer Arrighetti was one of them. With the Astros' rotation decimated by injuries, he was pressed into action ahead of schedule.

The 24-year-old rookie was called up from Triple-A and made his MLB debut on April 10 against the Kansas City Royals. Expectations weren't particularly high for the former sixth-round draft pick, who'd been solid but unspectacular in the minor leagues and didn't project to be a future ace.

Even by those standards, his first start was a complete disaster.

The Royals pummeled him for seven runs on seven hits in three innings, trouncing Houston 11-2.

Things didn't get any easier for Arrighetti, who struggled for a full month. He was clearly overmatched against big-league hitters, going 0-4 with an 8.44 ERA, a 5.18 FIP and a 2.02 WHIP over his first five starts.

Most teams would have moved Arrighetti to the bullpen or sent him back down to let him figure things out, but the Astros had no choice.

They needed healthy starters, and he was one of their only options.

He'd have to sink or swim on his own.

Fortunately for Houston, Arrighetti has found his groove over the last few weeks, enjoying a major turnaround. He's been much better over his last four starts, going 3-1 with a 3.63 ERA, a 2.27 FIP and a 1.30 WHIP.

The young righty hasn't allowed any home runs during that stretch, is averaging over a strikeout per inning and has held opponents to a .229/.319/.277 batting line.

"I kind of felt a little internal pressure maybe to keep the trend a little bit and keep giving the guys a chance."

Continuing the @astros' quality start streak, Spencer Arrighetti tossed a career-best performance: https://t.co/tvTuf3bUnB pic.twitter.com/rGOXH9UIlS

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 31, 2024

It took a little while, but Arrighetti looks comfortable now and is trending in the right direction.

He just turned in the best start of his career on Thursday, firing six shutout innings against the Seattle Mariners and racking up a career-high eight strikeouts. He only allowed two hits (both singles), pitching Houston to a 4-0 victory in the series finale to avoid a four-game sweep.

But the question is, are his recent performances sustainable or will he regress again?

The Astros have mostly recovered from their slow start, and so has Arrighetti. He still has room for improvement, especially with his control (that 4.7 BB/9 isn't great), but he's proven that he can hold his own against big-league lineups.

They are hoping the young starter has found his groove and has become comfortable facing this level of talent, but only time will tell if that's the case.

Against the odds, Arrighetti has emerged as a key part of Houston's rotation and one of the team's more reliable starters.

He will look to build off Thursday's impressive performance at home against the St. Louis Cardinals next week. The Cardinals have one of the worst offenses in baseball, putting him in a good spot to start June on a high note.