Former Houston Astros Top Prospect Dominating Hitters at Sugar Land

The time may be coming for the Houston Astros to call up their 2016 first-round pick when rosters expand in September.

Apr 16, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Forrest Whitley (60) smiles in the dugout before the game against the Atlanta Braves at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Pitcher Forrest Whitley’s history with the Houston Astros has been long and relatively fruitless. That may finally be changing.

The 26-year-old right-hander, at one time a pitcher the Astros hoped would anchor their rotation, has played nearly the entire season with Triple-A Sugar Land. He’s put together, one could argue, the best season of his career as a first-time reliever.

In 25 games (one of which was with the Astros’ Florida Complex League team) Whitley is 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA. He has six holds in 25.1 innings and has struck out 34 hitters against 10 walks.

What’s striking is his recent work with the Space Cowboys. He popped onto the mound on Thursday for a relief appearance against Albuquerque and he struck out the side. His fastball reached 99 mph and his ERA is now 1.02 in his last 17 games.

Forrest Whitley struck out the side last night for Sugar Land. He was up to 99 MPH but 5 whiffs on 5 swings with the curveball. He has a 1.02 ERA over his last 17 outings. #Astros #Relentless pic.twitter.com/j5BNxlygH2

— Astros Future (@AstrosFuture) August 22, 2024

That includes a stretch in July in which he had no ERA in nine games and nine innings.

Whitley made his MLB debut earlier this year when the Astros called him up in April. He pitched in one game, retiring two hitters and not allowing a run.

With rosters set to expand on Sept. 1, Whitley could be a candidate for a call-up and that would be one of the best comebacks the Astros have seen in recent memory.

Selected in 2016 at No. 17 overall out of Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio, Texas, the Astros signed him to a large bonus deal and he started his pro career.

He moved quickly through the system, propelled by a terrific 2017 in which he went 5-4 with a 2.83 ERA and got all the way to Double-A. But off-the-field issues led to a 50-game suspension in 2018 for violating MLB's drug prevention and treatment program.

By 2019 he had worked his way up to Triple-A. But then injury problems really started to hinder his progress.

Houston put Whitley on its 40-man roster after the 2020 season to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. COVID-19 shut down minor league baseball that season.

In Spring Training of 2021, Whitley required Tommy John surgery and missed the entire season.

He didn’t return until June of 2022, when he pitched in the Florida Complex League on a rehab assignment. He got back to Triple-A by season’s end but went 0-2 with a 6.53 ERA in 13 games (11 starts). Last year with Sugar Land he went 1-2 with a 5.70 ERA in eight games as he missed time due to another injury.

That should have been the end of his time with Houston. But, in December, the Astros were awarded a fourth option year for Whitley and decided to transition him to relief. That move appears to have paid off.