Houston Astros Pitcher Framber Valdez Emerging as Their Ace

Framber Valdez has had an excellent 2024 season for the Houston Astros and has emerged as their ace.

Sep 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Minute Maid Park. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

As the Houston Astros look to finish up the season strong and win the American League West, it has been their pitching staff that has powered them through most of the season. 

In the beginning of the year, the Astros got off to a slow start by their standards. In April, Houston had a 10-15 record and a team ERA of over 5.00 during the month. With the pitching staff struggling to start the season, it was easy to see why the Astros were struggling. 

However, despite the team struggling at that time, Framber Valdez actually had an excellent month in April, as he totaled a 1-0 record and 1.42 ERA. Unfortunately, Valdez was only able to make two starts in the first month of the season, as if he had his normal work load, the start to the season might have been a bit better for Houston. 

For years, Justin Verlander was considered to be the ace of the staff for the Astros, but times have changed in Houston. With Verlander struggling and his role on the team moving forward in question, it has been Valdez who has emerged as the ace. 

Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com recently spoke about Valdez finding his groove once again and being the ace of the staff. 

“After earning All-Star selections and Cy Young votes in each of the past two seasons, Valdez dealt with some inconsistency early in the year, allowing five or more runs in three of his first 11 starts and recording a 3.99 ERA in that span.”

“But Valdez has turned it on over his past 14 starts, recording a 2.21 ERA with 102 strikeouts and a .528 OPS allowed across 89 2/3 innings.”

This season, Valdez has certainly put up numbers that look like an ace pitcher, as he has totaled a 14-6 record with a 2.97 ERA. In July and August, Valdez has really stepped up his game, as his ERA in each of those months is under 3.00, and in August it was a ridiculous 1.59. 

With Valdez taking over the reins as the ace of the staff, he will now need to prove himself in the postseason. Last year, Valdez really struggled in October, as he was 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA. If Houston is going to make some noise come playoff time, Valdez will have to be much better than what we saw last year.