Houston Astros Starting Pitcher Among Top Rookies in 2024

Spencer Arrighetti was ranked as one of the Top 50 rookies in 2024

Sep 22, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti (41) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The 2024 campaign came to an end much earlier than expected for the Houston Astros, but after winning the American League West and making the playoffs once again, it certainly wasn’t a failure. 

This season, the Astros got off to a really slow start which resulted in them not being able to make up enough ground in the American League, and they had to face the Detroit Tigers in the Wild Card Round. 

Tarik Skubal and the Tigers were able to upset the Astros in the best of three series and snapped their impressive streak of making the ALCS for seven straight years. 

One of the reasons for the turn around after a bad April was the performance of the starting rotation. Houston had numerous starters have excellent seasons, and one of them was their rookie Spencer Arrighetti. 

Recently, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report ranked the Top 50 rookies in 2024. Arrighetti made his list, coming in at 39th. 

“Injuries opened the door for Arrighetti to make 28 starts in the Houston rotation, and he finished 7-13 with a 4.53 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 171 strikeouts for an impressive 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings. During an eight-start stretch from mid-July through the end of August, he had a 2.68 ERA over 50.1 innings while helping the Astros climb back into contention after a slow start.”

When looking at the overall season stats for the rookie, they weren’t all that impressive. In 2024, the right-hander totaled a 7-13 record, 4.53 ERA, and 171 strikeouts in 145 innings pitched. However, where Arrighetti really shined was in the stretch run. 

In the month of August, he had a 3-2 record with a 1.95 ERA and followed it up with a fairly solid September as well, as he totaled a 3.92 ERA. 

The rookie was a solid contributor in the second half of the season for the Astros, as he should have a solid spot in the starting rotation next season with his good end to the year. 

What was really impressive for Arrighetti was his ability to strike batters out. The 171 strikeouts in 145 innings are elite numbers. 

While it wasn’t a great overall rookie season for the right-hander, his second half of the season should cause a lot of optimism about what he can accomplish in 2025. Furthermore, Houston continues to really develop their young pitchers nicely, which is a big reason for their sustained success.