Houston Astros Starting Rotation Will Determine Team's Success Next Season

The Houston Astros starting rotation has become the foundation for the team's success.

May 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez (59) points to the dugout after striking out Oakland Athletics designated hitter Abraham Toro (31) (not pictured) in the sixth inning at Minute Maid Park. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros roster is going to look a little bit different in 2025 than it has in recent seasons.

They completed one of the more surprising moves of the winter, trading right fielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for third baseman Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and top prospect Cam Smith.

This isn’t the first time the team has moved on from a homegrown talent, but trading a young star away and not seeing them leave in free agency is a new approach.

They have allowed homegrown players to leave in the past, such as George Springer and Carlos Correa via free agency, and it looks like third baseman Alex Bregman is going to face the same fate as a free agent this offseason as well.

With multiple key pieces of their lineup departing, there will be even more pressure on the pitching staff to perform at a high level in 2025.

However, they aren’t without departures on the mound, either.

Yusei Kikuchi, who was stellar after being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of the deadline, parlayed his performance into a three-year, $63.675 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels.

Future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander also looks like he won’t be returning.

Despite those losses, the Astros still sport one of the best starting rotations in baseball.

Bradford Doolittle of ESPN currently has them as the ninth-ranked starting rotation, which will surprise some people because of the lack of household names.

“The Houston rotation has gradually become more anonymous while remaining the bedrock of the Astros' ongoing contention hopes. [Hunter] Brown is a burgeoning star if he can hone his command more, and [Framber] Valdez remains one of the sport's most consistent hurlers. On paper, things thin out after the above group and we will soon find out if Houston's pitching development will remain productive at a contention-worthy level. The inclusion of [Lance] McCullers in the top six is indicative of the depth issue -- at this point, he has missed two straight full seasons,” the MLB expert wrote.

Framber Valdez remains the anchor and ace, but there is the potential for some stellar depth behind him if things break the right way.

Ronel Blanco was excellent as a Verlander injury replacement this past season, Hunter Brown found his groove and pitched like a front-of-the-rotation player, Spencer Arrighetti was solid as a rookie, and Wesneski is hoping he can experience a boost in production like so many other starters before him.

In addition to Lance McCullers Jr., the team is hoping Luis Garcia can bounce back from injury as well.

The health risks are concerning, but the talent is there when they are on the mound.

With better luck in 2025, this group can steadily move up the starting rotation rankings.