Houston Astros Young Star is Having Breakout Season After Early Struggles

After a slow start, the Houston Astros young star is having a breakout season.

Aug 30, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown (58) pitches to Kansas City Royals center fielder Kyle Isbel (28) (not pictured) in the eighth inning at Minute Maid Park. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros are once again having a strong season, as they are in control of the American League West and are looking toward the playoffs once again. 

Despite the success of the Astros, it wasn’t smooth sailing all year long.

In the first month of the season, Houston was well under .500. However, thanks to their pitching staff coming together after injuries, the Astros have been able to play much better since then. 

Their staff has been led by their new ace, Framber Valdez. The young left-hander has taken over as the top guy in the rotation, but the depth of this unit, even with multiple guys hurt, has been impressive.

One of the players who has really stepped up for the Astros this year has been Hunter Brown.

Houston selected him in the fifth round of the 2019 MLB draft, and he got his first taste of the Majors in 2022.

Brown came up toward the end of the regular season and pitched in seven games with two of those being starts. Over 20.1 innings, he totaled an ERA of just 0.89, as he earned himself a spot on the playoff roster.

Despite the strong showing, Brown really struggled in 2023.

Last year, he totaled an ERA of 5.09 in 29 starts that was marred by some major issues down the stretch.

Coming into 2024, it was hard to predict what type of season Brown was going to have. However, recently, Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com spoke about 2024 being his breakout performance. 

“A tweak to Brown’s repertoire has helped everything fall into place for the 26-year-old righty, who has recorded a 2.02 ERA, a 2.99 FIP and a 120-to-34 K/BB ratio across 115 2/3 innings in his past 19 starts. Starting in May, Brown began to incorporate a sinker into his pitch mix while throwing fewer four-seam fastballs. He also started going up the ladder with his four-seamer more often. Over his past 19 starts, 64.4% of Brown’s four-seamers have been elevated, compared to 58.4% in his first nine outings," he wrote.

Some small changes have made all the difference for Brown.

In 2024, he has totaled an 11-7 record and 3.41 ERA. His 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings is very respectable, as he is getting batters to swing and miss quite often. 

Even though his first cup of tea in the big leagues was a success, this has definitely been the breakout performance for Brown that team was anticipating, as he looks like he will be a staple in the rotation for years to come.