Houston Astros: Predicting the answer to 3 major roster questions
By Kael Wornat
Who will be the fifth starter to start the year?
As of now, the Astros rotation consists of Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers Jr., and Luis Garcia. Battling out for the final spot are Jose Urquidy and prized top prospect Hunter Brown. Urquidy is a consistent strike-thrower and innings-eater. Across 164.1 innings last year, Urquidy only walked 2.1 batteers per 9 innings. However, more underlying metrics are not as strong. Urquidy had an xERA of 4.56 and was in the 16th percentile in Barrel %, a result of his unspectacular “stuff.”
Hunter Brown was electrifying across his big league debut, bringing hope that the Astros’ #1 prospect might one day be the ace of this staff. Brown was so strong across the stretch that he appeared in three playoff games, where he didn’t allow a run. Across 20.1 innings in the regular season, Brown had a sub-one ERA and a 1.98 FIP.
My prediction: Jose Urquidy
Who wouldn’t want to see Hunter Brown take a start every fifth day? There is no doubt in my mind that Hunter Brown is the better and more promising starting pitcher. While Brown has been healthy, I think the Astros will and should proceed with caution. Starting in the bullpen will preserve Brown’s innings throughout the course of a 162-game season. Additionally, Urquidy has very little experience in an MLB bullpen, an area in which Brown has already proven to excel. There will inevitably come a time in the season when a starter is hurt or underperforming. When that time comes, Brown will enter seamlessly into the starting rotation and won’t look back.