Houston Astros’ pitching staff faces a challenging season this year. With Justin Verlander out and Lance McCullers Jr not due to play until at least Opening Day, the team’s vaunted depth of pitching now seems a little leaner than originally anticipated. Even with projected starters such as Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia, José Urquidy, and Hunter Brown, Astros are once again relying on internal development. If nothing unforeseen happens, these players might be okay, but baseball can prove fickle. The Astros also have a host of arms to monitor who could answer the call in the event of injury or underperformance. The article lists Brandon Bielak, Forrest Whitley, J.P. France, Shawn Dubin, and Parker Mushinski as the five other pitchers currently on the 40-man roster who have recent starting experience. From this group, Bielak is most likely to be the first choice as starting pitcher. However, names like Whitley, France, and Dubin will also need to be monitored closely. Meanwhile, Ronel Blanco is being stretched out in the camp while Bryan Abreu is not imagined as a starter anytime soon unless for an opener situation. One thing is certain – the Astros will have to rely on at least seven to eight starters again this season. With the current pitching staff being ultimately six-to-seven starters deep, the odds are high that Whitley, France, and Dubin could make some starts. So, who will come out on top, and who will have to wait their turn? Only time will tell. For all those who love baseball or support the Astros, this blog post is a must-read.
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