Staff Picks: Who Should Be the Astros Opening Day Starter?

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Our next candidate is Jarred Cosart. We all remember when he finally got called up and came close to no-hitting the Rays. How great was that? But he didn’t stop there. No, Cosart pitched beautifully over the back half of the season, posting a 1.95 ERA in 60 IP. It wasn’t pretty though, as Cosart walked 35 batters and only struck out 33. Before you write that off and only focus on the ERA, think about what you just read for a second. In 60 innings pitched, Jarred Cosart walked 35 batters. That’s essentially 1 every 6 at-bats. That’s awful! And, to make matters worse, he wasn’t striking out anybody either.

Don’t get me wrong, what Cosart did after the All-Star Break was nothing short of magical. He certainly felt like the ace of the staff and you always felt like the Astros had a chance to win with him on the mound. But don’t get glossy eyed and believe that Cosart is going to cruise through next year like he did this year. Hitters are going to sit back and wait, knowing that they will likely draw walks, which will force him to be a little more aggressive.

All that to say, yes, Jarred Cosart looked like the ace of the staff, especially after Bud Norris was traded. But, his peripherals are scary. And, do you really think that Bo Porter will hand the ball to a 23 year old who is 10 innings above the minimum required to lose “rookie” status (50)?