Astros pitching prospect’s under-the-radar progress could save their rotation

Houston Astros fans are well-aware that the organization has a growing pitching problem. Framber Valdez is likely to leave after the season and sign elsewhere in free agency, and the odds that the Astros can find a way to extend Hunter Brown seem pretty slim at the moment. Unless Houston goes wild and drafts a bunch of college arms in the next couple of years, there just doesn't seem to be much help coming from the minor leagues anytime soon.

Colton Gordon looks to be a solid contributor and A.J. Blubaugh is off to a good start at Triple-A, but neither pitcher has a ton of upside beyond turning into a middle-of-the-rotation starter. The a lack of high-end arms in the Astros' farm system could cause problems down the line, but there's one notable exception.

Miguel Ullola entered 2025 spring training as a player to watch given the quality of his fastball and big time strikeout totals from 2024. However, he failed to command the ball well in camp and was sent back to Triple-A to start the season. So far, that decision seems to be paying big dividends.

Miguel Ullola is silently playing his way back into rotation consideration with the Astros

Coming off a season where he struck out 171 batters in 130.1 innings of work, Ullola rightfully had a lot of eyeballs on him at the start of 2025. Walks, however, have limited him throughout his career to the point where many pencilled him in as a reliever once he eventually makes it to the majors.

So far this season, it seems like Ullola has made progress. During his two (very short) starts in 2025 in the minors, he has posted a 2.08 ERA, covering 4.1 innings with five strikeouts against just one walk. The sample size obviously stinks, but only having one walk in two appearances is a marked improvement over what Ullola has produced in the past.

There's still a chance that Ullola ends up in the bullpen. His heater would play up even more in short stints, and it's telling that he's excelled without having to throw more than two innings at a time. One hopes that Ullola will continue to get stretched out in the coming weeks and still show improved command of the strike zone as a starter. If that comes to pass, Ullola could get a shot in the Astros' rotation as soon as the first half.

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