Hunter Brown gave Astros ultimate reward at last possible moment with Cy Young nod

One of the brightest, if not the brightest, spots for the Houston Astros despite their disappointing finish was the ascension of Hunter Brown. The 27-year-old has grown from a pitcher with a 5.09 ERA in his first big league season into one of the game's preeminent aces, finishing 2025 with a sparkling 2.43 mark.

That has earned Brown a nomination as one of three finalists for the AL Cy Young, alongside Boston Red Sox's ace Garrett Crochet, and the odds-on favorite, Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers. Brown's odds of taking home the honor are slim, but his inclusion is well-deserved. It also comes with a nice little gift for Houston.

Hunter Brown's AL Cy Young nomination comes with an added bonus for the Houston Astros

In what is a somewhat convoluted process that was designed to end service time manipulation, the Astros will be awarded a draft pick coming after the first round, with Brown finishing in the top three of the Cy Young voting via the Prospect Promotion Incentive Program (PPI).

Brown was one of two pathways to a PPI pick Houston had in 2025, with the other having come if Cam Smith won the AL Rookie of the Year award. That won't be happening, but that doesn't mean that Smith can't net the Astros an extra draft asset down the road.

To qualify, a player must have little-to-no service time, get called up within the first two weeks of the regular season, be ranked on at least two of the big three top-100 prospect lists (Baseball America, ESPN, or MLB Pipeline), and either win the Rookie of the Year award or finish in the top-three of a major award (MVP or Cy Young) before hitting arbitration.

Brown's brief cup of coffee in 2022 kept his rookie eligibility intact, meaning that his presence on the Astros' 26-man roster from 2023 onward made him eligible. With 2025 being his last pre-arb year, this was Houston's last chance with him to nab a PPI pick.

Teams are capped at a max of one PPI pick per year, so Brown became their best and only shot once Smith began to really struggle.

The benefit is a huge boost. The Astros' farm system has become one of the worst in the league as a result of lost draft capital from the sign-stealing scandal, as well as forfeitures of draft picks for signing free agents who had rejected the qualifying offer. For example, signing Christian Walker last winter cost the Astros their second-round pick in the 2025 draft.

Houston is likely to acquire another free draft pick with Framber Valdez likely being extended and declining the qualifying offer before signing elsewhere. Because Houston finished the year above the luxury tax, the value of that freebie is a pick after the fourth round.

Every little bit helps as the Astros look to strengthen their future while holding on to contender status in the present. Given the success with Brown, Smith is now on deck to give them a bonus gift, and the club's handling of top prospects to maximize this benefit will be something to keep an eye on moving forward.