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Most people around the league look at this Astros roster and see Framber Valdez as the staff ace and then a large gap before names like Hunter Brown and Ronel Blanco make up the middle of this rotation. And rightfully so, in regard to Valdez; the lefty has been one of the better arms over the last three years and looked like he was a legit Cy Young candidate halfway through the 2024 season, still finishing in the top 10.
However, the emergence of another young pitcher could start the conversation of supplanting the 31-year-old Valdez as the staff ace. According to MLB.com, they have Hunter Brown not only taking over as the staff ace but earning some hardware along the way.
MLB.com predicts Hunter Brown wins the Cy Young award in 2025
On the surface, Hunter Brown's 2024 season looks like a solid one, but nothing crazy. His 170 innings, 3.49 ERA and 9.5 K/9 are really impressive for just the second full season for the former top prospect. When you break down the numbers further, however, Brown looks like he is on the cusp of becoming a household name and one that will contend for hardware each and every year.
From Brown's July 12th start through the rest of the year, the 26-year-old was third in ERA (2.32), with 9.15 K/9 and 2.78 BB/9. He played a huge part in the Astros continued run atop the American League West, after being 10 games behind of the division lead in mid-June.
"After going 0-4 with a 9.78 in his first six starts, he added a sinker to his repertoire on May 5 and it opened up his entire arsenal. He went 11-5 with a 2.51 ERA in 147 innings in his final 24 games (23 starts)."MLB.com
Brown struggled a lot early on, but like MLB.com states, he added a sinker that completely transformed his season. The further development of his off-speed pitches could catapult him into elite territory. Brown comes with excellent pedigree and is turning it into elite production at a young age. The Astros look like they have added another staff ace that will hopefully be around for a while.