Astros Roster Notes: Does Enoli Paredes Play in 2023?

Does Enoli Paredes play for the Astros in 2023?

After examining expectations for Blake Taylor and Seth Martinez this upcoming season, we now take a look at a forgotten former member of the Astros' bullpen, Enoli Paredes.

Enoli Paredes, more affectionately known as Enoli Canoli, debuted with the Astros in 2020. In the COVID-shortened season, Paredes experienced a good deal of success. He appeared in 22 of the 60 games, completing 20.2 innings. He held opponents to a 3.05 ERA and a .237 batting average against.

His success and personality endeared him to Astros fans. Since then, his performance has been largely erratic and he hasn't spent much time with the big league club. Paredes threw 8.2 innings in 2021 and only completed three innings in 2022.

Enoli got rocked in 2021, yielding 10 runs in his 8.2 innings of work, largely due to control issues.

A closer look shows that much of Paredes' success in 2020 was likely due to a good deal of luck. Paredes walked 4.8 batters per nine innings in 2020, and according to Statcast, carried a 5.70 xERA.

Walks have only become a bigger issue in the time since. In 2021 he walked 32.1% of batters he faced, and walked three in his three innings in 2022.

Even with the success he experienced in AAA last season, walks still plagued him. He worked 54.2 innings in Sugar Land in 2022. He posted a 2.63 ERA and struckout 13.3 batters per nine, two numbers that look great on paper. A closer look shows he walked 5.1 batters per nine innings, his second consecutive season walking over five batters per nine against minor league hitters.

If Paredes is walking batters with minor league plate discipline, what will he do against the vision of big-league hitters?

As of now, it is likely Paredes doesn't have a role with the big league club in 2023 unless he finds some control over night. Big league hitters will continue to take their walks and then feast when he has to come into the zone after putting batters on.

His stuff is no doubt electric, but until he can harness the zone, it's likely Enoli Canoli will remain in AAA for the forseaable future.