Power Ranking the Four Astros Pitchers That Need to Step Up Most While Lance McCullers Recovers

Four Astros to keep an eye on with Lance McCullers Jr. out with an injury

Lance McCullers Jr. will miss Opening Day after having been shut down with an forearm strain. The hope is that McCullers recovers much quicker than he did in 2022, when he didn't debut until August after injuring himself in the 2021 playoffs.

Having already lost Justin Verlander in free agency, the Astros pitching depth is now being put to the test. With the AL West much improved heading into 2023, four Astros pitchers will need to step up to help Houston weather the storm. Let's dive in.

Cristian Javier

In what world could a World Series hero and Cy Young candidate with a Baseball Savant page almost exclusively in at least the 90th percentile need to step up further? Is there even a level higher to go?

While not much more can be asked of Javier with regards to ERA, strikeouts, or even no-hitters, there is one specific area in which he needs to grow in order to blossom into a true ace. Javier must go deeper into ball games. As a pitcher that works out of the zone, Javier often works deep into counts, elevating his pitch count and limiting how long he lasts in his starts. 

Even before McCullers was hurt, Houston was going to feel JV’s departure. Verlander was a workhorse, ensuring the bullpen was preserved every fifth/sixth day, whether he had his best stuff or not. Now down LMJ as well, Houston has an innings void to fill if their bullpen will be as dominant was it was in 2022. Houston needs the same bullpen performance if it is to repeat in 2023. 

Javier has fluctuated between starter and reliever his first three years in the bigs. He’s never exceed even 150 innings If he is to truly become a bona fide ace and the Astros are going to have an intact bullpen come October, Javier needs to consistently go six innings per start and approach, or even surpass, the 175 innings threshold. 

Hunter Brown

In light of McCullers' injury, it's likely no player is counted on to step up more than Houston's top prospect--Hunter Brown. The flame throwing righty overpowered AAA hitters all season in AAA, earning PCL Pitcher of the Year honors before being called up in September.

In seven appearances, Brown went 2-0 with a 0.89 ERA and pitched his way onto the playoff roster.

Safe to say, Brown will rack up a much larger sample size in 2023. Valdez and Javier are locked in as co-aces at the top of the rotation. One would assume Garcia and Urquidy would bump up to 3/4 while Brown serves as the fifth starter with Lance out. If he outperforms the fifth spot, maybe he gets bumped up in the order.

But if he struggles, Houston could be in trouble. According to this Chandler Rome tweet, Dusty Baker didn't appear thrilled Houston opted not to add a starter this offseason. If another starter gets hurt or if Brown scuffles, what was once a perceived strength becomes a massive question mark. A strong start to the season from Brown alleviates all concerns and would allow Houston to continue chugging along full speed ahead.

The Astros farm system is already depleted. They don't have a ton of prospects to package together to acquire another starter. If Brown is up to the task, they won't even have to consider such a thing.

Forrest Whitley

No bigger question mark exists in the Astros system than Forrest Whitley. Should Houston convert him to a reliever? Is he anything more than a prospect to watch at this point in time? Do they try to sell low and at least get something in return?

2023 felt like the make or break year for Whitley even before LMJ went down. He may never have a chance to prove his worth than now. It sounds like Dana Brown is counting on this very thing happening:

We’re hoping Whitley takes a jump this year. It’s time for Whitley. I remember Whitley coming out of the Draft. Today I was watching him, and the ball looked like it was coming out pretty good. The slider looked pretty good. At some point, the kid’s going to have to take a jump, like Strider did for last year.

Whitley is putting in the work for this very thing to happen, as according to Kenny Van Doren, Whitley has a new pitch in his arsenal.

The same pitcher that was at one-time a top-five prospect in the game has to still be in there. His raw stuff is simply too overpowering not to play.

Barring an absolutely dominant Spring Training, Whitley will likely start the season in AAA, where has has struggled over the last two seasons, posting a 9.26 ERA. But if he proves himself this spring, maybe he makes the Opening Day roster or leaves himself the next man up for a spot start in a long stretch with no days off or if another pitcher goes down.

Whitley could well be the most transformative piece of the puzzle in Houston. If he can finally tap into his potential this year, not only will Houston weather the loss of McCullers, but they'll elevate to new heights they may not even have thought possible during their six-year reign of terror throughout the league.