Ryan Pressly’s contributions to the Astros should never be forgotten

The Houston Astros recently moved on from one of the biggest pitching names in the back of their bullpen, sending Ryan Pressly in a trade to the Chicago Cubs after the pitcher waived his no-trade clause. The Astros sent over $5.5 million and received 20-year-old minor-league right-hander Juan Bello. While Pressly certainly wasn’t immune to criticism from Astros fans, the contributions and success the closer brought to Houston should never be forgotten. In the end, Ryan Pressly was one of the greatest closers the Astros have ever had.

Simply put, the Astros do not win the 2022 World Series without the All-Star reliever at his very best.

The 36-year-old joined Houston back in 2018 in a trade from the Minnesota Twins. He initially did well, with a 0.77 ERA in 23.1 innings in his first year. After a solid 2019 season, Pressly became the Astros' closer in 2020, where he helped Houston reach the ALCS, going 4-for-4 on saves. The transition was quite smooth for someone who quickly became the star of the bullpen. From 2021-2023, Pressly had the greatest stretch of his career, where he became an All-Star and World Series champion. In 2021, No. 55 had a 2.25 ERA in 64 innings and was 26-for-28 in save opportunities. That remains the best season of his career to date.

The best moments of Ryan Pressly's Astros career

The Astros had a run to the World Series that season, where Pressly gave up only one earned run in 9.2 innings. In 2022, Pressly had a similar regular season, but followed it with one of the best postseason stretches ever by a closer that resulted in a championship. He posted a perfect 0.00 ERA in 11 innings and went 6-for-6 in saves, including the final out of Game 6 of the Fall Classic. The gutsiest performance from Pressly that was absolutely critical to Houston winning the World Series came in Game 5 in Philly, where he came in for the five-out save in a one-run game. It doesn’t get closer than that, but Pressly found a way to get it done.

Pressly was also a part of multiple combined no-hitters in Houston, such as the first one in the history of the Fall Classic in Game 4, as well as in the Bronx vs the Yankees that regular season. Pressly closed things out in the 2020 Wild Card and ALDS, 2021 ALDS and ALCS, 2022 ALCS and World Series, and the 2023 ALDS. There have been so many big moments throughout the Astros' golden era run, many of them closed out by Ryan Pressly. 

After the Astros traded for Josh Hader last season, the relationship between Pressly and the Astros' front office was fractured, according to GM Dana Brown. It’s clear that he is ready to move on now after waiving his no-trade clause, choosing to re-join his teammate Kyle Tucker in Chicago. 

Though plenty was going on behind the scenes, Pressly was outwardly all class during his time as an Astro, and left a full page letter in the Houston Chronicle about what he called the "unforgettable years" in his life upon his departure. The Texas native will always have respect from the fans in Houston, and those lucky fans should never forget what he did.