Under-appreciated Astros prospect could help solve Houston’s rotation quandary

The Houston Astros rotation is in shambles, and it's not just one thing that has gone wrong. There are the underperformers, proving that the Astros really should have done what was needed to add a high-end veteran starter. Making matters worse is the fact that Houston's starters are dropping like flies and heading to the IL, with Tatsuya Imai becoming the latest victim of the injury bug.

The pitching situation has gotten so bad that it truly derailed their 10-game road trip. Over that span, Astros hitters got the job done, slashing .274/.362/.426, but the pitching staff recorded a ghastly 7.98 ERA.

To be fair, it hasn't just been the starters who have struggled, though on the season, they rank dead-last with a 6.43 ERA. The bullpen has the second-worst ERA with a 6.57 mark, but fixing the rotation might have a trickle-down effect on the relievers. That's because the Astros' rotation has thrown 71 1/3 innings over 17 games through April 13, which ranks 25th in the majors. Houston's bullpen has racked up the fourth-most innings due to the starters' ineptitude, throwing 74 frames in total.

Mike Burrows became the first Astros starter to complete six innings since the injured Hunter Brown on March 31, though he surrendered 11 hits and six earned runs in the losing effort on April 13 against the division rival Mariners.

One arm alone won't save the sinking rotation, but a shot in the arm could go a long way, and they could find that in rising prospect Miguel Ullola.

Miguel Ullola won't save the Astros' rotation, but promoting him could be a step in the right direction

Ullola has seen his stock take a bit of a tumble over the past year-plus, but he's a live arm whose breakout would mean the world to Houston. The 23-year-old has a mid-to-high 90s fastball that plays up even more thanks to its ride, a wipeout slider that has generated a 38.1% whiff rate, and a cutter, changeup, and curveball to round out his arsenal and keep hitters off balance.

He's been dominating in Sugar Land so far. The young flamethrower has a 2.19 ERA and is running a 38% strikeout rate, while allowing just a .140 batting average against, which seems legit based on his minuscule 16.7% hard-hit rate allowed.

Ullola isn't perfect, though. He's always had special stuff, racked up strikeouts, and been nearly impossible to hit. Unfortunately, he's also been terribly walk-prone throughout his minor league career, which is the primary reason his standing took a hit last year.

There is positive stuff going on there, though. In 2025, his walk rate was a whopping 15.9%, which translated to 6.18 BB/9. This year, it's still elevated, but showing improvement, coming in at 12%, which has yielded a more reasonable 4.38 BB/9.

It will take a lot more than one prospect coming up and saving the day (if he even can), but if Ullola were to get the call and succeed, Burrows gets his act together, Imai returns and pitches as the Astros had hoped, then maybe the club can tread water long enough for reinforcements to come off the IL and get back on track. Without help, though, Ullola alone won't be able to save the day, even if he exceeds the Astros' wildest expectations.

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