Since their first World Series run in 2017, the Astros have produced, traded for, and developed a huge amount of pitching talent. From Cy Young winners like Dallas Keuchel and Gerrit Cole, to future Hall of Famers like Zack Greinke and Justin Verlander, the Astros have had no shortage of pitching excellence in their domination of the AL over the past decade or so.<\/p>\n
Now, the Astros\u2019 rotation of 2026 has certainly seen better days. Hunter Brown remains one of the top-end arms in the AL, if not MLB, but outside of him are major question marks, including unknown international talent, baby-faced rookies, and former top prospects who bounce between the bullpen and the rotation as needed.<\/p>\n
Last year, the Astros strung together some solid numbers:<\/p>\n
ERA 3.86 – 11th in the leagueEarned Runs 619 – 19th in the leagueWalks 508 – 16th in the leagueStrikeouts 1504 – 2nd in the league<\/p>\n
While the Astros were not the dominant force they\u2019ve been in the past, they certainly gave the Mariners and the rest of the AL a run for their money. Fortunately for the Mariners, the Astros have had some major shake-ups in their rotation. While the addition of Tatsuya Imai may alleviate some of the issues that could arise, it\u2019s hard to say whether Imai will be as good as some of the guys who have already departed.<\/p>\n
Notable Departures and Injuries<\/p>\n
Framber Valdez (LHP) signed as a free agent with the Detroit Tigers. While Valdez has been supplanted as the ace of the Astros\u2019 staff, there\u2019s no doubt that he was a core piece of the Astros\u2019 rotation and will be sorely missed. We will see if Imai can successfully replace the hole in the rotation left by the left-hander.<\/p>\n
Hayden Wesneki (RHP) was acquired before the 2025 season as part of the Kyle Tucker trade. After making a handful of starts, he suffered a UCL tear, leading to Tommy John surgery. Wesneki is likely to return at some point this coming season, but with setbacks, it remains to be seen when that will be.<\/p>\n
Ronel Blanco (RHP) had a breakout 2024, including a no-hitter, and was set to be a major part of the Astros\u2019 rotation in 2025. However, early in the season, Blanco suffered a right elbow injury and underwent Tommy John surgery. The young phenom is expected to make his return after the 2026 All-Star break.<\/p>\n
Mike Burrows (RHP), Roddery Mu\u00f1oz (RHP), Tatsuya Imai (RHP), Trey McLoughlin (RHP), Ryan Weiss (RHP)<\/p>\n
Kelvin Herrera (RHP), Maximiliano Villanueva (RHP), \u00c1ngel Alc\u00e1ntara (RHP), \u00c1ngel Brito (RHP), C\u00e9sar Pastrano (RHP), Thomas Sveyda (LHP)<\/p>\n
PlayerAgeThrowsIPK\/BBERAFIPWARHunter Brown27R1833.263.353.453.8Cristian Javier29R1482.184.684.791.2Tatsuya Imai28R1532.334.384.291.7Mike Burrows26R1312.914.114.181.6Lance McCullers Jr.32R1092.004.394.471.0Spencer Arrighetti26R862.254.464.550.5Ryan Weiss29R902.624.244.240.7<\/p>\n
The obvious headline here is the departure of Framber Valdez and the arrival of Tatsuya Imai. In Valdez, the Astros have lost one of the top lefty starters in the league to the Tigers, a team they could absolutely see in October. However, the price tag was not as eye-popping as I would have expected: just 3 years, $115 million, and a mutual option for 2029. The feeling around the league seems to be that the market never really materialized for Valdez. While I\u2019m sure the Astros likely made a competitive offer, following an incident late in the season in which Valdez seemingly crossed up his own catcher, major concerns and rumors about his personality and locker-room presence began to circulate in the league.<\/p>\n
In response, the Astros have taken a chance and signed their first Japanese player, Tatsuya Imai. Imai has spent the last eight years rising through the Japanese NPB ranks and has strung together some very impressive seasons for the Seibu Lions, establishing himself as one of the top pitchers in Japan. The right-hander distinguished himself right away by stating his preference to \u201ctake down\u201d Ohanti, Yamamoto, and Sasaki as opposed to joining them on the Dodgers.<\/a> Imai has big shoes to fill in Houston, but could be just the stabilizing presence the rotation needs.<\/p>\n