The anticipation for pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training is always high when a team is expected to contend, and the Houston Astros have been placed in that category for years.
This spring had a bit more excitement than others in recent memory as fans were able to see the newest star player throw pitches in an Astros uniform.
Josh Hader was certainly the main story as the pitchers and catchers began their work. He was named the club's closer by manager Joe Espada, moving Ryan Pressly into the setup role.
There were some interesting comments made by Pressly, but ultimately both are excited about this opportunity.
But, perhaps the storyline that's not getting as much attention as it should is Houston's ace Framber Valdez debuted a new look when he arrived in Florida.
The dreadlocks that have flown out of the left-hander's hat in the past are no longer there.
It's unclear if that will be the case when the Astros take the field for Opening Day against the New York Yankees on March 28, but as of now, it seems like he'll have a different appearance when on the mound in 2024.
Baseball players are notoriously creatures of habit and superstitious.
Maybe Valdez is looking to turn the page after his disappointing end to last season where he had a 4.66 ERA following the All-Star break and an uncharacteristic 9.00 ERA in the playoffs.
The lefty is still one of the best pitchers in the sport, coming off his second straight All-Star appearance and finishing Top-10 in AL Cy Young voting back to back years.
However, he didn't look like the same pitcher late in the season.
If Valdez feels like a change in appearance will help him get back on track, then that's the most important thing.
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