The Houston Astros were forced to rely upon two rookies in their starting rotation last year following the departure of Justin Verlander and injuries to others.
Hunter Brown and J.P. France were impressive early on, showcasing that they might be two pieces for the future of the Astros' rotation.
Later in the season is when things turned, as the workload and hitters getting more data on their pitches and tendencies caused their ERA numbers to rise.
Despite some thought that both could start the year at Triple-A in 2024, it looks like they'll make the Opening Day roster with France having a real chance to be the fifth starter throughout the season.
The 28-year-old developed a new pitch heading into what would be his second season in the bigs.
Dealing with a shoulder injury, France hasn't been able to pitch in game action so far in Spring Training, but he was able to throw 25 pitches to live hitters for the first time in camp, suggesting he's getting closer to returning to the field.
However, that hasn't stopped him from working with superstar Jose Altuve to develop his new sinker.
"France held a baseball and mimicked how his new sinker was meant to come in to right-handed hitters, and Altuve provided feedback while holding his bat," writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
The young starter knows that the former MVP is a perfect sounding board to see how his new pitch would effect elite right-handed batters.
France is hoping that this new weapon will help him become an even better pitcher this season and throughout his career.
Altuve thinks that it will, telling McTaggart, "You can tell it has good movement and is going to be a good pitch for him."
In his rookie season he posted an ERA of 3.83 across 25 appearances and 24 starts. His ERA+ of 110 over 136 1/3 innings pitched suggests he will be a quality starter.
With another pitch in his arsenal, he could have an even greater second year.
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