There are tons of expectations for the Houston Astros this season, and for good reason.
In the midst of their dynasty, they're searching for their franchise's third World Series championship which would extend their record of consecutive ALCS appearances and put a stamp on how dominant this team has been.
For them to do that, the Astros need a huge year from Framber Valdez.
The ace looked like he was putting together an AL Cy Young-winning season in 2023 before a second half collapse completely took him out of the conversation.
Valdez should be viewed as one of the favorites to win the award this year and first-time manager Joe Espada could be a major reason why.
"I still don’t see Espada treating Valdez with kid gloves. Valdez should clear 200 innings if healthy, and 15-plus wins is very much on the table," writes Michael Shapiro of Chron.com.
If that's the case, then the left-hander should firmly be in the mix to win his first Cy Young award.
When taking a look at the last two winners in the American League, Justin Verlander in 2022 and Gerrit Cole in 2023, both won 15 games or more and led the AL in ERA while pitching a high volume of innings.
Valdez can certainly do that.
In 2022, he led the AL in innings pitched and finished sixth in ERA with a 2.82.
Houston's ace is also a high-strikeout pitcher, something that is viewed favorably to voters as well.
All this is well-known criteria for Cy Young winners, but there was a worry that Espada's new-age philosophy might cause him to limit what Valdez does during the regular season to keep him fresh for the playoffs.
Shapiro doesn't think that will be the case, though.
If Espada lefts Valdez continue to be a workhorse like he's been throughout his career, putting together a year similar to his 2.51 ERA prior to the All-Star break in 2023 should have him on track to be a legit contender.
Of course, it will all come down to performance on the mound, but Valdez will be in the mix to take home some hardware at the end of the season if he performs like he's the elite starter he is.
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