Jun 14, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown (58) delivers a pitch during the fifth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Daikin Park. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Astros Ace Continues to Hold Serve in Extremely Crowded AL Cy Young Race

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI | By Jacob Moss | Last updated Jun 27, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The chase for the American League pennant is shaping up to be one of the most competitive races in recent memory, with a number of very good clubs all firmly in the mix heading into the second half of the season.

Similarly, the hunt for the AL Cy Young award has also become extremely competitive as the season has progressed.

Reigning award winner Tarik Skubal and New York Yankees' lefty Max Fried were viewed by many as the two main contenders early on, but several other contenders have thrown their names in into the mix over the last month.

Among this crowded group of elite hurlers is the Houston Astros' new Ace in Hunter Brown, who is currently in the midst of a breakout campaign.

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The 26-year-old righty had shown flashes of the elite potential he possessed over his first three seasons at the big league level, but he's finally put it all together in 2025 in ways that nobody thought were possible.

As of this writing, Brown holds an 8-3 record across the 15 starts he's made, and has struck out 115 batters across his 98 total innings of work.

His 1.74 ERA also just so happens to rank first in all of baseball, while his 0.89 WHIP is tied for third best.

Hunter Brown has the best ERA in baseball this season ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/ZxuWXbQRsv
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 26, 2025

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Brown's record breaking start for the Astros has obviously put him into some very elite company, and it's also served as a stabilizing force for a rotation that has been decimated by injuries.

Houston has already lost two of their starters for the year to Tommy John surgery, and several other veterans have all had to deal with nagging ailments of their own.

As such, the team has been forced to lean on Brown to be their new workhorse, and it's a call he's answered all season long.

With as crowded as the field has become, the path for Brown to his first career Cy Young is unlikely to get any easier as things continue to progress.

He's in the running with a number of far more seasoned and experienced pitchers, and they all want the same thing he's after.

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That being said, Brown has shown time and time again that he deserves to be in that mix just as much as anybody else.

If he can keep up his relentless pace down the back half of the season, then it's very likely he ends up being crowned the AL's best pitcher come winter.

For more Astros news, head over to Astros On SI.

This article first appeared on Houston Astros on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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