Jul 20, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown (58) throws against the Seattle Mariners during the second inning at T-Mobile Park. Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Astros' Ace Hunter Brown Continues to be One of Games Most Elite Arms

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI | By Jacob Moss | Last updated Aug 11, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The chase for the 2025 American League Cy Young award has been one of the more tightly contested races in recent memory, and much of that has been because there have been so many elite performances put in by the league's top arms.

Detroit Tigers' flamethrower and 2024 award winner Tarik Skubal and Boston Red Sox Ace Garrett Crochet have separated themselves from the rest of the pack as August approaches its midway point, but there is one more name right behind this pair that has also been absolutely dominant on the bump this season.

This would be the rotation headliner for the Houston Astros in Hunter Brown, who has remained one of the most electric shutdown starters in all of baseball this year, posting a 9-5 record, 2.95 ERA and 0.983 WHIP so far.

He's also been one of the most dominant strikeout artists in the American League in 2025 as well, currently boasting 160 total K's, and an absurd 10.56 K/9 across the 136.1 innings of work he's recorded so far this season.

Brown always possessed the elite tools necessary to be one of the game's elite starters, but he's finally put it all together now in his fourth MLB campaign, which was illustrated perfectly by his first-ever All-Star Game selection last month in Atlanta.

Hunter Brown and Josh Hader have both been named to the AL All-Star team pic.twitter.com/ijyWD86WEr
— SleeperAstros (@SleeperAstros) July 6, 2025

There's no denying that the stats Brown has put up so far are Cy Young worthy, but what has truly set him apart from the other names in the AL has been the insane burden he's been forced to shoulder for the Astros.

Houston has dealt with more bad injury luck in their pitching staff than any team in recent memory, and the starting rotation in particular has been hit especially hard. Outside of Brown, just about every other serviceable starting pitcher that Houston came into the season with has spent time on the IL.

Two of their main rotation pieces, Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski, have both been sidelined for the entire year with Tommy John surgery, while guys like Lance McCullers Jr. and Brandon Walter have both been dealing with nagging injuries of their own.

Outside of Framber Valdez, the Astors haven't had anybody other than Brown they can rely on to show up every fifth day and perform at a truly elite level. Simply put, Brown has been one of the only guys keeping Houston afloat out west amid their never-ending onslaught of injuries.

It's unlikely Brown will end up catching Skubal or Crochet in the Cy Young race, but that doesn't mean he doesn't still deserve his flowers for the incredible work he's put in. If he's able to maintain this form over the remainder of the regular season and into October, then he could end up taking home some far more valuable hardware when it's all said and done.