Astros Receive Huge Bonus with Hunter Brown up For AL Cy Young Award

At the top of the Astros staff leading the way all season long was young right-hander Hunter Brown, who experienced a major breakout this year.

With the announcement of the finalists for the major awards coming on Monday night by the Baseball Writers Association of America, Brown was named as one of three finalists for the American League Cy Young along with Tarik Skubal (Detroit Tigers) and Garrett Crochet (Boston Red Sox).

While Brown likely is going to finish third behind the two fellow aces, Houston gets a phenomenal added bonus that he earned the organization outside of just being recognized as one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Astros Will Receive Draft Pick Compensation Through PPI

Because Brown was eligible for the Prospect Promotion Incentive, his season nets Houston an extra draft pick at the end of the first round in the 2026 MLB draft. The intention of the program is to reduce service time manipulation.

It has always been protocol for a team to hold even the highest rated prospects out for the first several weeks of the season he's going to be promoted in order to retain the extra year of team control.

Under the PPI -- an addition from the latest collective bargaining agreement -- a prospect ranked on at least two of the three top 100 prospect lists from Baseball America, ESPN and MLB Pipeline who the team promotes early enough in a season to earn the full service year, PPI kicks in.

At that point, either winning Rookie of the Year or being named in the top-three of the MVP or Cy Young during his pre arbitration seasons winds up netting the team an extra draft pick. This was the third season Brown was PPI eligible.

Brown Had Incredible Season for Houston

Brown was one of the best pitchers in baseball this season for the Astros, pitching to a 2.43 ERA over 31 starts with a 1.025 WHIP, a 12-9 record and 206 strikeouts in 185.1 innings pitched.

Accounting for a bWAR of 6.1, Brown was Houston's most important player and showed flashes that he can be a legitimate ace for years to come. Still just 27 years old, the breakout season for the right-hander was just the beginning.

It's nice to see Brown nominated for the highest honor a pitcher can receive, but the young ace is out for more. This is a guy who is capable of not just being up for these awards, but winning them as well.

And maybe, just maybe, leading a staff that can restore the Astros back to the kind of glory they experienced in the years before Brown arrived.