Houston Astros Ace Reminding Everyone he Overcomes Inconsistency Every Time

The Houston Astros started the season slowly, but have really begun to find their stride in recent weeks.

Just as the Seattle Mariners have hit another downswing, the Astros have started to thrive. They have a 36-28 record, now leading the American League West by 3.5 games entering play on June 8.

There are still some issues Houston has to overcome with their offense, which lacks balance with too many right-handed bats and doesn’t consistently generate runs.

But when you have a pitching staff as talented and deep as what the Astros do, it takes pressure off the offense to produce gaudy numbers day in and day out.

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One of the players who has helped keep the team on track on the mound is ace Framber Valdez.

Some people have bestowed the ace title upon breakout star Hunter Brown, and rightfully so. He has performed like a Cy Young candidate, dominating thus far in 2025 as he carried his positive momentum over from 2024.

But, Valdez should not be forgotten, as he remains one of the most productive starting pitchers in baseball despite some maddening inconsistencies with his performance.

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“It's probably because of inconsistent command, but there's always one stretch every year where everyone doubts Valdez. The past two postseasons have been bad, and his May last year was a lot like his April this year — big ERAs, big walk rates, looks lost out there. But then he reals off a stretch that matches his stuff. He had an ERA under two in the second half last year, and this May he seems well on his way to another underrated season,” wrote Eno Sarris of The Athletic (subscription required) in a piece ranking starting pitchers for the remainder of the season for fantasy baseball.

Through 13 starts and 85 innings, Valdez has a 3.07 ERA with 84 strikeouts. He relies heavily on including groundballs and soft contact, and just as has been the case the last few years, it is working again in 2025.

It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the talented lefty.

Houston entertaining trade offers for him ahead of the deadline is hard to envision, especially with the team right back in the thick of the playoff race.

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But, his future with the Astros may not be long-term as he is set to hit free agency after the campaign.

If he keeps up this pace and production, he is assuring himself quite a payday in the coming months.

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