Houston Astros Rookie Pitcher Thriving in Unexpected New Role

Ryan Gusto made the Houston Astros' Opening Day roster by the skin of his teeth.

After a good spring training, the 26-year-old rookie right-hander earned the final spot in the Astros' bullpen in late March. That seemed like a good way to get him some experience in low-leverage situations and let him build up his confidence at the Major League level.

Fast forward a month, and he's suddenly one of Houston's most important pitchers.

After opening the season in the Astros' bullpen, Gusto was almost immediately thrust into the starting rotation in mid-April following Spencer Arrighetti's fluky injury.

He had shown great promise as a multi-inning reliever, allowing just one run on five hits in eight innings with nine strikeouts over his first four MLB appearances. However, would his stuff translate to the rotation?

So far, it has.

Gusto has made three starts since joining the rotation, and each one has been better than the last. He allowed three runs in four innings against the Los Angeles Angels in his first MLB start on April 12, then allowed two runs in five innings to the San Diego Padres in his second start.

His third start came on Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays, and it was his best one yet. He logged a career-high 5.2 innings, allowed just one run on three hits and matched his career-high with six strikeouts, helping Houston finish off the sweep in the series finale.

In his three starts, Gusto is 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA, a 2.41 FIP and a 14:2 K/BB ratio in 14.2 innings. Overall, he's 3-1 with a 2.78 ERA, a 2.67 FIP, a 1.10 WHIP and a 23:4 K/BB ratio in 22.2 innings.

Suffice it to say, the former 11th-round pick has drastically exceeded expectations in both of his roles this year. He boasts an excellent fastball that he's been locating well in the early going, and his peripherals support his strong start.