Veteran Farmhand Seen as Surprising Bright Spot for Houston Astros Despite Loss

The Houston Astros continue to have their organization depth tested when it comes to pitching.

Injuries to starting pitchers continue to pile up, as Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier and J.P. France have missed the entirety of this season so far recovering from surgeries.

Since then, Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski have undergone season-ending surgeries, and Spencer Arighetti has missed considerable time with a thumb ailment.

The Astros have an entire starting rotation, and a rather solid one, out with injuries, and the team has still managed to get by thanks to elite performances from co-aces Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez along with key unexpected contributions from further down the depth chart.

Brandon Walter Looks Like Another Huge Pitching Find for Houston Astros

Ever since their run as year-in, year-out World Series contenders began, Houston has developed a reputation for being a pitching development hotbed.

Even as the front office and coaching staff has entirely turned over since then, that still remains the case today.

On Sunday, fill-in starter Brandon Walter showed exactly why.

In his second career Major League start, Walter held the Cleveland Guardians to two earned runs over six innings of work.

Combine that with his five shutout innings against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 20, and he's got a 1.64 ERA for a team that has desperately needed quality depth behind its top two.

Lance McCullers Jr. has been mostly excellent in his return from several years of injury, but Ryan Gusto and Colton Gordon have not fared as well, with ERAs of 4.78 and 5.11 respectively in their 13 combined starts.

All told, the Astros rank eighth in MLB in starter ERA with a mark of 3.61.

Walter, albeit in just two appearances, has arguably been the difference in whether that gets them in the top 10 or not. If it checked in at 3.65, they'd sit 11th.

The University of Delaware alum made nine appearances as a reliever for the Boston Red Sox in 2023 in which he posted a 6.26 ERA.

He never showed much reason to believe in his long-term MLB upside at advanced levels of the minor leagues until this year, when with Houston's Triple-A affiliate in Sugar Land, he's posted a 3-1 record with a 2.08 ERA and has struck out more than one batter per inning at Triple-A for the first time.

With so many injuries, the Astros are almost certain to make a move at the MLB trade deadline to add a starter, but regardless, Walter has proven that he's a viable option for spot starts as needed, and possibly even more opportunity down the line.