2 months ago
Ethan Pecko entered his fifth inning Saturday unscored upon but with a reliever warming behind him in the Houston Astros' bullpen. Three batters later, his outing ended. Tim Tawa cued an infield hit into an open right side. Pecko pounced on a Ryan Waldschmidt tapper before Lars Nootbaar lined a clean single.
Nootbaar occupied the leadoff spot in the Diamondbacks' lineup and was facing Pecko for a third time in the game. His single put the potential tying run on base, brought manager Joe Espada out to remove his starter and reinforced an issue within Houston's rotation with 19 games left in a postseason race.
Two of five starters the Astros are deploying - Cristian Javier and Pecko, the right-handed prospect - are under tighter reins, with Houston hesitant to have them face opposing lineups a third time. Javier hasn't faced more than 19 batters in any of his past four outings, one of which he pitched in bulk relief.
Having three starters who will work deeper - Hunter Brown, Peter Lambert and Hayden Wesneski - can mitigate that usage somewhat. But it puts added pressure on those starters to cover innings and protect the bullpen, and on the bullpen to shoulder a significant workload at least two out of five (or six) days.
How sustainable that is down the stretch, for a club with a three-game division lead and 19 games left in the regular season, is a question. The bullpen has been arguably the Astros' biggest strength, yet it's also at less than full capacity, even with expanded rosters offering an extra spot on the pitching staff.
#starters #javier #right
Nootbaar occupied the leadoff spot in the Diamondbacks' lineup and was facing Pecko for a third time in the game. His single put the potential tying run on base, brought manager Joe Espada out to remove his starter and reinforced an issue within Houston's rotation with 19 games left in a postseason race.
Two of five starters the Astros are deploying - Cristian Javier and Pecko, the right-handed prospect - are under tighter reins, with Houston hesitant to have them face opposing lineups a third time. Javier hasn't faced more than 19 batters in any of his past four outings, one of which he pitched in bulk relief.
Having three starters who will work deeper - Hunter Brown, Peter Lambert and Hayden Wesneski - can mitigate that usage somewhat. But it puts added pressure on those starters to cover innings and protect the bullpen, and on the bullpen to shoulder a significant workload at least two out of five (or six) days.
How sustainable that is down the stretch, for a club with a three-game division lead and 19 games left in the regular season, is a question. The bullpen has been arguably the Astros' biggest strength, yet it's also at less than full capacity, even with expanded rosters offering an extra spot on the pitching staff.
#starters #javier #right
2 months ago
After deploying Cristian Javier behind an opener in his last outing against the Mets, the Houston Astros will have the right-hander make a traditional start in their upcoming series against the Diamondbacks.
Javier will start Friday's series opener against Arizona at Daikin Park. Ethan Pecko and Peter Lambert are scheduled to start the final two games of the series, which concludes a stretch of 13 games with no off-day for Houston.
Javier has a 6.45 ERA in 44 ⅔ innings this season, starting eight of his 13 appearances. He is allowing a 1.104 OPS when facing hitters for a second time in a game as a starter.
Pecko will make his fourth major-league start after recording his first career win in his last outing at Citi Field, allowing two runs over five innings. Javier, Pecko and Lambert will all pitch on five days' rest after the Astros used Ronel Blanco for a spot start Tuesday against the White Sox.
Blanco, who remains on the roster, should be available in a relief role this weekend against Arizona, said manager Joe Espada. After Sunday, the Astros will not play more than six games in a row without an off day for the rest of the regular season.
#javier #pecko #series #games
Javier will start Friday's series opener against Arizona at Daikin Park. Ethan Pecko and Peter Lambert are scheduled to start the final two games of the series, which concludes a stretch of 13 games with no off-day for Houston.
Javier has a 6.45 ERA in 44 ⅔ innings this season, starting eight of his 13 appearances. He is allowing a 1.104 OPS when facing hitters for a second time in a game as a starter.
Pecko will make his fourth major-league start after recording his first career win in his last outing at Citi Field, allowing two runs over five innings. Javier, Pecko and Lambert will all pitch on five days' rest after the Astros used Ronel Blanco for a spot start Tuesday against the White Sox.
Blanco, who remains on the roster, should be available in a relief role this weekend against Arizona, said manager Joe Espada. After Sunday, the Astros will not play more than six games in a row without an off day for the rest of the regular season.
#javier #pecko #series #games
2 months ago
NEW YORK - Eight pitches in, Ethan Pecko appeared on the edge of calamity. Francisco Lindor crushed a full-count fastball into the second deck at Citi Field. Juan Soto sent a first-pitch curveball over the wall in left-center. Bo Bichette punched a single through the right side of the Houston Astros' infield.
Houston pitching coach Josh Miller hustled to the mound for a visit. AJ Blubaugh began to throw in the visitors' bullpen. Turning there so early might have torpedoed an already tenuous staff. Pecko, still, was making his third major-league start, and a series against the Mets hung in the balance Sunday.
Miller's message?
"To be honest, I don't even know," Pecko said afterward. "I was pretty comfortable with where I was at. Obviously, you don't want to give up two home runs back-to-back. But even the single, like, I knew the stuff was good. And I kind of just knew I could shake it off and keep going."
Instead of an early exit, Pecko engineered a recovery. The 24-year-old right-hander stabilized his outing enough to work five innings that kept the Astros position to stage a comeback, preserved their pitching structure and offered perhaps the most encouraging step yet in his big-league introduction.
#astros
Houston pitching coach Josh Miller hustled to the mound for a visit. AJ Blubaugh began to throw in the visitors' bullpen. Turning there so early might have torpedoed an already tenuous staff. Pecko, still, was making his third major-league start, and a series against the Mets hung in the balance Sunday.
Miller's message?
"To be honest, I don't even know," Pecko said afterward. "I was pretty comfortable with where I was at. Obviously, you don't want to give up two home runs back-to-back. But even the single, like, I knew the stuff was good. And I kind of just knew I could shake it off and keep going."
Instead of an early exit, Pecko engineered a recovery. The 24-year-old right-hander stabilized his outing enough to work five innings that kept the Astros position to stage a comeback, preserved their pitching structure and offered perhaps the most encouraging step yet in his big-league introduction.
#astros
2 months ago
It was a tumultuous weekend for the Yankees. Cody Bellinger returned Sunday, providing a much-needed jolt to a lineup that's been anemic in his and Aaron Judge's absences. But Giancarlo Stanton suffered a setback that could end his season (and, with it, perhaps his tenure in pinstripes). And Ryan Weathers, who had posted a 2.27 ERA in seven starts since the All-Star break, landed on the shelf with a forearm strain.
Amid the injury news, the Yankees quietly went on a heater, winning six of their last seven while taking series against two AL East foes, Baltimore and Toronto. This week, they'll be hosting the Astros, a team that just fired GM Dana Brown after dropping six of their last eight despite still tying for first place in a tight AL West. Let's take a look at the likely starting pitching matchups for this midweek set.
Tuesday: Will Warren vs. Ethan Pecko (7:05 pm ET)
Just over a week ago, it looked like Will Warren was about to lose his rotation spot, bouncing either to the bullpen or the minors upon Carlos Rodón's return. Now, with Max Fried and Weathers on the IL, he's the Yankees' No. 4 starter. After a strong start to the year he's struggled, going 1-1 with a 6.08 ERA since the All-Star break and turning in just one quality start since the end of May. Last time out, he needed 90 pitches to get through four innings of work in Baltimore, allowing six baserunners and two runs.
He's lined up to face Ethan Pecko. The right-hander will be pitching on his 24th birthday, six days after making his MLB debut against the Angels in which he allowed two runs in 3.2 innings. He featured a four-seamer and a sinker in that start, mixing in four complementary pitches. Pecko was 4-6 with a 4.94 ERA in 17 outings (15 starts) at Triple-A before getting the call.
#start #star
Amid the injury news, the Yankees quietly went on a heater, winning six of their last seven while taking series against two AL East foes, Baltimore and Toronto. This week, they'll be hosting the Astros, a team that just fired GM Dana Brown after dropping six of their last eight despite still tying for first place in a tight AL West. Let's take a look at the likely starting pitching matchups for this midweek set.
Tuesday: Will Warren vs. Ethan Pecko (7:05 pm ET)
Just over a week ago, it looked like Will Warren was about to lose his rotation spot, bouncing either to the bullpen or the minors upon Carlos Rodón's return. Now, with Max Fried and Weathers on the IL, he's the Yankees' No. 4 starter. After a strong start to the year he's struggled, going 1-1 with a 6.08 ERA since the All-Star break and turning in just one quality start since the end of May. Last time out, he needed 90 pitches to get through four innings of work in Baltimore, allowing six baserunners and two runs.
He's lined up to face Ethan Pecko. The right-hander will be pitching on his 24th birthday, six days after making his MLB debut against the Angels in which he allowed two runs in 3.2 innings. He featured a four-seamer and a sinker in that start, mixing in four complementary pitches. Pecko was 4-6 with a 4.94 ERA in 17 outings (15 starts) at Triple-A before getting the call.
#start #star
2 months ago
In 2023, the Astros, fresh off a World Series ******* le, brought in a new general manager in Dana Brown. Brown was lauded for his scouting acumen given his background as an amateur scout and his role in helping build a strong organization in Atlanta.
With the 2026 MLB Draft now complete, we have four draft classes to evaluate what Brown and company have been able to do. Let's take a look at those classes, along with the international signings and trades, and see how the Astros' farm system compares to where it was when Brown took over in 2023.
Going into the 2023 season, the Astros had a decent farm system with two Top 100 prospects in Hunter Brown and Yainer Diaz, according to Baseball America. Diaz, however, was not included on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list.
In the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft, the Astros held the 28th pick and selected shortstop Brice Matthews out of Nebraska. Matthews eventually broke into Pipeline's Top 100 in July 2025, ranking No. 98. Their second-round pick, Alonzo Tredwell, had a breakout 2025 season but has only pitched one in 2026.
The Astros had a few other intriguing picks, including Jake Bloss, who was eventually traded in the deal for Yusei Kikuchi; Chase Jaworsky, who was traded for Jesus Sanchez; and Ethan Pecko, who is now one of the top pitching prospects in the system. Nehomar Ochoa and Anthony Huezo were two later-round fliers who have developed into legitimate prospects.
#astros #brown #diaz #classes
With the 2026 MLB Draft now complete, we have four draft classes to evaluate what Brown and company have been able to do. Let's take a look at those classes, along with the international signings and trades, and see how the Astros' farm system compares to where it was when Brown took over in 2023.
Going into the 2023 season, the Astros had a decent farm system with two Top 100 prospects in Hunter Brown and Yainer Diaz, according to Baseball America. Diaz, however, was not included on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list.
In the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft, the Astros held the 28th pick and selected shortstop Brice Matthews out of Nebraska. Matthews eventually broke into Pipeline's Top 100 in July 2025, ranking No. 98. Their second-round pick, Alonzo Tredwell, had a breakout 2025 season but has only pitched one in 2026.
The Astros had a few other intriguing picks, including Jake Bloss, who was eventually traded in the deal for Yusei Kikuchi; Chase Jaworsky, who was traded for Jesus Sanchez; and Ethan Pecko, who is now one of the top pitching prospects in the system. Nehomar Ochoa and Anthony Huezo were two later-round fliers who have developed into legitimate prospects.
#astros #brown #diaz #classes
4 months ago
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day's recap here.
Sugar Land got on the board early scoring 4 runs in the first inning on a Loperfido 2 run double, Whitcomb RBI double and Salazar RBI single. Wesneski got the start and pitched well allowing 1 run over 4.2 innings while striking out 7 batters. Sugar Land got 3 more runs in the 7th inning on a Brooks RBI single and Salazar 2 run single. Pecko allowed 3 runs in relief but held on as Sugar Land won 7-4.
Note: Ferreras is hitting.367 in Triple-A.
Pascanel Ferreras, SS: 2-for-5, R, 2 2B
Joey Loperfido, RF: 2-for-5, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI
Sugar Land got on the board early scoring 4 runs in the first inning on a Loperfido 2 run double, Whitcomb RBI double and Salazar RBI single. Wesneski got the start and pitched well allowing 1 run over 4.2 innings while striking out 7 batters. Sugar Land got 3 more runs in the 7th inning on a Brooks RBI single and Salazar 2 run single. Pecko allowed 3 runs in relief but held on as Sugar Land won 7-4.
Note: Ferreras is hitting.367 in Triple-A.
Pascanel Ferreras, SS: 2-for-5, R, 2 2B
Joey Loperfido, RF: 2-for-5, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI
