Houston Astros Should Be Concerned About Massive Regression From Starting Pitcher

It was a mediocre week for the Houston Astros, who are hanging tough in the American League West. After a slow start to the year, the Astros have been playing much better of late, and the team has weathered an early storm of questions. This winter, there were a lot of concerns about the outlook and the vision for the team moving forward.

However, despite losing some significant contributors from the last couple of campaigns, Houston has been finding ways to win. Coming into the season, one of the strengths of the team figured to be the starting rotation. However, besides Hunter Brown, who has emerged as one of the best in the game, the rotation has had some struggles.



Framber Valdez has been good, but not great, and injuries have once again impacted the rotation. However, there has been one key member of the unit that has struggled and is a cause for concern for the Astros. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the struggles of starting pitcher Ronel Blanco this season as a major concern for the Astros.

“After his unexpected breakout in 2024, Blanco—whose 4.15 FIP and 4.09 xFIP suggested the 2.

80 ERA was a bit of a fluke—has regressed in a big way to the tune of a 5.08 ERA.” Even though the team has been performing well, the injuries and performance of the rotation is concerning.

While struggles in the lineup after losing key players isn't overly surprising, the rotation was supposed to be the strength of the team. Fortunately, the bullpen for Houston has been amazing and has picked up a lot of the slack for the time being. However, the rotation especially has the potential to be good.

In the case of Blanco, he was a pitcher that the Astros were relying on this year. In 2025, he has pitched poorly with a 5.08 ERA in six starts, and has just had one quality outing so far this campaign.

Compared to last season, it has been a significant decline in production. In 2024, he totaled a 13-6 record and 2.80 ERA.

While his FIP numbers might have indicated there would be some regression from the excellent year in 2024, it has been a significant drop so far. Currently, Houston is still a bit short-handed in the rotation, meaning Blanco should continue to get opportunities. However, once Spencer Arrighetti returns from the injured list, he could be coming for that spot.

Hopefully, Blanco will be able to have a better month of May and perform closer to what he did last campaign. Recommended Articles.