Series: Houston Astros Top 5 Starting Pitcher Lottery Tickets
By Mac Wolff
Feb 21, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Asher Wojciechowski (59) poses for a picture during photo day at Osceola County Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Wojo is the oldest of the list (25) and also the most experienced. He was drafted in 2010 by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 41st pick and then shipped to Houston in a 10 player trade that left a lot of Blue Jay fans scratching their head. To me, the trade is still too close to call a winner on either side. The prospects brought over from the Jays have been kind of meh outside of Wojo and the major league talent the Astros sent have performed at a very meh level. I think “meh” will catch on in scouting circles, you just watch. Followed by “I can’t even”, as in, “I can’t even with this Hector Ambriz guy.”
Something else unique to Wojo in respect to this list is that he has dominated at the Triple-A level. He has faced and conquered the closest thing to major league talent that the Astros are capable of pitting him against. Last year with the Triple-A Red Hawks Wojo posted a 3.56 ERA with a K/9 of 7 and a BB/9 of 2.96 which by all rights made him one of the top performers alongside Jared Cosart.
It was expected that Wojo would make a run at a rotation spot in spring training but unfortunately he did not really get a chance to participate because of a strained lat that set him back. I imagine he will get a chance to don the blue and orange at some point this season simply because there is nothing left for him to prove at Triple-A.
Scouts talk about him as a back of the rotation workhorse that has decent but not dominating stuff. Featuring a fastball, slider, and change-up that are all average at best.
I clearly have a lot of respect for a pitcher that has worked his way to the cusp of the big leagues despite not having electric stuff that drops jaws. I look forward to getting a better look at him when he is starting every 5th day in Houston.