Houston Astros: Why Brad Peacock will morph into a dominant reliever

The Houston Astros have secured their first World Series championship in franchise history and Brad Peacock has proven he will be integral piece but out of the bullpen, not as a starter.

The Houston Astros have been World Champs for only a couple of days now and I’m sure the reality hasn’t sunk in for many, including us fans as well as the players. In a moment that seemed so unattainable to reach, the Houston Astros were able to persevere in a manner that made us all feel proud to call them our professional baseball team.

It truly was the most intriguing yet engaging stretch of baseball I’ve ever watched as a fan and certainly hope that more is in store for these Houston Astros. Whenever this team got in a jam, there would be always somebody that would lift them up whether it be Justin Verlander, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa or even Charlie Morton to an extent.

We all had concerns in regard to how our bullpen would hold up throughout the playoffs and considering the depth we had on the pitching front adding Verlander to staff, we were able to work through the nuances with slight bumps on the road.

But speaking of that, let’s talk about Brad Peacock, who’s had the greatest season of his short career, proving that he still has a lot left in the tank. For a guy I didn’t know what his status would be moving forward, has emerged as a consistent threat on the bump to help this team win games. And you don’t have to take my word for it — he’s got 13 notches on his belt from the regular season because of this.

Peacock has been around for years but he just couldn’t seem to avoid the painful bite of the injury bug. On the other hand, he roared through this season and the playoffs with no issues. Or at least that we know about. Our pitchers were dropping like flies as we got the midpoint of the season and although it was planned to have Peacock go out of the bullpen, we had to start him out of necessity.

Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers Jr., Charlie Morton and Collin McHugh all dealt with injury at some point in the season and it was up to Peacock to answer the bell whenever it was tolled for his services. He responded wonderfully — not only that — but he posted a 13-2 record, a 3.00 ERA while tossing 161 strikeouts, with a 1.189 WHIP through 34 games — 21 starts — in 132.0 innings pitched.

That speaks to the ability of Peacock being able to start when called upon but I think his strongest stuff should be wielded in a compacted amount of innings rather than him getting starter’s work in unless it’s necessitated because of injuries to his counterparts. His performance in the playoffs was mixed but he threw the strikes, generated ground balls and fly balls when the team needed him the most. For the postseason, Peacock put up a 5.11 ERA, 16 strikeouts, seven earned runs, four walks and one hit through 12.1 innings pitched.

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There were moments where he got severely roughed up, particularly in his first postseason start in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Boston Red Sox. He gave up six hits and three earned runs in that start which proves to me he’s one of the best guys to bring in when one needs to get OUT of a jam.

Time and again, through the season, Peacock has demonstrated that he can get himself out of a stressful situation which I found it puzzling why A.J. Hinch pulled him so early in that first start of his. The point is moot now because we’re the champs but it leads to ultimate plausibility that he should be unleashed out of the bullpen next season.

Although I’m impressed with him being able to exceed expectations, I think he should be one of the first guys called out from the bullpen next season, especially with the addition of Verlander, so that he can be at his best. Peacock did appear down the stretch in Game 7 of World Series and he responded wonderfully to the pressure. He wasn’t perfect but still kept the game on even keel as he’s been tasked to do.

He has all of the tools to become a dominant reliever in this game — his 82 mph “turbo” slider along with his fastball and curve — comprise of a notable repertoire to get him to the promised land of ascendancy. I honestly think he’ll get to that point.

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But all things considered, Peacock’s career has been rejuvenated and I hope he stays a member of the Houston Astros for quite some time. Besides I want to keep coining my special phrase “you just been Brad Peacock’d!” on a regular basis as I did this season.

I wish him nothing but the best of luck and I can’t wait to see him back on the bump for next season.

Go Astros.

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