Houston Astros: Predicting the stacked playoff pitching rotation
By T.A. Mock
The long relievers: Charlie Morton*, Lance McCullers Jr., Collin McHugh, and Brad Peacock
The Houston Astros proved last season how important it is to have guys coming out of the bullpen that can pitch multiple innings. These three guys, minus McHugh, provided excellent pitching out of the pen either when starters couldn’t go long or simply because these guys were pitching excellently.
All four of these pitchers have top notch stuff and their pitches are already electric as starters. Typically, converting to pitch fewer innings from pitching starter innings allows guys to ramp up their pitches to be faster and have more movement. These guys have all shown an ability to make that happen, they’ll be deadly out of the pen.
McHugh and Peacock have been coming out of the bullpen all season and will be 100%, ready to go come postseason ball. McCullers is still working his way back from an elbow injury, which is always scary, but the Astros are slowly bringing him back and preparing him for a bullpen role.
light. Also. Three guys that need more playing time down the stretch
Morton is going to have to be the most flexible guy on the roster this postseason as he could start a game and come out of the bullpen in a single series. Theoretically, Verlander, Cole, and Keuchel could come out of the bullpen as well depending on the series situation and their rest, like Verlander did last year.
These four guys making it means Framber Valdez and Josh James won’t make the postseason roster after providing valuable innings the past few weeks. Of those two, I like James the most, in case the Astros decide to carry another pitcher, because of his wicked fastball and plus secondary pitches. However, I expect the team to only carry 11 pitchers.
McCullers is a candidate to be left off of the roster if the team believes he isn’t healthy enough come the end of the September. If they want to keep another long guy to replace McCullers, James is the best option.