IT'S TIME
How former top prospect could be even bigger piece of Astros 2023 puzzle
Feb 21, 2023, 4:48 pm
This could be the year Forrest Whitley makes his big league debut.Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
The Houston Astros took right-handed pitcher Forrest Whitley with their first round pick in the 2016 Draft. Coming out of Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio, he was expected to one day become a key piece in Houston’s rotation.
Nearly seven years later, Whitley has still not pitched a single inning for the Houston Astros at the major league level, but this year could finally be the one that sees him grab the symbolic brass ring and make it to the big leagues.
Whitley’s delay in reaching the majors has been due to various factors. Some of it has been because of a suspension for violating the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. He has also had to deal with injuries, including the dreaded Tommy John Surgery.
To put some perspective on how long he has been in the Astros’ system, when he was first drafted, the Houston Rockets still had Dwight Howard on their roster before he left as a free agent to the Atlanta Hawks, the Texans had just signed quarterback Brock Osweiler to a multi-year deal, and the Astros were in the middle of a lackluster season following an exciting ALDS run the year prior.
During his time in the minors, Whitley has only played in 70 total games with a career 5.01 ERA. In 2022, he played in 13 games, 10 of which were for the Triple-A affiliate Sugar Land Space Cowboys. He had a 7.09 ERA in Sugar Land.
Despite all of that, Whitley finds himself on the Astros’ 40-man roster to begin 2023 spring training. At 25 years old, he is still among the youngest pitchers Houston has.
With news coming out of Florida that pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. is dealing with soreness in his elbow, it is a sobering reminder that a baseball season is a long, grueling marathon and not a sprint to October.
The Astros will open the 2023 regular season playing eight straight games without a break and when extended further will get in 13 outings in 14 days. During a stretch at the end of May and into June, Houston will play 17 straight games without an off day.
Last season, the Astros saw eight different pitchers start a game for Houston. The team had 22 different players throw a pitch over the course of the 162 games.
For Whitley, the opportunity to finally get a call-up to the majors has never been as close as it is this year, but it will all depend on his health and consistency.
He will likely start the 2023 year in Sugar Land, and with spring training games slated to begin this upcoming Saturday, the road to Minute Maid Park starts now for the former top prospect.
Everyone loves a good redemption arc, and Whitley has a chance to make his a reality. The Astros will eventually need to call up multiple players at some point in 2023 to pitch for them in the majors. It happens every year. Whether Whitley finally gets his, will be worth keeping an eye on.
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Late rally falls short as Astros drop opener to San Francisco
Mar 31, 2025, 10:30 pm
Coming off the opening series win over the Mets, there's a lot for the Astros to be excited about. The starting pitching led the way in all three games, and Houston's high-leverage relievers delivered when it mattered most.
Bryan Abreu and Josh Hader closed the door on the Mets in games 1 and 3. Bryan King has also looked impressive, and it appears he'll be counted on in the seventh inning to hand the lead to Abreu and then Hader.
If Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski can deliver consistent performances similar to the other starters, the Astros will have one of the most feared rotations in baseball.
Plus, more help could be on the way with Lance McCullers making another step in his rehab pitching for Sugar Land over the weekend.
As good as the pitching has been, there are some legitimate concerns about the offense. Their struggles to hit with runners in scoring position in 2024 are still an issue through the first series of 2025.
Newcomers Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker have yet to do much with the bat, and the only extra-base hits this season (2) have come from Jeremy Pena and Yordan Alvarez.
As far as the learning curve in the outfield, Jose Altuve and Cam Smith are off to a decent start. And despite the shakeup at second base, the team is still getting zero production from Mauricio Dubon and Brendan Rodgers.
It appears Joe Espada's plan in the Mets series was to get everyone some playing time, which seems like a smart strategy early in the season. However, the game plan didn't pay off on Saturday, with Zach Dezenzo, Victor Caratini, and Dubon combining for zero hits.
Polarizing bats
Finally, how are we feeling about the Torpedo bats sweeping the league?
While the Yankees aren't the only team with players sporting these new sticks, their results have been the talk of MLB with the Bronx Bombers mashing 15 dingers over just three games.
With the Astros sitting at one homer on the season, why not give them a try? One thing is for sure, don't be surprised if players opt to use these new bats to break out of a slump at some point this season.
We have so much more to cover. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday live right after the game. Click here to catch!
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