MLB Writer Says Believe Hype Around Astros Breakout Star
The Houston Astros have been home to one of the best stories in baseball to start 2024 as a bottom of the roster pitcher made a massive statement.
Bleacher Report took a look at some of the hot starts around the season and decided whether the hype around these performances should be bought or sold.
Ronel Blanco, a 30-year-old righty, broke onto the scene with a no-hitter in his first game of the season, and though it might have been unexpected, it might not have been a fluke. Bleacher Report says this performance should be bought as Blanco has seemingly turned the corner in his pitching career.
If It weren't for injuries to the Astros pitching staff, Blanco might not have made the initial rotation.
His career ERA is 4.14 in 25 regular season games (including his no-hitter). He had an incredible spring training, pitching 15 2/3 scoreless innings with 18 strikeouts.
The biggest change to his arsenal so far his been the development of a dominant changeup. In 2023, he threw it on just nine percent of his pitches. During his no-hitter, that number jumped up to 34.3%.
Blanco doesn't need to have a 0.00 ERA to earn a full-time spot in the rotation like he did through spring training and his first start. If he can improve upon his 2023 number of 4.50, he can certainly challenge J.P. France and Hunter Brown when the Astros get back to health.
With just one start under his belt in the regular season, it's hard to make a definitive statement on how his year will pan out, but things are certainly on the rise for him.
Blanco is slated for his second start on Sunday night against the Texas Rangers. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN at 6 P.M. central time.
DYLAN SANDERS
Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders