The Astros Should Be Concerned About Bryan Abreu's Slow Start

There are a lot of things that have gone wrong with the Houston Astros' 2026 season. Injuries and poor pitching are at the top of this long list. 14 players are on the injured list, including ace pitcher Hunter Brown, who has been on the shelf for a couple of weeks with a right shoulder strain, and shortstop Jeremy Peña, who is dealing with a hamstring strain.

Arguably, one of the most disappointing players this season has been reliever Bryan Abreu. With Josh Hader unavailable as he recovers from left bicep tendinitis, Abreu was expected to be the top arm in Joe Espada's bullpen. He has been anything but that in '26.

Sometimes players get off to slow starts and need some time to tweak their mechanics. The stats show that may not be the case for Abreu, and the concern level should be high.

Analyzing Abreu's Struggles This Season

Houston Astros pitcher Bryan Abreu reacts after delivering a pitch. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Abreu has made nine appearances this season and is 0-2 with a 14.73 ERA in 7.1 innings. He has more walks (13) than strikeouts (12), and opposing hitters are batting .300 against him. It has been a startling start to the season for Abreu, who was one of Houston's dependable relievers a season ago, posting a 2.28 ERA and seven saves.

There are two big reasons for this sudden drop off. He's been unable to command the zone. 49% of his pitches are strikes, and his walk percentage has increased by 20%, according to Baseball Savant. In years past, Abreu has been effective at getting hitters to chase out of the zone, but this year he's generated just a 18% chase rate.

Another factor in his rough start is his decrease in velocity. Abreu's four-seam fastball went from an average velocity of 97.3 mph in 2025 to 95.4 mph this season. He also features a slider that has slowed down by 1 mph. Clearly, his confidence and powerhouse arsenal have been lost this year.

Can Abreu Turn it Around?

If the Astros are going to turn this entire ship around, a lot of things have to go right. But Abreu's performance can be a contributing factor. If he can command the strike zone and allow fewer big swings (4 home runs allowed), then maybe there is some hope for an Abreu resurgence. With the significant velocity decrease, there could be an internal issue that Houston needs to figure out.

In the meantime, the Astros need to get some arms back. It might be a little unfair to pinpoint Abreu, considering the majority of the pitching staff has had a tough start. However, the expectations are high for their star reliever, and fans can only hope that he figures something out on the mound soon.

Add us as a preferred source on Google