Astros Must Prioritize Hunter Brown Extension Despite Injury

The Houston Astros' starting rotation is pretty much nothing without Hunter Brown.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Hunter Brown’s emergence as one of the top starters in baseball last season was one of the most pleasant aspects of the Houston Astros’ 2025 campaign.

After posting a fantastic 2.43 ERA over 185 1/3 innings, Brown finished third in American League Cy Young Award voting, losing out only to Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal and Boston Red Sox southpaw Garrett Crochet. It was one of those seasons that was fun in the moment but also enabled the Astros and their fans to glimpse into the future.

Heading into 2026, Brown was slated to be one of the best pitchers in the American League. His first two starts epitomized that belief as he threw a combined 10 2/3 innings, allowing just one run while striking out 17 and walking six. Everything was on the up-and-up — and then disaster struck.

Brown was put on the injured list with a Grade 2 right shoulder strain, with a target to return to the Astros’ active roster in mid-June. His exit has been a major blow to a starting rotation that was already thin while he was healthy and is now scrambling to find available arms that can perform at a quality level. 

But that’s not the story here.

Brown, who’s really only had one full season of excellence plus two outstanding outings in 2026, is set to become a free agent in three years once he’s no longer arbitration eligible. Should the Astros attempt to sign him to a contract extension before Brown reaches the open market, or is that a bad idea?

Houston Can’t Afford to Lose Brown Long Term

Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The answer to the above question is fairly simple: The Astros should do everything in their power to retain Brown’s services for as long as possible.

The injury this season notwithstanding, Brown has been extremely healthy throughout his MLB career. He’s appeared in 31 games in each of the last three seasons, with his innings totals increasing every single year.

The quality of the outings has also improved. In 2023, Brown posted a 5.09 ERA over 155 2/3 innings. In 2024, that number dipped to 3.49 over 170 innings. Then there was 2025’s magical run that saw Brown put up a 2.43 ERA over 185 1/3 innings.

It’s now Dana Brown and the front office’s job to ensure that Brown remains in Houston for as long as possible. And the longer they wait, the more likely it is that he decides to wait it out and become a free agent following the 2028 season. That’s not ideal for the Astros, who aren’t necessarily the biggest spenders in the world.

Long story short, the Astros need Brown if they want to succeed. Not just this year, but in the years to come. To anybody who’s watched a second of Astros baseball over the past couple seasons, that’s obvious. Hopefully, the front office has come to the same realization.