Cristian Javier Is Showing Signs of What the Astros Need

Cristian Javier finally pitched the way the Houston Astros need him to in this final stretch of the season: He went five innings, allowing one hit and one run, with eight strikeouts and three walks to lead the way to a 3-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

His only mistake was a high cutter that Gabriel Moreno took advantage of for a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning. It was only the second start of Javier’s career with at least eight strikeouts against a minimum of 19 batters faced, a personal feat he had accomplished on July 13, 2022, when he struck out 10 of 19 opponents in just 3 2/3 innings.

It was also only the second time in his career that he had recorded at least eight strikeouts, one hit allowed and one run allowed. The only previous time he had put together such a dominant start was on July 1, 2022, when he struck out 14 Angels hitters and allowed just one hit over seven innings, a solo home run by Shohei Ohtani.

Javier’s Arsenal Made the Difference Again

Houston Astros starting pitcher Cristian Javier (53). Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The right-hander finally recorded his first Game Score (66) above 50 in his ninth start of the season. His dominance on the mound looked more like the ace who has been so important to Houston, going 6-2 with a 2.68 ERA in 17 postseason appearances.

His fastball averaged 93.9 mph, the highest mark in any of his outings this season. But that was not the only indication of Javier’s dominance, as he generated 19 swings and misses, the most of his career.

It was not the start with the most swings and misses, but it made a notable difference, as he recorded a 50% Whiff%: The D-backs missed on 19 of their 38 swings. That was the second-highest Whiff% of Javier’s career, behind a start in which he posted a 52.2 Whiff% on May 10, 2023, when he struck out 11 Angels hitters over six innings.

This time, Javier limited hard contact, leaving Arizona with an average exit velocity of just 85.9 mph. The fastball and sweeper were the main weapons in his arsenal, generating 34% and 35% Whiff%, respectively.

For one night, Javier’s fastball did not look as vulnerable as the results this season have shown. Opponents have crushed his four-seam fastball, producing a .338 BA and .538 slugging percentage.

On Friday night, the D-backs went 0-for-6 and missed on seven of their 15 swings (46.7 Whiff%). Javier worked with excellent command, while his sweeper and changeup took care of getting hitters to chase.

This was the third consecutive outing in which Javier’s fastball has begun to show improvement, holding opponents to a .200 average (5-for-25) with nine strikeouts and only one home run allowed.

But this is a job that does not depend only on his fastball. Javier has stopped throwing his slider and knuckle curve, so now the sweeper, cutter and changeup have to work at a high level of location and movement around his four-seam fastball.

Amid the chaotic start reflected by his 5.98 ERA, Javier has improved to a 4.73 ERA over his last three outings, with 20 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings and only five walks.

The Astros need him to continue extending these adjustments, so we will soon see just how much of a difference this great start by Javier has made.

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