3 Reasons Why Astros Fans Should Be Excited About the Nate Pearson Signing

The Houston Astros added Nate Pearson to the mix.

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The Houston Astros made their first offseason addition.

On Friday, it was reported that Nate Pearson was signed to a one-year, $1.35 million contract. It's a major league deal and the plan is for the longtime reliever to convert to a starting pitcher this offseason ahead of the 2026 campaign.

While this might not be the most exciting news on the surface considering Pearson has had an underwhelming career to this point, there is actually plenty of reasons why Astros fans should be excited about this move. And below are the three biggest ones.

Elite Prospect Pedigree

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Back in 2020 and 2021, not only was Pearson ranked No. 1 in the Toronto Blue Jays' pipeline after they selected him 28th overall in the 2017 draft, but he was also ranked No. 8 and No. 10 overall in the sport during those years, respectively.

He never quite lived up to that billing, though. Through 123 major league appearances (six starts), he has career ERA of 5.17 and ERA+ that's 18 points below the league average. And following a dominant showing in the minors, his strikeout rate reduced to being just 0.4 percentage points above the MLB average, while his walk rate is 2.2 percentage points above the average.

Still, Pearson is only 29 years old, which suggests he still has some gas left in the tank considering he just has 156 2/3 total major league innings on his arm to date. And with an offseason of working with Astros pitching coaches, that bodes well for him getting the most out of his talent.

While he might never reach the ceiling many believed he had early on during his prospect days, if anyone can tap into Pearson's talent at this stage of his career, it's Houston.

Filthy Stuff

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Pearson doesn't have great numbers as laid out above, but there's no denying he has great stuff. When looking at the Stuff+ metric -- which measures only the physical characteristics of pitches -- he has a career mark of 109 that indicates his stuff is nine points above the average.

His slider and curveball has never been below the average mark of 100, and the sinker he just added to his arsenal ahead of the 2024 campaign has been given a value of 118 and 113 in 2024 and 2025, respectively. In only two out of his five big league seasons has his fastball had a Stuff+ figure below 100.

All of that is to highlight just how good his pitches are compared to others in The Show. However, what's held him back is his command, as his Location+ is 10 points below the average of 100 at a value of 90.

If the Astros are able to hone in his location and still keep his stuff as good as it's been throughout his career, then Pearson could take a major step forward next year.

Low Risk, High Reward

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Following a disappointing showing with the Chicago Cubs this season after he was incredible for them in 2024 when they acquired him ahead of the trade deadline, Houston was able to sign him to a cheap contract.

If it works out and they are able to tap into the past elite prospect pedigree he had while also improving his command and keeping his Stuff+ profile above the league average, then they could have a hidden gem on their hands. If not, then it didn't cost them much to find out.

At the very least, Pearson gives the Astros another option in their rotation heading into spring training that gives them a better idea of how they want to put things together in that unit with the impending departure of Framber Valdez on the horizon.