Astros Veteran Pitcher Tabbed As X-Factor for 2026 Season

When Framber Valdez signed with the Detroit Tigers this offseason, it came as little surprise that he wasn't returning to the Houston Astros. It was surprising that he signed with the Tigers, giving them a tough 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation.

To offset the loss of Valdez, Astros general manager Dana Brown pivoted to Tatsuya Imai to slot in the rotation behind Hunter Brown. Houston also acquired Mike Burrows from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-team trade.

Manager Joe Espada will be looking for multiple arms to help replace the loss of Valdez. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report listed one X-Factor for each team this season and Houston's is a name that Espada really needs to step up.

Astros Pitcher Lance McCullers, Jr. Tabbed As X-Factor in 2026

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. — Lance McCullers Jr. | William Liang-Imagn Images

A lot of the talk this offseason has been of Hunter Brown and Imai, but McCullers, Jr. can solve some problems for Espada if he can have a bounce-back season for the Astros after he moved to the bullpen last September for the stretch run.

"After missing all of 2023 and 2024, McCullers logged 55.1 innings pitched with a 6.51 ERA in 2025. But with Framber Valdez and Ryan Gusto out of the picture, while Ronel Blanco, Hayden Wesneski, and Brandon Walter might all miss the entire campaign, Houston pretty well needs McCullers to pitch more and better in 2026. Can he right the ship?,'' Miller wrote.

McCullers, Jr. is entering the fifth and final year of his contract, which he signed for $85 million. Over the first four years of that contract, he has made just 24 appearances with a 4.54 ERA. He made 12 starts last season before being sent to the bullpen.

Houston is hoping to get the McCullers, Jr. they got before he signed his new deal. His best year was in 2021, when he went 13-5 in 28 starts with a 3.16 ERA in a career-high 162.1 innings with 185 strikeouts and a career-best 3.5 WAR.

Again, nobody is expecting him to return to that form, given all the injuries he's dealt with, but if he can give them quality starts and stay healthy, that will be a big help to Espada's depth.

The Astros are looking to return to the playoffs in 2026 after a September fade that saw the Seattle Mariners pass them to win the American League West Division.

The early projections are not great for Houston, but someone like McCullers, Jr. becoming an X-Factor will go a long way in helping them get back to the postseason.