Houston Astros Have Elite Strikeout Specialist Who Could Make MLB Debut This Season

Even though there is a lot of depth in the Houston Astros' starting rotation, more help could be on the way.

Hooks pitcher Miguel Ullola throws a pitch on Opening Night at Whataburger Field on Friday, April 5, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas. | Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Houston Astros are off to a mediocre start to the season, but there is reason to be optimistic that the team will begin to find its groove.

Over the last several years, the Astros have been notoriously slow starters. However, due to a lot of roster changes in the winter, there was additional reason to be concerned.

So far, the team really hasn’t been firing on all cylinders, but still find themselves right at the .500 mark early on.

On offense, the team has mostly underperformed with Jose Altuve leading the way for the unit. However, some of the players that are struggling around him are proven stars who will get going eventually.

Furthermore, the starting rotation for Houston (outside of Hunter Brown) also hasn’t quite hit the ground running in 2025.

However, there have been some early injuries to the unit, and there is reason to believe that the rotation will still be the anchor of the team. Furthermore, while there is already a lot of proven talent on the unit, there might be some more on the way soon.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about an exciting prospect for the Astros in Miguel Ulloa, who, with his excellent fastball, could make his way to the Majors at some point in 2025.

“Ullola has an electric 70-grade fastball and mirrors the type of pitcher whom the Astros have had good success developing in recent years. The 22-year-old ranked third in the minors with 171 strikeouts in 130.1 innings last season,” Reuter wrote.

The exciting young right-hander has been moving nicely through the system for Houston and is looking to prove himself in Triple-A to begin this campaign.

So far, the results have been good. In two starts, he has totaled a 2.08 ERA while he builds up the arm in the early part of the year.

When looking back at his success in 2024 in mostly Double-A, it is easy to see why Houston is excited about the 22-year-old. As a starter, having an 11.8 K/9 is outstanding.

Now, the right-hander will be looking to prove himself at the highest level of the minors to begin the year. If things go well, he could certainly be in the mix for a call-up.

However, where he might fit into the rotation will be tricky. Even though the rotation has some key players injured, there is a lot of depth at the position. There is no such thing as too much pitching in baseball, and a strong performance in Triple-A will earn Ullola a shot at some point.