Rising Astros Pitchers Earn High Praise from GM Dana Brown

These two guys are looking to bounce back after lackluster 2025 seasons.

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It's that time of spring training where pitchers who wouldn't normally be at the top of the conversation are being discussed, and this time it's for good reason.

The Houston Astros haven't fared well this spring so far, staring at just a 2-7 record entering Friday, but there have been plenty of good storylines.

One of those storylines is Peter Lambert, who has excelled this spring training after being signed to a minor league contract last October.

"He's got power stuff and looks really good," Astros GM Dana Brown said.

Peter Lambert Is Turning Heads This Spring After Strong Season in Japan

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Lambert has thrown three shutout innings in spring training so far, combined with one hold, two strikeouts, and allowed just four hits. Lambert hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2024, where he was highly ineffective through 28 games (25 in relief) with the Colorado Rockies.

Lambert spent all of 2025 in Japan with the Nippon Professional Baseball league. He allowed a 3.98 ERA across 23 games of relief last season. This endorsement from Brown is high praise for a guy trying to work his way back in the big leagues.

Things didn't go as planned for the right-hander through the first four seasons in the MLB. He came up as a starter, but was moved to the bullpen in the 2023 season. Lambert owns a 6.28 career ERA over 74 appearances, all for the Rockies.

Hudson Leach Vying for Opening Day Roster Spot Has Strong Spring Start

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Another noteworthy name caught the attention of Brown this Spring, and it's Hudson Leach. Leach has allowed just two hits and struck out three over three scoreless innings of work this Spring.

"It was encouraging to see that young man come out and throw the ball the way he's thrown it," Brown said.

Leach is also looking to bounce back this year after compiling a 5.54 ERA through 34 games and four levels of the minor leagues last year. Leach walks a lot of batters, but has incredible strikeout stuff. He posted a 14.5 SO/9 last season, but a high 5.5 BB/9 rate.

A big upside has been his improved walk rate, which has steadily declined over his career. Albeit a small sample size, Leach has yet to walk anyone this spring.

These are just two guys who caught the eye of Brown, but it's fun to see improvement from them. Both aren't top prospects, and likely longshots to make the opening day roster, but continued improvement will create strong depth at Triple-A that the Astros will need later this Summer.