Who Belongs on Houston Astros All-Time Pitching Mount Rushmore?

For a franchise with star power throughout their history, who are the pitchers that stand above the rest?

July 24, 2010; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Roy Oswalt (44) throws a pitch against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Minute Maid Park. The Reds defeated the Astros 7-0. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have been one of the most successful franchises in baseball over the last decade. From 2017-24, they made the playoffs each season and reached the ALCS in every year but one, winning two World Series.

What drove those teams was a core of young, highly touted bats. Carlos Correa, George Springer, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman all contributed heavily to both championship teams, while the rotations changed pretty drastically with each team. To find the best pitchers in team history, it's best to look back at least a decade, with the exception of one name.

This list was difficult to whittle down to four names. Three Astros greats, Mike Scott, J.R. Richard and Larry Dierker were left off, which was a difficult call to make. One, really two, factors left them off the fourth spot on the list. The amount of winning they did while with the team, and the need to represent one of the best relievers of all time.

1. SP Roy Oswalt

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Oswalt has the most bWAR in Houston Astros history by more than 10, with a 45.7 mark. Despite being drafted in the 23rd round, he was an ace from the moment he stepped on a big league mound as a 23-year-old in 2001.

As a rookie, Oswalt was dominant. In 141.2 innings, the right-hander posted a 2.73 ERA and struck out 144 batters while walking on 1.5 per nine. His ERA+ was an elite mark of 170 and he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting as well as earning his first of five top five Cy Young finishes.

He followed up a stellar rookie year with the best season of his career by bWAR, posting 7.0 in 34 starts. He threw 233 innings, striking out 208 and posting a 3.01 ERA. After a down year in 2003, Oswalt had his best Cy Young finish, third place, after winning a league-leading 20 games in 2004.

Then began the best stretch of his career from 2005-07. Over the course of those three seasons, he had two seasons of 5.9 bWAR and led the league in 2007 with 6.6, totaling 18.4 in three seasons. Oswalt made his first three All-Star teams and finished fourth in the Cy Young twice.

Oswalt posted an ERA+ of at least 140 in each season and even led the league with a 2.98 mark in 2006. He also threw at least 212 innings all three seasons.

Oswalt took a step back in his final two full seasons with Houston, but began to bounce back in 2010 before being traded during the season.

Oswalt is second in franchise history in wins (143), third in innings (1,932.1), second in strikeouts (1,593), and third in games started (291). While he didn't win a ton of awards, Oswalt was one of the best, most underrated pitchers of his era and helped the Astros reach the World Series in 2005.

2. SP Nolan Ryan

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When making a list of the best pitchers, Nolan Ryan has to be one of the names on the list. During his Hall of Fame career, where he struck out more batters than anyone in baseball history, he spent the most time in an Astros uniform, spending nine of his 27 seasons in Houston.

Signed as a free agent in 1979, Ryan posted 25.4 bWAR in his time with Houston, the fourth most in franchise history. In five of his nine seasons, Ryan threw at least 211.2 innings, including 250.1 in 1982. He also led the league in strikeouts twice as an Astro, coming in his age 40 and 41 seasons in 1987 and 1988.

His two best years were in 1981 and 1987. In 1981, Ryan started only 21 games but led the league in ERA (1.69) and ERA+ (195). His best season as an Astro was in 1987 as a 40-year-old, though. That year, he threw 211.2 innings, led the league with a 2.76 ERA and 11.5 K/9, finishing fifth in Cy Young voting.

Ryan made two All-Star teams and threw a no-hitter in 1981. He's seventh in franchise history in ERA (3.13), first in strikeouts (1,866), fourth in innings (1,854.2) and sixth in wins (106). His number 34 is retired by the team.

3. RP Billy Wagner

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One of the reasons some starters were left off the list, but it didn't seem right to leave Hall of Famer Billy Wagner off the Mount Rushmore. He spent nine of his 16 years in Houston and is wearing an Astros hat on his plaque, so it seemed right to have one of the best closers ever on this list.

Wagner was an electric arm from the jump and earned the closers role almost immediately. The lefty broke onto the scene in 1996 when in 51.2 innings, he posted an 11.7 K/9 and a 2.44 ERA. He only saved nine games, but it would only take one more year for him to earn the role full-time.

In 1997, Wagner saved 23 games and struck out a whopping 106 batters in 66.1 innings, really putting his name on the map as a star. In 1998, he reached the 30 save mark and posted a 14.6 K/9, but he took another step the next year.

1999 was really a career year for Wagner. He made his first All-Star team and posted a career-high 3.8 bWAR in a season in which he received MVP votes. Wagner threw 74.2 innings that season, posted a 1.57 ERA with 39 saves and a career high 124 strikeouts, leading to a 14.9 K/9 and a fourth place Cy Young finish.

He only pitched in 28 games during the 2000 season, but bounced back without skipping a beat in 2001, making the All-Star team and saving 39 games. He replicated that in 2002, saving 35 games, with a 2.52 ERA.

In what would be Wagner's final season as an Astro in 2003, he saved a career high 44 games, posted a 1.78 ERA and struck out 105 batters in a career high 86 innings.

In all, Wagner has the most saved in franchise history (225), the highest K/9 (12.4), second highest ERA+ (171) and is tied for the third best ERA (2.53). He is one of the most dominant closers of all time, even if his longevity wasn't up to par with the Rivera's and Hoffman's. That's why he is on this list.

4. SP Justin Verlander

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This is the one that might be controversial. Leaving Scott, Richard and Dierker off was difficult, but it was hard to ignore everything Verlander did in his time as an Astro. Although his tenure is the shortest of anyone on this list, pitching in Houston for parts of seven seasons, his impact is up with just any of them.

The Astros acquired Verlander in August of 2017 while in the middle of a playoff hunt. His 3.82 ERA in Detroit for the season had shown signs of a decline for the 34-year-old, but Houston needed the pitching. It turned out, it was the best move they could've made.

In five regular-season starts, Verlander allowed just four runs in 34 innings and went on to post a 2.21 ERA in 36.2 playoff innings that season, including a complete game in the ALCS and two World Series starts. Verlander was key to them winning the first World Series in franchise history.

Upon returning to Houston in 2018, the future Hall of Famer looked rejuvenated. In 214 innings, he posted a 6.3 bWAR and 2.52 ERA, his lowest since winning MVP in 2011. He led the league with 290 strikeouts and a 0.902 WHIP, finishing second in AL Cy Young voting.

But Verlander continued to get even better. In 2019, he won a league-leading 21 games and threw a league-leading 223 innings on his way to a 7.4 bWAR, a career high 300 strikeouts, a career low 0.803 WHIP, his third no-hitter, and his second Cy Young. And he wasn't even done there.

He only made one start in 2020 and then missed all of 2021 with Tommy John, which was not a good sign as he entered his age-39 season. That didn't stop him, though, as Verlander went on to lead the league in wins (18), ERA (1.75), ERA+ (218), and WHIP (0.829), winning his third Cy Young and second as an Astro. In the postseason, he started two World Series games and helped the team win its second World Series in franchise history.

The rest of Verlander's career with the Astros was up and down, as he was traded back to the team in 2023 after signing with the New York Mets in the offseason. He started 11 games and posted a 3.31 ERA, but has a 5.48 ERA in 17 games as a 41-year-old.

Despite the rough end, there's no denying what Verlander did as an Astro. Aside from the personal accolades, he was the ace of two World Series-winning teams. That justifies a spot on the Mount Rushmore.

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