Hunter Brown

In eight games in 2024, Brown was 1-4 with a 7.71 ERA and a 5.52 FIP, and he allowed 21 walks and 8 homers in 37.1 innings of work. Many, including the staffer writing this outlook, dropped him after the terrible start. Brown then went on to close the month of May with two quality starts with 12 strikeouts, three walks and just a single homer against the Angels and Mariners. Brown then did for you what he wasn't doing the first third of the season and went 10-4 with a 2.31 ERA and 1.12 WHIP along with a 18.4 percent K-BB percentage the rest of this season. Brown credited time spent with Ryan Pressly and Alex Bregman on approaching his game plan and batters, but the addition of a sinker in late May certainly helped, as it gave Brown a pitch that moved into righties and away from lefties. By season's end, the sinker was Brown's primary pitch, and the league struggled to square up most of his offerings after May. Only that sinker had an actual batting average against over .250, and Brown used six different pitch types to righties and lefties, keeping them on their toes. Houston has some changes to its overall roster, but Brown's significant step forward in 2024 in the face of some early statistical adversity has certainly raised his draft profile. Dare we say dark horse Cy Young candidate?