In recent years, the Houston Astros have boasted their share of elite starting pitchers, from future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander to Gerrit Cole and Framber Valdez. This season, however, third-year starter Hunter Brown has taken over the mound as the team’s clear ace.
“The Diesel,” as he’s known in Houston, commands an elite four-seam fastball that flies by the hitter at 97 mph with a measly .160 batting average against. That weapon ranks among the most effective pitches in the game. Baseball Savant ranks Brown’s fastball second in MLB with a run value of 20, just behind Minnesota Twins starter Joe Ryan (22), proving how effectively it prevents runs. It shows that pitch has a really positive impact on shutting down lineups.
Hunter Brown Emerging as New Astros Ace
Brown currently has a 10-5 record and boasts a 2.45 ERA, which is the second-best in the American League and fifth overall in MLB, along with a 1.000 WHIP. He has become one of the top starters in baseball, as he ranks in the top three of the American League in not just ERA, but also opponent average at .197, and opponent OPS at .571. The 6-foot-2 righty joins Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal as the only pitchers to rank in the top three in all three categories.
Brown struck out 160 batters in his first 23 starts, the most by an Astros starter since Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander in 2019. Brown joined elite company by pairing 160 strikeouts with a top-three ERA through 23 starts, matching Verlander in 2018 and Mike Scott in 1986.
After a couple of tough starts in July, Hunter Brown has got it turned around. His last four starts:
1.88 ERA | 24.0 IP | 18 H | 7 BB | 20 K
He currently has a 2.45 ERA, which is 2nd best in the American League. #Astros pic.twitter.com/97u3s91Pbi
— Astros Future (@AstrosFuture) August 14, 2025
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A Legendary Comparison
Brown’s 2.51 ERA through those starts marks the lowest by an Astros starter since Verlander’s Cy Young-winning season in 2022. Speaking of JV, there is a widely known comparison of him and Brown. Back in 2022, scouts noted that Brown’s electric debut featured an action and delivery similar to Verlander’s. Brown, being a Detroit native and growing up when Verlander was making starts for the Tigers, was quite the story and shows how Brown could potentially be a JV 2.0.
What’s Behind Brown’s Incredible Season?
The now 26-year-old debuted three years ago as the Astros’ projected star pitcher of the future. That future is now the present; however, it certainly took some bumps in the road to overcome. In his first seven starts of 2024, Brown was 0-4 with an ERA of almost nine.
Suddenly, Brown turned it around and went 11-5 the rest of the season with a 2.46 ERA and 18 quality starts that led the majors. Since May 27, 2024, the former fifth-round pick has the lowest ERA in baseball, tied with Skubal.
A True Ace
What has happened this year is the next step in becoming an ace pitcher. Brown has increased his variety and command of multiple pitches. The Diesel now employs the sinker at a 20.5% clip and the changeup at 12.7% this season, both being career highs.
Additionally, Astros manager Joe Espada mentioned how Brown has started using the curveball as well, which was used at over 30% during his first year but has since been brought back at 17%, an increase of 4% compared to last season.
The development of a game plan and the ability to change it up when needed is what has elevated Brown’s game to another level.
“That’s how you separate yourself from the rest,” Espada said. “It’s the difference in maturity on Hunter Brown.”
The rest of his pitches open up, and what is already a difficult at-bat for opposing batters becomes even more challenging. The result in 2025 is the first career All-Star selection and claiming the American League Pitcher of the Month for June.
Brown also had a scoreless streak of 28 innings in April, which is currently the second-longest in the majors this season. The build-up of his career has been quite evident. Brown dazzled with two outstanding starts in 2022, but in 2023, he posted a 5.09 ERA over more than 155 innings, a significant jump from the previous year. 2024 was the true turnaround, and now 2025 is the coming out of a star that the Astros can rely on to consistently get it done.
Main Photo Credit: © Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
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