7-30-24 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X
Astros surprised the Pirates with a bullpen game after yesterday’s announced starter, Jake Bloss, was traded to the Blue Jays earlier in the afternoon. It seems far less likely that happens again today as the Astros will send out surging second-year starter, Hunter Brown.
After a disastrous rookie season where Brown posted a 5.09 ERA over 155.2 innings, he has rebounded in 2024 with a solid 4.00 ERA through his first 110.1 innings but has been exceptionally good lately, posting a 2.07 ERA across 61 innings pitched since June 1st. He has also gone at least 6 innings in each of his last 12 starts and allowed 3 or less runs in all but one of those outings.
While his strikeout and walk rates are fairly average, Brown is one of the best in baseball at generating weak contact as he has the 4th best hard hit rate among qualified starters (31.6%) and the 2nd best barrel rate (4.6% – behind only teammate, Framber Valdez).
Brown works a heater-heavy approach against right handed hitters, mixing his mid-90s four-seamer up in the zone with a low-90s cutter running in and mid-90s sinker down and away.
Facing lefties, he replaces the sinker with a high-80s changeup down and in with a big looping knuckle curve dropping down in the low-80s.
The fastball mix has been the grouping opponents have done the most damage against with 8 of his 14 home runs allowed coming against the 4-seamer.
Brown has been an elite starting pitcher the past few months and will pose a real challenge for Bucs bats today as his versatile pitch mix and ability to avoid hard contact.
It doesn’t help that he is better at home (3.40 ERA/55.2 innings) than on the road (4.61 ERA/54.2 innings) but the Pirates, even beaten and bruised and sending half their roster to the IL this past week, still have some fight left in them.
But seriously, Ben – get this team some help!
Let’s Go Bucs!
Steel City Pirates 