The Launch Angle

To be blunt, the Astros’ bullpen before June 1 was more like hot dog water than anything else. A 5.16 FIP and a 20.5% K% in its first 239 innings this season firmly had this bullpen among the league’s worst, with only the Reds having a higher FIP in that time. It is one thing if either the rotation or bullpen is struggling at any given point. If both are struggling at the same time, which was Houston’s case at various points, it becomes increasingly difficult to win.

But, since June 1, in the bullpen’s next 174.1 innings, it has had a 3.59 FIP and a 27.9% K%. A stark turnaround that has helped steady the ship.

While the Astros’ starting rotation is among the worst in baseball since June 1, the bullpen is one of the best. It isn’t a coincidence that the turnaround happened around the same time as Josh Hader’s return from the IL, with his first appearance occurring on June 3. But it hasn’t only been Hader who is behind this resurgence. Steven Okert, for example, has allowed just two earned runs in his last 24.2 innings. AJ Blubaugh is continuing to impress, with a 3.08 ERA since early June. Bryan Abreu has quietly regained some of his lost velocity and looks better than he has all season long. Out of any Houston reliever with at least 10 innings pitched since June 1, Enyel De Los Santos has the highest ERA, and that tops out at 4.74.

Should we expect the bullpen to remain among the upper echelon in baseball? I doubt it, but the positive trends this summer have been encouraging. The workload, especially if the rotation continues to struggle, could pose more of an issue in August and September. Another right-handed leverage reliever, if this team intends to buy at the trade deadline, would prove beneficial.

Although the Astros are four games below .500 in late July (50-54), the bullpen has done its job recently, keeping the boat afloat. Thanks to the mediocrity of the AL West, this team still has a chance to qualify for the postseason. It isn’t great odds, but if it happens, I think we can point to the bullpen resurgence this summer as one of the key reasons.

Astros @ White Sox Game Information and Gamethread Details

Will provide lineup details once available

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