After suffering a grim, at best, season in 2025, the Houston Astros bounced back during the offseason and acquired some promising names in free agency, along with finalizing some notable trades. Last year, the Astros’ starting rotation succumbed to various injuries, so as long as they can remain healthy, this is shaping up to be a powerful rotation.
Hunter Brown holds the helm as the No. 1 starter, but those behind him provide just as much reliability on the mound.
One of Houston’s groundbreaking moves during the offseason involved Tatsuya Imai, whom the franchise acquired from the Japanese free agency. The ballclub was intentionally exploring this market, so landing a right-hander as skilled as Imai is a massive win.
But Imai’s acquisition made headlines time and time again, despite other moves taking place. In fact, the Astros were involved in a handful of quiet transactions in recent months, some of which should pay dividends during their upcoming campaign.
Starter Mike Burrows is a prime example of this, and he is expected to make quite an impact, particularly during the first month of the regular season.
Expected Impact of Burrows
Houston Astros pitcher Mike Burrows | Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesIn December 2025, 26-year-old Burrows found himself caught up in a three-team trade involving Houston, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Tampa Bay Rays. Now playing down in the Lone Star State, Burrows provides immense support to the Astros’ starting rotation, and his performance during the first month of his 2026 campaign will set the tone for the remainder of the season.
Last year, while playing for the Pirates, the right-hander registered a 3.94 ERA and 97 strikeouts across 96.0 innings pitched through 23 games, 19 of which he started. In total, over his two seasons in the Major Leagues, he has logged a 3.90 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 99.1 innings pitched across 24 games.
So far during spring training, Burrows has been leaving his new ballclub and fans impressed. He has 12.2 innings under his belt on the mound, but he has yet to allow a single run. Not to mention, he also leads the franchise with 15 strikeouts.
Burrows is now approaching his third season in the Majors, and at this rate, he is gearing up to play a key role in bringing the struggling franchise back to the postseason. However, his first month of play will be rather telling —how will he handle the rising pressure and the increased workload?
