Amidst a tough season for the Houston Astros from a pitching standpoint, Houston will dip into their Minor League system for help yet again. This time, 2023 third-round pick Jake Bloss will get the call to Houston and make his Astros debut on June 21 against the Baltimore Orioles.
A Look at Bloss
After three years at Lafayette College, Jake Bloss was arguably the best pitcher in the Big East last season. Bloss, after transferring to Georgetown, finished third in the conference in strikeouts (96) and owned the best ERA (2.58). That dominance helped the 22-year-old, who will turn 23 on June 23, get selected in the third round last July by Houston.
Bloss began 2024 with Asheville (A+) and rolled, as the righty struck out 25 over 17.1 IP and owned a 2.08 ERA. Houston quickly shuttled Bloss to Double-A and while his strikeout numbers (7.1 K/9) dipped, Texas League batters only hit .141 off the Georgetown product.
Bloss can pound opposing hitters with a hard fastball that sits in the mid-90s and plays well up, along with two breaking balls. One is a hard curveball with sharp horizontal break downward, while his slider has late breaking action and a pitch that Bloss got whiffs both up and out of the zone. And, he’s got a rather repeatable delivery.
The 22-year-old has only thrown 80.2 IP as a pro, more than half of which came in Double-A.
Astros manager Joe Espada confirmed Jake Bloss will start on June 21, marking his MLB debut.
Analysis
The Astros rotation has taken a steep hit this season, Jose Urquidy and Cristian Javier are both done for 2024, while Justin Verlander recently hit the IL with a neck injury. Houston’s received splendid production from Ronel Blanco and improved results from Hunter Brown but their depth is thin. Spencer Arrighetti, called up earlier this year, has racked up the strikeouts but also the walks (63 K, 31 BB over 53.2 IP).
Bloss, despite little time as a pro, has been strong wherever he’s pitched this season. And, he might not be the last pitcher from the upper Minors to reach Houston this season. A.J. Blubaugh and Colton Gordon could also be options.
Fantasy Outlook
One question right out of the gate is how many strikeouts Bloss can get at the MLB level.
Bloss didn’t accumulate as many strikeouts in Double-A (35 over 44.2 IP), something concerning given how important that stat is in fantasy. Additionally, the Astros are in a tight spot offensively. Kyle Tucker is on the IL, while Yainer Diaz (.689 OPS) and Chas McCormick (.569 OPS) have produced less-than-stellar results.
That matters, given how important run production is in today’s game, both for offenses and pitchers. Houston is 14th in the league in runs scored (323) and 34-40 on the year, likely meaning fewer win opportunities for Bloss.
His power stuff is impressive. But, picking him up isn’t a slam dunk, especially when his first start will come against a juggernaut like the O’s.