Houston Astros starter Jake Odorizzi had a solid 4.21 ERA in 104.2 innings last year, but wasn’t fully trusted in the postseason and got off to a lousy start in 2022.
He had posted a 9.00 ERA in his first three outings of the year, leading many of us to believe he wasn’t particularly high in the Astros’ pitching depth chart.
He has turned things around in his last couple of starts, though, a nice reminder that three starts aren’t nearly enough to judge a pitcher, let alone write him off.
“Jake Odorizzi’s 6.2 scoreless innings against the Mariners tonight marked his longest start since May 10, 2019, when he threw seven scoreless for the Twins against the Tigers. In his last two outings, he’s lowered his ERA from 9.00 to 4.15,” Jake Kaplan of The Athletic tweeted.
Jake Odorizzi’s 6.2 scoreless innings against the Mariners tonight marked his longest start since May 10, 2019, when he threw seven scoreless for the Twins against the Tigers. In his last two outings, he’s lowered his ERA from 9.00 to 4.15.
— Jake Kaplan (@jakemkaplan) May 3, 2022
The Astros Could Definitely Use A Healthy And Effective Odorizzi
Odorizzi is close to finding his best form, and that would be big for the Astros.
He was capable of throwing more than a hundred innings with an ERA around the mid-3.00s in his peak seasons, with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Minnesota Twins.
Finding that form would only help the Astros, in what looks to be a season-long quest to make the postseason and take the AL West division.
Odorizzi will go as far as his fastball allows him.
It’s his go-to pitch, and when it is earning swings and misses at the top of the strike zone, it means it is at its best.
At 92.4 mph on average, it is close to his career-high of 92.8 mph of 2019, one of his best years in MLB.
Odorizzi will take the ball over the weekend again, and will look to keep rolling.
The Astros could use a consistent Odorizzi for the rest of the season.
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