The Houston Astros are still waiting for their former top prospect to breakout, but with a new number, this could finally be his year.
The long-time star prospect was expected to be the next ace of this franchise when he was coming up the ranks. But after a suspension and multiple injuries, it took the 2016 first-round pick until 2024 to make his Major League debut.
He only made three appearances, giving up no earned runs but allowed two inherited runners to score while also recording five strikeouts and three walks in 3 1/3 innings pitched. Coming into this campaign, the expectation was that the starter-turned-reliever would have a prominent role in the bullpen. But after suffering a knee injury in camp, his MLB roster spot was given to someone else once again.The Astros activated him off the injured list on Saturday, and with him now on the active roster, he is sporting a new jersey number.Houston would love for Whitley to turn into even a fraction of what Tim Lincecum was during his career, having won two consecutive NL Cy Young Awards in 2008 and 2009, while also getting selected to four All-Star Games. Whitley is a longshot to ever bring home any hardware, especially after transitioning into a relief role. But if he can stay healthy, there's a chance he can have a huge impact on this pitching staff. Entering play Sunday, the Astros' bullpen has the third-most strikeouts of any team, sitting with the fourth-best ERA . Adding another talented arm like Whitley to the mix only makes this group stronger, something that could be a secret weapon for Houston down the line with their sights set on making the playoffs and going on another deep run.So until he proves he can be a mainstay on the Major League roster by performing well and remaining healthy, everything surrounding Whitley is on a wait-and-see basis. However, with his new number on his back and a solid offseason under his belt, there's a chance this could finally be the breakout that everyone has been waiting for during his career.Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently covers the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros for Sports Illustrated/FanNation. He is also the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai
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