(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
There are many elite pitchers in MLB but some are talked about far more than others.
One name who consistently flies under the radar is Houston Astros starter Framber Valdez.
He is one of the best pitchers in baseball, yet does not get consistent publicity.
Yet his performance so far this season is not going unnoticed.
According to MLB on Twitter, Valdez is number one in the Pitcher Power Rankings entering the second half of the season.
A new No. 1 sits atop of this week’s Pitcher Power Rankings.
(MLB x @SageUSAmerica) pic.twitter.com/Ipzw6jCSgu
— MLB (@MLB) July 13, 2023
Valdez has a 7-6 record on the season with a 2.51 ERA, which leads all of baseball.
In his 111.0 innings, he has struck out 116 batters and only walked 26.
He is on the shortlist of pitchers to win the AL Cy Young award.
One thing that has always made Valdez valuable is his ability to pitch every fifth day.
He threw 201.1 innings last year and is on pace for another heavy workload this year.
The Astros have suffered plenty of injuries to their roster this year.
But Valdez has been one of the steady forces.
Houston currently sits two games out of first place in the AL West.
The second-half battle between the Astros and Texas Rangers should be one for the ages.
Houston has won the West five of the last six years.
The only season they did not was the 2020 COVID-shortened year.
Once they start to get healthy in the second half, the Astros will once again be a World Series contender.
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