2023 Projection - Framber Valdez

The new ace, was maybe the old ace

Meet your new ace, Astros fans. Perhaps you already considered him the ace.

Framber’s gotten better every year and was a 17 game winner with a 2.82 ERA last season.

He still walks too many (but has gotten better) and gives up some hard hit balls, but there’s no denying the spin and the groundballs that result.

Time will tell if the 201.1 innings from 2022 take a toll on Framber, not to mention the WBC and what that entails.

These numbers are conservative by design, so think of them as a likely starting point.

You could argue Framber was already “the guy” last season with two wins and a 1.46 ERA in the World Series, but in my mind his role has shifted a bit with Verlander no longer on the team and I’d argue the expectations have grown.