The Future: A.J. Blubaugh
RHP A.J. Blubaugh has risen rapidly through the Astros organization and could contribute as early as 2025
The Future
Last November I reached out to Kenny Van Doren of Astros Future (I highly recommend their podcast) for players who had the potential to help the Astros in 2024.
No one knows more about Astros prospects than Kenny.
Kenny shared three names and he was correct on all three as Spencer Arrighetti spent most of the season in the Astros rotation, Joey Loperfido saw time in Houston before being traded to Toronto and Will Wagner debuted with the Blue Jays in that same trade and raked.
That worked out so well that I thought I’d ask Kenny about potential contributors in 2025.
This is the first in a three-part (or four, including “Dark Horses”) series.
The Prospect - A.J. Blubaugh
Drafted out of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the 7th round (No. 223 overall), A.J. Blubaugh made it all the way to Sugar Land and the PCL All-Star team in 2024.
Blubaugh, 24, has moved rapidly through the Astros organization spending just 5.2 innings in the FCL and 13 innings at Fayetteville in 2022, before graduating to Asheville (85.2 innings) and Corpus Christi (14.1) in 2023 and finishing that year in the Arizona Fall League (AFL).
A high percentage of players who play in the AFL eventually find their way to MLB.
After one appearance of shutout ball over 4 innings (2 hits, 5 K, 0 BB) to start 2024 with Corpus Christi, it was off to Sugar Land where Blubaugh pitched the balance of the season, going 12-4 with a 3.83 ERA over 124.2 innings, striking out 128 and walking 51.
The combined 128.2 innings of 2024 was a professional high mark, eclipsing the 112.0 of 2023 (including 12 in the AFL).
Scouting Report
The 6’2, 190-pound Blubaugh was a three-sport athlete in high school who was used mostly out of the bullpen during his college career.
The Astros began the process of turning Blubaugh into a starter early in his professional career and his 27 appearances at Sugar Land included 25 starts, sometimes in a piggy back scenario.
Blubaugh's scouting grades show a slightly above-average fastball (92-95 mph) and slider, with an average curve and changeup and average control.
He also added a cutter in that AFL stint that has served him well.
Over his 247.1 professional innings pitched Blubaugh has walked 9.8% of batters faced, or 3.7/9 IP and he has struggled to throw strikes with his curve and changeup, though the Astros believe the strikes will come as he gets accustomed to longer outings as a starter.
MLB.com lists his ETA as 2025.
Conclusion
With the departure of Justin Verlander, Yusei Kikuchi and Jose Urquidy, along with injuries to Luis Garcia and J.P. France, the Astros could be looking for starting pitching.
Over the last two seasons, untested rookies France (2023) and Spencer Arrighetti (2024) have made major contributions as starters, so there is precedence, though neither France nor Arrighetti began the season in the Astros rotation.
Blubaugh’s fate will likely be similar, but it’s certainly not out of the question that he contributes at some point in 2025.
Thanks for reading!
