The Future: Miguel Ullola
An Astros Special: International Pitcher signed at a bargain price
Each Winter, I reach out to Kenny Van Doren of Astros Future (I highly recommend the podcast) for players who have the potential to help the Astros in the coming season.
No one knows more about Astros prospects than Kenny.
I’ll be sharing the names Kenny shared with me, some of whom you’ve read about here previously, along with a few new names.
We’ve profiled two so far:
We’ve Seen This Before
There’s no question the Astros need pitching as we head into 2026, and it could be that a pitcher with a familiar background will contribute in the coming season.
The Astros have made a thing of finding slightly older pitchers (relatively speaking) in the international market and signing them at bargain prices before developing them into Major League contributors.
From Luis Garcia to Ronel Blanco and more, it’s been a staple of their process and the next in line may be Miguel Ullola, a 23-year-old right-hander who the Astros signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2018 for $75,000.
Ullola, who will turn 24 in June, spent all of 2025 at Sugar Land, going 7-6 in 28 appearances, 23 of which were starts, finishing with a 3.88 ERA, striking out 131 and walking 75 in 113.2 innings.
Those numbers show both the strength and weakness of Ullola’s repertoire, an electric fastball at 92-96 that can be tough to make contact with, but also a lack of control that could spell doom at the MLB level.
Ullola only gave up 75 hits in those 113.2 innings last season, but the walks resulted in a WHIP of 1.35, and the bases on balls have been a consistent issue throughout his professional career.
Ullola also has a curve and slider to complement his arsenal, but the fastball, which grades at 70, is his go-to pitch.
2026 Outlook
Assuming health, it’s difficult to imagine Ullola not debuting in 2026, considering the Astros’ need for arms and the rigors of a 162-game schedule on a pitching staff.
The question is more one of role, as Ullola’s fastball places his potential as a solid starter, but the lack of control points more towards a bullpen role, at least initially.
For his career, Ullola has allowed just 6.0 hits per 9 innings, but also 6.1 walks per 9. Therein lies the conundrum.
Needless to say, that won’t work at the next level.
The Astros cycled through 33 pitchers (and that doesn’t include 3 position players) in 2025 and need arms in both roles if they hope to compete in the coming season.
Ullola will likely get an opportunity, whether it’s out of spring training or in the summer, with breakout potential if he can improve his control.
Thanks for reading!