HOUSTON -- The first thing that went through Ethan Pecko’s mind when he was scratched from his scheduled start Sunday for Triple-A Sugar Land at Round Rock was that he had been traded.
“Then I was like, ‘Wait, the Trade Deadline was two weeks ago,’” he said.
Pecko, the Astros’ No. 9-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, received better news Monday: he would be joining the big league club to make his Major League debut in a start Wednesday against the Angels at Daikin Park. Pecko was added to the taxi squad and worked out with the Astros prior to Tuesday’s game and tried to take in everything that’s happened in the previous 48 hours.
“It’s been an interesting year,” he said. “I know how good I am and my ability out there. I think I’ve learned a lot this year. There’s some underlying numbers that probably look better than other numbers and there’s a bit of luck to that, but at the end of the day, if you go up there and put up zeroes, you’ll do well. I’ve got to focus on that and helping this team win.”
The Astros will be adding Pecko to the active roster prior to Wednesday’s game and will need to create room for him on the 40-man roster, too.
The Astros are in desperate need for some quality starting pitching. They lost for the sixth time in nine games in a 3-1 loss to the Angels on Tuesday night at Daikin Park. Cristian Javier, who was skipped in his last turn through the rotation, gave up two runs and five hits and struck out five batters in four innings. Houston’s rotation has a 5.31 ERA in the team’s last nine games (3-6).
Pecko will be the 17th different starting pitcher used by the Astros this year -- 15, if you don’t include a pair of relievers who were used as openers -- which tells you how much Houston has struggled to find quality starting pitching. Pecko joins the rotation that has two dependable starters in Peter Lambert and Hunter Brown, and even Brown has struggled to throw strikes with his four-seam fastball.
So there’s an opportunity for Pecko to pitch meaningful innings for a team that’s trying to close out the American League West title.
Pecko, a sixth-round pick out of Towson in the 2023 MLB Draft, went 4-6 with a 4.57 ERA in 20 games (18 starts) in the Minor Leagues this year, with all but three games coming at Triple-A. In December, he had thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, which relieves pressure on the nerves and blood vessels between the collarbone and rib.
Pecko, who touches 98 mph with his fastball, has a tight sweeper and an upper-80s cutter creates deception with a low three-quarters arm slot and good extension in his delivery. He had 86 strikeouts and 28 walks in 82 2/3 innings this year.
“I knew this was the year [to reach the Majors], if any year,” he said. “I had a hiccup in the offseason with some injury things that were a little unfortunate, but bounced back from that and started the year on time and did some rehab, and now we’re here.”
COMPLETE ASTROS PROSPECT COVERAGE
Pecko was named the Astros’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year following his first full professional season in 2024. A strained forearm cost him the first two months of the ‘25 season, but he rallied to post a 3.09 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 35 Triple-A innings at the end of the year.
The Astros have been adept at drafting quality arms from smaller colleges -- Brown of Wayne State University and AJ Blubaugh of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, for example -- through the years. Pecko, who’s from Ridley Park, Pa., began his college career at LaSalle before transferring to Towson in 2022.
“Everyone’s journey is different,” he said. “You’ve got guys that played at the big schools, you got guys that come out of high school. I think it just comes down to what you do throughout your years with the team, how you work and your preparation. Everyone is here for a reason, and it’s all because they worked hard and are super talented. I’ve definitely reflected on it. It’s been a crazy journey and if you told me I’d be here five years ago, I’d say you’re crazy.”