Lance McCullers Jr. #43

2023

Did not make an appearance during Spring Training, the regular season or postseason due to a right forearm injury...Underwent surgery to repair his right flexor tendon and remove a bone spur on June 13...Is expected to return to the mound in 2024.

2022

Seven-year veteran and the emotional leader of the Astros pitching staff was limited to just eight starts this season due to injury...was great in his limited play, posting a 2.27 ERA (12ER/47.2IP) with 50 strikeouts and a .215 opponent average...made five quality starts, with two being scoreless appearances...Missed the Astros first 119 games due to a right flexor tendon strain that he suffered while pitching in Game 4 of the 2021 ALDS vs. CWS...would also miss the 2021 ALCS and 2021 World Series...made his 2022 debut on Aug. 13...Allowed two-or-fewer runs in seven of his eight starts...despite missing the first half of the season, returned as a workhorse, tossing 6.0+ innings in each of his last four starts...Posted a 1.50 ERA (5ER/30IP) in five home starts...Made four minor league rehab appearances on way back from injury...during those, which he treated as Spring Training games, he recorded a 6.75 ERA (10ER/13.1IP) with 17 strikeouts...Signed a long-term contract with the Astros on March 26, 2022...the five-year deal will keep him in an Astros uniform through the 2026 season...Pitched in three Postseason games, leading Astros to a 2-1 record in those contests...struck out 18 batters in 15.2IP...threw a dominant 6.0 scoreless innings in G3 of ALDS at SEA, while only allowing two hits and striking out seven in a quality start.

2021

Had his best season as a pro, reaching career highs in wins (13), starts (28), innings (162.1) and strikeouts (185), while also posting the best ERA (3.16) and opponent batting average (.205) of his career...Among qualifying AL pitchers, he finished his season ranking first in opponent batting average (.205), first in opponent OPS (.628) and second in ERA (3.16)...he also posted the lowest home runs per 9.0 (0.72) ratio and the highest ground ball perc. (56.9) in the AL...Allowed just 13 homers in his 162.1 innings this season for the lowest HR/9IP ratio (0.72) in the AL...Held right-handed hitters to a .188 (59x313) average and lefties to a .223 (63x283) mark...Showcased a new slider this season, throwing it 23.9% of the time...threw the pitch on 710 occasions, with opponents going 24x158 (.152) when they put it in play...still relied heavily on his famous curveball (25%) and his hard fastball (34%), while mixing in changeups (13.8%) and cutters (3.3%)...Made the Astros OPENING DAY roster for the fourth time in his career and started the club’s third game of the season...Following the season, named the Astros Pitcher of the Year by the Houston Chapter of the BBWAA...Combined to go 1-0 with a 0.84 ERA (1ER/10.2IP) in two starts in the POSTSEASON, both coming in the ALDS...started Game 1 vs. CWS (0ER/6.2IP) and became the 11th pitcher in franchise history to toss at least 6.2 IP shutout innings in the postseason, and the first since Gerrit Cole (7IP) in Game 3 of the 2019 ALCS vs. NYY...returned on full rest to start Game 4 at CWS (1ER/4.1IP), tossing 4.1 innings before leaving with a flexor pronator strain, which kept him out the remainder of the postseason...Despite the season-ending injury, is expected to be fully healthy entering the 2022 season.

2020

Made a successful return from Tommy John surgery, posting a 3.93 ERA in 11 starts for the Astros...Was excellent at home, going 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA (5ER/31.2IP) in five starts at Minute Maid Park...Was a groundball machine in his 11 starts...among MLB pitchers with at least 40.0 innings, owned the second-highest groundball rate (61.1%) and sixth-best groundball to flyball ratio (3.26)...Led all American League pitchers in putouts (11) and total chances (18) while fielding his position...Threw his curveball at a career-low rate (37.6%)... prior to this season, his lowest-career curveball usage was in 2018 (46.6%)...threw his changeup at a career-high rate (18.4%)...implemented more curves and less changeups at the end of the season, throwing 44.2% curves over his final three starts...threw just one changeup during his final start (Sept. 26)...OPENING DAY: Made the Astros Opening Day roster for the third time in his career...Started the second game of the season on July 25 vs. SEA, and led Houston to a 7-2 win after tossing 6.0 innings of two-run ball...was his first regular-season start in the Majors since Aug. 4, 2018, at LAD (0ER/4IP)...Posted a 2-2 record and a 2.18 ERA (10ER/41.1IP) with 13 walks, 26 hits allowed (.182 avg.), a 0.94 WHIP and 45 strikeouts over his final eight starts of the season...Struck out a season-high nine batters over just 4.0 scoreless innings in his final start of the season on Sept. 26 at TEX...POSTSEASON: Was on the Astros active roster throughout the entire postseason...made one start in the ALDS (Game 1) and two starts in the ALCS (Games 1 and 7)...went 0-2 with a 4.91 ERA (8ER/14.2IP), two walks and 23 strikeouts during his three postseason starts...ALCS VS. TB: Had a dominant performance in Game 1...gave up 4 runs, but just one was earned...struck out 11 batters without a walk over 7.0 innings pitched...His 11 punchouts in Game 1 ranked sixth in Astros history for a single postseason game and marked the most by an Astros pitcher since Gerrit Cole’s 15-strikeout performance in Game 2 of the 2019 ALDS vs. TB...Joined Cole (2018 ALDS Game 2 vs. CLE, 12 K) as the only Astros pitchers to post 11+ strikeouts without walking a batter in a single postseason game...Became the second pitcher in MLB history to suffer a loss in the postseason after allowing one run or fewer while fanning 11+ batters without a walk...the only other to do it was Brooklyn’s Don Newcombe in Game 1 of the 1949 World Series against the Yankees...Became the first pitcher in club history to make multiple Game 7 starts in his career.

2019

Missed the entire season while recovering from right ulnar collateral ligament surgery.

2018

Tossed a career-high 128.1 innings pitched and struck out a career-high 142 batters in what was his fourth Major League season...also set career high marks in wins (10) and appearances (25)...made 22 starts before suffering an elbow injury in August...returned to the club in September and pitched in three games out of the bullpen, the first regular season relief appearances of his career...went 10-6 with a 3.93 ERA (55ER/126IP) and 138 strikeouts in his 22 starts...threw 2.1 hitless innings with four strikeouts in his three relief outings...became the youngest Astros pitcher to record 10 wins prior to the All-Star Break of a single season since Wade Miller (24) went 11-3 prior to the break in 2001...prior to hitting the DL, was leading the AL in groundball rate...finished the season with a 55.5% groundball rate...threw his changeup at a career-high rate for a single season (16%)... previous career-high was 12% in 2017...recorded four double-digit strikeout games, giving him 12 for his career... became the second pitcher in club history with 12+ double-digit strikeout games prior to turning 25 years old... also Don Wilson (16)...made his second-career Opening Day roster...was placed on the 10-day Disabled List with right elbow discomfort on Aug. 5...activated from the DL on Sept. 24...started the Astros third game of the season and struck out 10 Rangers hitters in 5.1 innings on March 31 at TEX...led Houston to a 9-3 win...pitched a gem on April 17 at SEA, striking out 11 and allowing just one run on one hit in 7.0 innings pitched...tied his single-game career-high for strikeouts...retired 19 of the final 20 batters he faced...carried a perfect game into the 6th inning on April 28 vs. OAK...held a perfect game through 5.0 innings on May 20 vs. CLE...finished with 7.0 scoreless innings in Houston's 3-1 win...struck out a career-high 12 batters on July 6 vs. CWS...gave up one run on three hits over 7.0 innings, walking none...took a no-hitter into the 6th inning...became the second-youngest pitcher in club history to have a game with 12 strikeouts and no walks (24 years, 277 days) behind Larry Dierker, who had two games like this as a 22-year-old in 1969...pitched in five games in the postseason, posting a 1.80 ERA (1ER/5IP) with two walks and four strikeouts...was scoreless in Game 1 (1IP) and Game 3 (1IP) of the ALDS...recorded a hold in Game 1 of the ALCS at BOS in the Astros 7-2 win.

2017

Was an All-Star for the first time in his career and a hero during the postseason...at 23 years old, became the second-youngest pitcher in club history to make an All-Star Team, behind RHP Larry Dierker, who was 22 in his 1969 All-Star season...won a career-high seven games while tying his career-high for starts (22)...posted careerbest marks in walk rate (7.8%) and walks per 9.0 innings ratio (3.03)...put up the highest groundball rate of his career with a 61.9% mark...ranked second in the Majors in groundball to flyball ratio (4.00) among pitchers with at least 100.0 innings pitched, behind only teammate LHP Dallas Keuchel (4.41) had a tremendous first half of the season before hitting the Disabled List for two stints over the second half of the season...posted the second-best home runs per 9.0 innings ratio (0.61) and 10th-best strikeouts per 9.0 innings ratio among AL pitchers with at least 100.0 innings pitched...went 7-2 with a 3.05 ERA (31ER/91.1IP), 106 strikeouts and a .224 opponent batting average in 16 starts prior to the All-Star Game...named the AL Pitcher of the Month for May after going 4-0 with a 0.99 ERA (4ER/36.1IP), 37 strikeouts and a .164 opponent batting average in six May starts...led the AL in ERA during the month, while ranking tied for second in wins and tied for third in opponent batting average...was the fourth-lowest ERA during the month of May in franchise history, behind RHP Nolan Ryan (0.20 in 1984), LHP Mike Cuellar (0.86 in 1968) and LHP Hal Woodeshick (0.96 in 1963)...made his debut on an Opening Day roster and started the club's second game of the season...made 13 starts before hitting the 10-day Disabled List on June 12 with lower back discomfort...missed 14 games...was activated on June 24...made six more starts before getting placed back on the DL with back discomfort...missed 34 games during his second DL stint and was activated on Sept. 6...struck out 10 batters in 7.0 innings on April 9 vs. KC, his second start of the season...was his seventh career double-digit strikeout game...became the second pitcher in club history to have multiple games with no walks and 10 strikeouts prior to turning 24, joining Larry Dierker...became the first Astros pitcher since Roger Clemens in 2005 to open up a season with consecutive starts of at least seven strikeouts and no more than two walks... made his first scoreless start on April 20 vs. LAA...gave up just three hits in 6.2 innings, striking out eight...had a 22.0-inning scoreless streak that spanned four starts from May 6-23...ranked as the longest by an Astros starting pitcher since RHP Roy Oswalt posted a 32.0-inning streak from Aug. 27-Sept. 11, 2008...prior to McCullers, the last Astros starting pitcher to allow zero earned runs while going at least 5.0 innings in four consecutive starts was RHP Nolan Ryan in 1984...it was also the longest such streak in the Majors since RHP Zack Greinke had a six-game streak from June 18-July 19, 2015...the first three of those four starts came on the road...became the first Astros pitcher to allow zero earned runs while going at least 6.0 innings in three consecutive road starts since RHP Roger Clemens from 2004-05...allowed a career-high nine hits on July 6 at TOR...had allowed eight hits or less in each of his first 51 career starts prior to the outing...that was the longest streak by an Astros starting pitcher to begin his career in club history (previously RHP J.R. Richard, did not allow more than eight hits in each of his first 36 career starts)...allowed five runs in 4.2 innings on July 17 vs. SEA...was his first-ever start at home where he allowed more than three runs...snapped his 27-game streak of surrendering three runs or less at home, the longest in Major League history by a pitcher to begin his career...tied for the third-longest home streak overall in Major League history with Clayton Kershaw (2008-10), behind a 30-game streak by Kershaw (2013-15) and a 28-game streak by Adam Wainwright (2009-2010)...also marked the first time in his career that he allowed at least four runs in back-to-back starts...made two rehab appearances, one each with Triple A Fresno (Aug. 25) and Double A Corpus Christi (Aug. 30)...appeared in five postseason games, making three starts...made his first career Major League relief appearance in Game 3 of the ALDS at BOS...struck out four and allowed two runs in 3.0 innings pitched in Houston's 10-3 loss...was scoreless in his first 3.0 innings, giving up both of his runs after coming on for a fourth inning of work where he did not record an out...started Game 4 of the ALCS at NYY, tossing 6.0 innings of one-run ball...allowed just two hits, one a solo homer to Aaron Judge...left the game with the lead, but the Astros bullpen could not hold on as the club fell 6-4 to the Yankees...got the save in Game 7 of the ALCS vs. NYY after throwing 4.0 shutout innings...was the seventh save of at least 4.0 innings in MLB postseason history, and the first since Madison Bumgarner's save in Game 7 of the 2014 World Series...became the first pitcher in MLB history to strike out at least six batters in a postseason save...at 24 years, 19 days old, became the third-youngest pitcher in MLB history to record a save in a Game 7, behind LHP David Price (2008 ALCS, 23.054) and LHP Will McEnaney (1975 World Series, 23.250)...allowed just one hit and one walk to preserve Houston's 4-0 victory...threw 24 straight curveballs to end the game...started Games 3 and 7 of the World Series...got the win in Game 3 after allowing three runs on four hits in 5.1 innings pitched...became the youngest starting pitcher to get a win in the World Series since RHP Noah Syndergaard (23.062) in 2015 (Game 3)...was his first career postseason victory...did not factor into the decision in Game 7, as he went 2.1 scoreless innings pitched...allowed three hits and hit four batters, a Major League record for a postseason game...24 years, 30 days, became the youngest pitcher to start Game 7 of the World Series since RHP John Lackey (24 years, 4 days) led the Angels to a 4-1 win over the Giants in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series...recorded an RBI groundout, becoming the first pitcher with an RBI since San Francisco's Barry Zito in Game 1 of the 2012 World Series, and the first American League pitcher with an RBI in the Fall Classic since Andy Pettitte of the Yankees in Game 3 of the 2009 World Series...became the first American League pitcher to collect an RBI in Game 7 of a World Series, and the first pitcher overall in Game 7 since Jesse Orosco of the Mets in 1986.

2016

Posted a 3.22 ERA with 106 strikeouts in 81.0 innings across 14 starts in a season bookended by stints on the Disabled List...spent the season as one of the youngest starting pitchers in the AL...the only AL pitchers younger than McCullers to make a start were RHP Jose Berrios, RHP Luis Severino and RHP David Paulino...put up a career -high 11.78 strikeouts per 9.0 innings ratio (106SO/81IP), which ranked fourth among all Major League pitchers with at least 80.0 innings pitched behind RHP Jose Fernandez (12.49), RHP Yu Darvish (11.84) and RHP David Phelps (11.84)...was the fourth-highest single season strikeouts per 9.0 innings ratio by an Astros pitcher all-time (min. 80IP), behind RHP Brad Lidge in 2004 (14.93), RHP Octavio Dotel in 2001 (12.43) and LHP Randy Johnson in 1998 (12.38)...became the third pitcher in Major League history to post a strikeouts per 9.0 innings ratio of 11.78 or higher prior to his age-23 season (min. 80IP), joining RHP Francisco Rodriguez (13.18 in 2004 at 22 years old) and RHP Kerry Wood (12.58 in 1998 at 21 years old)... joined RHP Roy Oswalt as the only pitchers in club history to post an ERA of 3.22 or lower in each of their first two seasons in the Majors...ranked tied for fourth in the AL with four double-digit strikeout games...marked the most games with 10+ strikeouts by an Astro since LHP Dallas Keuchel had five such games in 2015...went 5-3 with a 2.40 ERA (16ER/60IP) and 80 strikeouts in 10 starts at home...led the AL in ERA at home (min. 60IP)...continued his streak of allowing three runs or less at home, which dates back to his 2015 rookie season...his 20-game streak was the longest by an AL pitcher since RHP Pedro Martinez allowed three runs or less in 23 straight home starts from 1999-2001...became the second pitcher in Major League history to allow three runs or less in each of his first 20 career starts at home, joining RHP Jose Fernandez (25 starts from 2013-15)...joined RHP Larry Dierker (22 games from 1970-72; 21 games from 1969-70) as the only pitchers in club history to have a 20-start streak of allowing three runs or less at home...finished second in the Majors in curveball percentage (49.6%), trailing LHP Rich Hill (49.7%)...began the season on the 15- day Disabled List with right shoulder soreness, which plagued him throughout Spring Training...was placed on the DL on March 25...activated from the DL on May 13...missed a scheduled start on June 28 with a blister on his right index finger but did not go on the DL...placed on the DL with right elbow discomfort on Aug. 3...remained on the DL through the end of the season...posted a career-long three-game winning streak from May 26-June 5...prior to that run, had won consecutive decisions in his career just once (May 23-June 3, 2015)...in his start on May 26 vs. BAL, struck out 10 and allowed just one run in 5.0 innings in a 4-2 Astros win...walked a career-high six batters in the game...per Elias, became the first Astros starter to record a win in a game in which he walked more than a batter per inning since RHP Roy Oswalt on April 13, 2007 at PHI... also in that game, became the fourth Major Leaguer since 1913 to record 10+ strikeouts while allowing one hit or fewer in less than 6.0 innings pitched, joining RHP Felix Hernandez (2013), RHP Jake Peavy (2003) and RHP Bobby Witt (1986)...joined RHP Smoky Joe Wood as the only pitchers in Major League history to record 10+ strikeouts in each of their first two career startsagainst Baltimore...fanned 10 batters and allowed just one run in 7.0 innings on July 4 vs. SEA...per ESPN.com, induced a career-high 18 swing-and-misses on his curveball, the second-most by any pitcher with that pitch in an eight-season span behind RHP A.J. Burnett (23 in 2013)...struck out 10 in a season-high 8.0 innings on July 22 vs. LAA...allowed one run and four hits in the victory...became the fourth pitcher to get Mike Trout to strike out swinging three times in a single game, joining RHP Chris Archer, LHP Jon Lester and LHP Tommy Milone...made his first career start against the Yankees on July 27 and got the win, striking out 10 batters and allowing one run in 6.0 innings...per the Elias Sports Bureau, became the fourth-youngest pitcher over a 40-season span (22
years, 299 days old) to defeat the Yankees while recording 10+ strikeouts, behind only RHP Moose Haas (21.355 in 1978), LHP Matt Moore (22.096 in 2011) and RHP Mark Prior (22.274 in 2003)...posted double-digit strikeouts in consecutive starts from July 22-27...became the first Astros pitcher with consecutive double-digit strikeout games since LHP Wandy Rodriguez did so from Sept. 11-17, 2010... among AL pitchers in July, ranked second in strikeouts (44) and eighth in ERA (2.08, 7ER/30.1IP)...was the lowest ERA he produced in a single month in his career...his 13.05 strikeouts per 9.0 innings ratio in July (44SO/30.1IP) ranked fifth all-time in AL history for a single July, trailing only RHP Pedro Martinez (13.94 in 2000), RHP Nolan Ryan (13.89 in 1989) and LHP Randy Johnson (13.38 in 1994; 13.14 in 1997)...was removed from his start on Aug. 2 vs. TOR with discomfort in his right elbow after allowing two runs in 4.2 innings...allowed multiple home runs for just the second time in his career... snapped a 15-start streak in which he had not allowed multiple home runs in a game...struck out at least six batters in 13 consecutive starts from May 20-Aug. 2...became the second pitcher in club history to strike out six in 13 consecutive starts, joining RHP Mike Scott (14 in 1986) and RHP Bud Norris (2010-11)...made two official rehab starts in the minor leagues...threw 3.0 innings and allowed one run on April 11 at Springfield with Double A Corpus Christi...returned to extended Spring Training for a month after that start, before making a rehab start at Triple A Fresno on May 7...threw 5.0 scoreless innings and struck out seven at El Paso in that rehab start.

2015