Miguel

Ullola

He also struck out eight and walked three while throwing 62 percent of his pitches for strikes. Command has always been a bit of a concern for Ullola, but he has wipe out stuff and posted a 44 percent whiff rate in this one. His slider and cutter both miss plenty of bats, and his four-seamer has good vertical movement, which helps his fairly average velocity. He’s a name to keep an eye on, particularly if Hunter Brown is out for an extended period of time.

Gordon should operate as a spot starter at some point this season for the Astros. Ullola’s control issues — 78 walks in 113.2 innings last year in AAA Sugar Land, then six more in 5.1 innings in Spring Training — make it hard to believe he’ll resurface without adjustments.

Ullola will presumably be in the mix for a spot in Houston’s season-opening rotation after posting a solid 3.88 ERA and 131/78 K/BB ratio across 113 2/3 innings over 28 appearances (23 starts) this past season.

He also walked five and threw 55 of his 92 pitches for strikes, which makes this a bit of the quintessential Ullola start. The 23-year-old did a lot of damage with his 92.3 mph fastball, recording 11 whiffs on 24 swings, but his changeup also registered six whiffs on seven swings. Overall, Ullola showcased a five-pitch mix and posted a 54 percent whiff rate and 39 percent CSW. He now has a 3.50 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and 89/50 K/BB ratio in 69 1/3 innings. It might be time for the Astros to see if the 23-year-old can give them more than they’re getting from Colton Gordon or Lance McCullers Jr.

Ullola allowed just one hit while walking three and striking out seven. Ullola has impressive stuff, but command has been an issue for him in the past. He’s shown some minor growth recently, walking 16 batters over his last six outings, but striking out 41 over that span and allowing just three runs in 28 innings. With the Astros’ rotation getting crushed by injuries, there’s a chance that Ullola could get a shot this summer.

Ullola struck out six but also walked four on the day. That command has been a bit of an Achilles heel for the 22-year-old during his minor league career. He had seemed to turn a corner earlier in the month, walking just three total batters in two starts, but he’s now up to seven walks in 14 innings this month. However, he has also struck out 21 and not allowed a single run over that stretch. The Astros’ rotation is banged up right now, and Ullola is the highest upside pitcher for them at Triple-A. He just needs to show that he can get his command in check consistently.

Ullola’s velocity has been down some this season, but he was brought along slowly after leaving the Astros’ spring breakout game with shoulder discomfort. He went on to pitch a total of 10 innings and give up 10 runs in his first four Triple-A starts. His last two outings have gone much better — he’s totaled 10 scoreless innings — even though he’s still in the 91-94 mph range with his fastball. Ideally, he’ll keep creeping up some there, and he could see time in the Astros rotation this summer.

Ullola exited the contest with a trainer. The right-hander is viewed by many as the top pitching prospect in the Houston system, and he has a chance to help the Houston pitching staff before 2025 comes to a close — assuming good health, of course. There should be more on Ullola’s status in the coming days.