Houston Astros: Chris Devenski's role is unlike any other
Chris Devenski's role is not like any other pitcher's, as the right-hander is the Houston Astros' super-utility reliever. So far, he's been arguably the most dominant pitcher on the team. But don't expect to seem him in the starting rotation just yet.
The long reliever position was dead.
Chris Devenski has brought it back to life.
The Houston Astros' pitcher has dominated the American League so far, spinning scoreless inning after scoreless inning. While some people argue that he needs to make an appearance in the starting rotation, manager A.J. Hinch hasn't pulled the trigger on that decision.
Should he?
Houston boasts the best record in the MLB, and that's with Mike Fiers and Joe Musgrove in the rotation contributing 5.00-plus ERAs. Devenski is already on pace to hurl more than 100 innings, per the Houston Chronicle.
It's a risk. Managers rarely ever have to decide whether a long reliever should be in the rotation, or even be slated as a closer, because of their superb numbers and filthy pitches. But that's been the case for a few players this year – Archie Bradley and Adam Warren are examples.
The thing about Devenski is that he's been Clayton Kershaw-esque from the pen, tossing 23 innings while striking out 42 and garnering a scary .652 WHIP. So Hinch may be thinking "if it isn't broke, don't fix it," which would be a reasonable explanation.
It shouldn't be a huge surprise that the 26 year old has been good, although no one expected him to pitch this well so far. But his numbers as a rookie were impressive. He pitched 108 1/3 innings, sporting a WHIP below 1.00 and accruing more than 100 strikeouts.
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The recent uptick in strikeouts isn't because the right-hander throws heat – his fastball averages around 93.7 miles per hour, per Fangraphs. It's his changeup that gets the job done most of the time, as he's registered 24 strikeouts with it, and players are hitting a measly .098 against it.
Devenski could be just as valuable as a reliever than as a starter. When a starter fail to pitch past five innings in an outing, he can clean up the mess, while the back end of the bullpen can shut the door down. He can also close games out too if need be – he has two saves this year.
He could be one of the most talented arms in the organization right now, but with younger prospects like Francis Martes and David Paulino, he could remain in the bullpen for a while. That is unless the season turns south and the Astros are in desperate need of quality innings.
But for now, Devenski will be mowing down hitters and continuing his amazing stretch out of the bullpen.
So sit back, relax and enjoy what he has to offer.