Ronel Blanco started just 34 of 202 games in the minors and was mostly an emergency starter in the majors. Then, in that fill-in role, he threw a no-hitter in his first start of 2024, the only complete game in MLB this season.
Blanco now has a 0.86 ERA this season. The Astros are 3-0 when he starts and 3-11 when he doesn’t start.
Garrett Crochet was a starter at Tennessee, but after being drafted No. 11 overall in 2020, went directly to the bullpen to try to help the White Sox’s playoff push that year. He remained a reliever for 72 appearances over four injury-disrupted seasons. He returned to the rotation this year, and through four starts, he led the majors in Fangraphs Wins Above Replacement.
There has been a running question in Boston the past few years whether Kutter Crawford, due to endurance issues, and Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock, due to breadth of stuff, were relievers or starters. They all are starting this season, and after Crawford’s 5 ⅔ shutout innings Monday against Cleveland, that trio had worked to a combined 0.92 ERA in 10 starts.
