Last season’s Astros pitching was both a disaster and a miracle. It was a disaster because injuries befell the staff like falling dominoes. But it was a miracle because a myriad of rookies came forward, mostly from the depths of the minors, to save the team from a complete breakdown.
Who would have expected going into the 2020 season that guys named Cristian Javier, Enoli Paredes, Andre Scrubb, Blake Taylor, Brooks Raley, or Luis Garcia would prove crucial in the Astros run-up to Game 7 of the ALCS.
Not that the Astros front office was totally confident that all these performers would duplicate their over-achievement of 2020.