Ronel Blanco is the improbable pitching sensation of the early season. “Improbable,” because nothing in his background would have predicted his early season performance. Signed at the late age of 22 out of the Dominican Republic in 2016, by age 26 he looked, at best, like one of many relief pitcher prospects. In the spring of 2023, new Astros’ GM Dana Brown watched Blanco pitch and suggested that he should be stretched out as potential depth to cover the Astros’ injuries in the rotation. And thus began Blanco’s journey as a “swing man” who can pitch out of either the bullpen or rotation.
Blanco Blanks Astros’ Opponents
