On May 20, Framber Valdez decided to go rogue in the fifth inning against the Angels, and it didn’t end well to the tune of eight runs in five innings. It was a disappointing development, especially for a rotation already on the brink in terms of depth. But at his best, Valdez is likely the Astros' top starting pitcher. The occasional clunker happens, though. But that occasional clunker was also becoming increasingly frequent dating back to June 2023. That poor start against the Angels, however, did beg the question of whether this trend would arise again in 2024.
Well, Valdez has been on a tear in the last three-plus months.