A true diamond-in-the-rough find for the Astros in the 2014 MLB Draft, James has beaten serious odds to reach the major leagues as the 1006th selection. Since that time, he has transformed himself as a pitcher and made serious nationwide noise by striking out 171 batters in 131 innings in the minors in 2018. Now armed with a triple-digit heater, James beat out names like Collin McHugh, Hector Rondon and Chris Devenski to earn a spot in the pen for the Cleveland series.
The explosive righty gives A.J. Hinch a power arm to deploy before the 9th inning, a luxury that the team has not had in recent memory.