TCB Astros Pitcher of the Week: April 6-12

Another year, another round of weekly awards. As always, these aren't based on any statistical measures. Instead, they're randomly assigned by me and are as arbitrary as they come.

Feel free to tell us who your Astros pitcher of the week was for the first six games. If you pick anyone but my choice, you'll just be wrong.

Honorable mentions

Will Harris

What a find by Houston's scouting team. Harris was a waiver claim and made the team out of spring training thanks to Josh Fields' injury. He's thrown five innings now and hasn't given up a run yet, while striking out five and walking none.

Harris is in Asher Wojciechowski's unenviable situation, though. No matter how well he performs, Harris is likely getting sent to Triple-A once Josh Fields is healthy. It's a good bet, though, that after his early-season cameo, Harris will be back up later this summer, doing good things in the bullpen.

Luke Gregerson

Houston appears to have made a good choice in naming Gregerson the closer out of spring training. The right-hander hasn't allowed a run in three innings this season. He's also struck out three while walking no one.

Basically, he's done exactly what you want a closer to do, while flashing a pretty nasty slider.

Even if Houston's bullpen has gotten hit around in this very early season, Gregerson hasn't. Let's get through a series with Oakland, though, before we anoint him a great buy. The A's have a tendency to blow up Astros closers.

Collin McHugh

Though I could have put Scott Feldman here before last night's meltdown, let's go with the Doctor. McHugh may have been pushed back to the fourth game of the season, but there's no reason to think he's viewed as the Astros' fourth-best starter. Instead, it appears that was a way to get Asher Wojciechowski and Brad Peacock on similar throwing schedules.

McHugh didn't have a great spring, but came out firing bullets against the Rangers. He was so good in his six innings before leaving with a skin problem, I was pretty shocked he only struck out four batters in his six innings. Seemed like more than that.

The "skin problem" wasn't quite a blister, but it may have developed into one. Which means the Astros (probably) have bioscanners tracking all their players for any hint of disease or injury. You've been warned.

Winner

Dallas Keuchel

Can it be anyone else? The bearded, crazy, strike-throwing machine picked up where he left off last year. He shook off regression and fired another back-foot slider for a strikeout.

What's great is how much Keuchel reminds me of a mid-career Roy Oswalt. He not only works quickly, just like Roy, but he seems mad at himself if he gives up any hits, ever. That was a Roy trademark for much of his career, but seemed to grow once he learned a bit from Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte.

If Keuchel develops that edge...well, the Astros may not be looking for an "ace" any time soon.