There’s a saying that minor-league baseball players are like lottery tickets. The more you play, the better chance you have of cashing one in.
In that case, the Houston Astros just found a pretty good lottery ticket. They signed right-handed pitcher Drew Strotman to a minor-league contract on Friday, and for those of you who aren’t familiar, his stuff is pretty nasty.
Strotman’s fastball can touch 99 mph and his slider sits in the 90s — a devastating combo for opposing batters.
I mean, just look at this video below. Pure filth.
Strotman clearly has the raw stuff to be a big-league pitcher. Now he just needs to harness it.
The 27-year-old flamethrower has already spent six seasons in the minors, including the last three at Triple-A. He still hasn’t been able to crack the majors, however, as his control remains an issue (career 5.0 BB/9).
Strotman has spent time in four organizations so far. He was a fourth-round draft pick in 2017 by the Tampa Bay Rays , who have an excellent track record of developing young pitchers. They weren’t able to hone Stroman’s physical gifts, however. Neither could the Minnesota Twins , Texas Rangers or San Francisco Giants .