For Lance McCullers Jr., spring training isn’t just about getting loose.
Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (43) work with pitching coach Joshua Miller. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
It’s about proving he still belongs.
Few pitchers in Astros history have delivered bigger postseason moments. McCullers has been part of Houston’s identity for nearly a decade, carving out a reputation as a big-game arm. But injuries have defined just as much of his story as October brilliance.
Since signing a five-year, $85 million extension in 2021, he has struggled to stay on the field. Full-season-ending injuries wiped out both 2023 and 2024. Even in 2025, he spent most of the year on the injured list and posted a 6.51 ERA across 16 appearances when he did pitch.
For many fans, patience ran thin.
This spring, McCullers arrived with something close to an ultimatum. If his body fails him again, 2026 could be his final season.
Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
His first step toward rewriting that narrative came on February 27.
McCullers tossed a clean inning in his spring debut, needing just eight pitches. More importantly, his fastball touched 94.6 mph — a number that matters.
“I thought it was solid. I was happy with the way I was moving,” McCullers said afterward. “A quick inning. Need some more of those in my life.”
That velocity is significant.
Last season, his fastball often sat in the mid-80s, forcing him to lean heavily on his breaking pitches. While his slider and signature knuckle curve remain effective, the lack of a legitimate fastball made him predictable.
Hitters adjusted.
If the fastball is back in the mid-90s consistently, it changes everything. It gives his breaking stuff more deception. It allows him to attack early in counts. It restores the foundation of his arsenal.
McCullers explained that the velocity didn’t return overnight. He spent months building strength, gradually climbing from mid-80s bullpens in the offseason to low-90s sessions entering camp.
“You always throw your bullpens in the off-season… not for like Hunter [Brown] who throws 100 mph all the time,” McCullers joked. “For us normal folk you gotta kind of build up.”
The humor masks a serious truth.
At 32 and heading into free agency after the season, McCullers stands at a crossroads.
One path looks familiar: another injury, another setback, another chapter defined by what might have been.
The other path is far more compelling: a healthy season, a reestablished fastball, and a meaningful role in an Astros rotation that needs stability.
One clean inning in late February doesn’t guarantee anything.
But it’s a start.
For a pitcher who has endured years of physical and emotional strain — and for a fan base that still remembers his postseason dominance — seeing 94.6 mph on the radar gun felt like more than just a number.
It felt like possibility.
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