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HOUSTON -- Considering the sounds of pitchers popping the mitts of catchers will begin filling the air in West Palm Beach, Fla., when Spring Training begins in about five weeks, it’s time to examine the state of the Astros’ rotation entering 2025.

The Astros had 12 different pitchers start a game for them last year, and it would have been 13 if the final game of the regular season hadn’t been rained out. Ryan Gusto was set to start Game 162 in Cleveland in what would have been his Major League debut.

Last year, Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco, Framber Valdez and Spencer Arrighetti carried the workload by making at least 28 starts, with Justin Verlander (17 starts) and Yusei Kikuchi (10 starts) the only others to reach double digits. Verlander missed half of the season with injuries, Cristian Javier made seven starts before undergoing Tommy John surgery and J.P. France started five games before his season ended due to a right shoulder injury. Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. missed the entire season.

In 2024, Houston starters ranked tied for seventh in the Major Leagues in ERA (3.81), second in batting average against (.233), third in strikeouts (887) and tied for seventh in innings pitched (880 2/3) but had the third-most walks (326) in MLB.

Here’s how the rotation is shaping up:

The sure things

LHP Framber Valdez: Valdez, who enters the final year of his contract in 2025, remains a top-of-the-rotation starter. He went 15-7 last year with a 2.91 ERA in 28 starts, leading the Astros in wins and innings (176 1/3). If he puts together two strong halves in ’25, he could make lots of money on the free-agent market.

RHP Hunter Brown: Brown is poised to take his place as one of the AL’s top arms this year. After going 0-4 with a 9.78 in his first six starts of 2024, he added a sinker on May 5 and it opened up his entire arsenal. He went 11-5 with a 2.51 ERA in 147 innings in his final 25 games (24 starts) and pitched with the stuff and confidence of an ace.

RHP Ronel Blanco: It was a breakout season in 2024 for Blanco, who went 13-6 with a 2.80 ERA and threw the season’s first no-hitter in his first start in April. He led the AL in opponents’ average (.190) while throwing a career-high 167 1/3 innings.

RHP Spencer Arrighetti: As a rookie in 2024, Arrighetti threw 145 innings in 29 games (28 starts) and improved as the season went along. He posted a 4.53 ERA with 171 strikeouts, 65 walks and 21 homers. In 80 innings prior to the All-Star break, he had a 5.63 ERA and an .802 opponents’ OPS. In 65 innings after the break, he had a 3.18 ERA and a .697 opponents’ OPS.

The new guy

RHP Hayden Wesneski: Acquired by the Astros along with infielder Isaac Paredes and prospect Cam Smith (No. 73 overall per MLB Pipeline) from the Cubs last month, Wesneski fills out the bottom of the Houston rotation but has lots of potential at 27 years old. He has posted a 3.93 ERA in 68 career games (22 starts).

The up-and-comers

LHP Colton Gordon: The Astros’ No. 12-ranked prospect, Gordon was added to the 40-man roster in November. After missing last spring and the first month of the season with a left lat strain, he went 8-2 with a 3.94 ERA in 25 games (24 starts) across 123 1/3 innings at Triple-A Sugar Land, striking out 124 batters and allowing a .238 opponents’ average.

RHP Ryan Gusto: A 6-foot-4 right-hander taken in the 11th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, Gusto is a favorite of general manager Dana Brown and will be in big league camp this year competing for a spot. He went 8-6 with a 3.70 ERA in 29 games (26 starts) last year at Sugar Land.

The injured list

RHP Cristian Javier: Javier, who underwent Tommy John surgery on June 6, could return by the end of July but definitely by season’s end if there are no setbacks. He was 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA in seven starts with the Astros in '24 and is a front-line arm when he’s healthy.

RHP Luis Garcia: Garcia nearly returned last season from Tommy John surgery that was performed in May 2023, only to be shut down for the season last August. If he’s healthy to start '25, that’s a huge boost to the rotation, considering he threw 339 2/3 innings from '21-23.

RHP Lance McCullers Jr.: McCullers hasn’t pitched since the 2022 World Series and his status for the start of this season remains uncertain. He had surgery in June 2023 to repair his right flexor tendon and remove a bone spur, but suffered a setback in July 2024 and was shut down for the season.

RHP J.P. France: The mustachioed one underwent surgery to repair a torn right shoulder capsule in July after posting a 7.46 ERA in five starts.