Teng kicked off the series against the Brewers Friday night. While they may have lost, he has quietly been one of the most reliable pitchers on the staff.
Who Is Kai-Wei Teng
The 27-year-old was born December 1, 1998 in Taichung, Taiwan. He is one of only four Taiwanese-born pitchers in MLB history to make at least seven starts in a season.
Teng was originally with the San Francisco Giants from 2024-2025. He was then traded to the Astros in late January 2026 on a one-year contract worth $786,700.
He posted a 6.37 ERA with San Francisco last year, so nobody expected much from him.
His 2026 Journey
He started the season as a multi-inning reliever out of the bullpen and was performing well, posting a 1.65 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, per MLB.
Because of his ability to generate swinging strikes with multiple breaking balls he was moved into the rotation and has been part of a six-man rotation since joining the starting staff.
His 2026 Stats
Current record: 3-3, 2.57 ERA. He has 20 strikeouts over his last three starts across 16 innings, but walks have been a concern. He issued 11 free passes in his last three starts. Despite the walks, he has kept runs off the board, per MLB. His standout moment was the six shutout innings against the Cubs at Wrigley Field in the series where the Astros swept.
What Makes Him Effective
He relies on six pitches, especially effective with multiple breaking balls that generate whiffs. His ability to limit hard contact is elite. Opponents have an exit velocity of just 90.7 MPH against him. Hard hit percentage against him is just 38%, which is elite.
Teng came to Houston with low expectations and has exceeded all of them. He is a perfect example of the depth the Astros have built despite their injury struggles. With key pitchers starting to return and Teng holding down a rotation spot, the Astros pitching staff is starting to look like a completely different unit heading into the summer months.
