The Houston Astros made another addition to their pitching staff on Tuesday, signing right‑handed pitcher Ryan Weiss to a one‑year major‑league contract (pending a physical), reportedly worth $2.6 million. Weiss, 28, spent the past two seasons pitching in Korea for the Hanwha Eagles, where he revitalized his career with strong performances. In 2025, he went 16–5 with a 2.87 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and struck out 207 batters over 178⅔ innings, according to KBO stats. That is the kind of performance Houston needs to help solidify their rotation for the 2026 season.
Born in South Elgin, IL, the 6’4” pitcher began his baseball career early on. However, he started as a catcher. It wasn’t until late in high school that he started pitching. His velocity was only around 80–84 mph, which wasn’t enough to draw the attention he needed to continue playing in college. He originally committed to play at Elgin Community College, but later changed his commitment and went to Wright State University.
He was drafted by the Diamondbacks in 2018 out of Wright State. Weiss has made 132 minor-league appearances between Arizona and Kansas City, including time in Triple-A from 2021 to 2023, and he also pitched in Taiwan for the Fubon Guardians in 2023. His minor-league stats are not attention-grabbing, but he clearly leveled up overseas enough to get the Astros’ attention.
Weiss has also experienced severe hardship early in his life. He lost both of his parents at a young age. Despite these tragedies, he maintains a positive outlook and believes everything will pan out the way it is supposed to. He uses this loss to drive him as a professional athlete, per MLB.
Why did he interest the Astros? Aside from his solid 2025 numbers, he is known for a fastball-slider pitch mix. He had his ups and downs early on in his career in the minor-league system, but during his time abroad, he refined his skills and became a consistent asset on the mound. He will likely provide bullpen depth or spot-pitching flexibility, and he brings international experience.
Houston’s rotation is still very much in flux. Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier are expected to headline the staff, and Spencer Arrighetti is expected to be healthy and ready to start the 2026 season. Weiss joins a group that includes Lance McCullers Jr., Colton Gordon, Jason Alexander, A.J. Blubaugh, and J.P. France, all projected to participate in spring camp. Even with all of that, the Astros are still looking for one more starter.