Are Hunter Brown and Peter Lambert the Top Options on the Mound For Houston in 2027

The Houston Astros had some problems when it came to consistency from the mound in 2026, but there were two pitchers who were solid and decently consistent throughout the year. Those two pitchers were right-handed pitchers Hunter Brown and Peter Lambert.

With that said, there is one key question that arises. Are Hunter Brown and Peter Lambert the top options on the mound for Houston in 2027?

In order to answer that question, let's take a look at the statistical performance for Brown and Lambert in 2026 and consider how successful it was and whether or not the Astros have anyone better.

Starting with Brown, he had six wins and four losses while playing in and starting 20 games this season, which is solid. In terms of the stats, Brown pitched 107.1 innings this year, and in those innings, he allowed 81 hits, 42 runs, 38 earned runs, 11 home runs, walked 55 batters, struck out 124 batters, and posted a WHIP of 1.27 and an ERA of 3.19.

Overall, Brown was very reliable for the Astros and was arguably their best starting pitcher this year.

It is important to note that Brown did have a rough outing in the postseason, as he allowed five hits, four runs, and three earned runs in his Game 2 start against the Chicago White Sox in the American League Wild Card round. However, one game does not define Brown's 2026 campaign, as for the vast majority of the season he was very reliable for Houston.

Now, looking at Lambert, he had eight wins and 10 losses while playing and starting 29 games in 2026. When it comes to his stats, he pitched 155.2 innings this year and allowed 136 hits, 68 runs, 66 earned runs, 17 home runs, walked 59 batters, and posted a WHIP of 1.25 and an ERA of 3.82.

For the season, Lambert was quite reliable and he also has the argument to be the Astros best starting pitcher heading into 2027.

In the postseason, Lambert had his struggles as well, as he allowed two runs and two earned runs in three innings of action against the White Sox in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card round.

Overall, when looking at the performance of Brown and Lambert this season, they were very solid in the regular season, but when it came to the playoffs, they did have some struggles. However, part of that is likely due to the limited depth that Houston has in the bullpen, which may have led to more fatigue than they would like.

When considering other options for the Astros as starting pitchers, Brown and Lambert are solid and have the argument to be the best options left on the roster, as right-handed pitcher Steven Okert is a free agent and right-handed pitcher Bryan Abreu is a free agent as well.

Now, right-handed pitcher Hayden Wesneski is a very reliable option as well, however when talking about the best pair of pitchers, I believe that based on the performance in 2026, Brown and Lambert are better than Wesneski, however, Wesneski is a great option for the Astros to lean on in 2027 as well.

So, heading into the 2027 season, it will be interesting to see what kind of moves the Astros do make for the pitching staff, but as a result of strong campaigns from Brown and Lambert in 2026, those two pitchers should be in a position to be the top two in the pitching rotation, while the rest of the pitching rotation behind will be figured out.