After the White Sox moved on, Ethan Katz lands on his feet and joins a proven Houston Astros pitching operation.
Former Chicago White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz had a real case to stick around for the 2026 season.
Since Katz joined the organization, the White Sox have seen several young arms take meaningful steps forward — most recently Shane Smith and Mike Vasil in 2025.
He first joined the White Sox organization with Tony La Russa's staff ahead of the 2021 season on a recommendation from former Sox ace Lucas Giolito. While the cumulative staff numbers were never amazing, individuals such as Carlos Rodón, Dylan Cease, and Garrett Crochet all thrived on the South Side under the tutelage of Ethan Katz.
Despite those success stories, the decision to move on from Katz was widely celebrated by fans. It gave manager Will Venable full autonomy to build his own staff, including a pitching coach chosen collaboratively with director of pitching Brian Bannister.
Chicago ultimately landed on Zach Bove, formerly of the Kansas City Royals.
But it didn’t take long for Katz to find his next opportunity. He’s been hired by the Houston Astros as an assistant pitching coach on their MLB staff, replacing Bill Murphy, who left to join the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Houston has been one of the most stable and successful pitching operations in baseball in recent years. In 2025, the Astros ranked 2nd in strikeouts, 11th in ERA, and 5th in opponent batting average. In 2024, they finished 3rd in strikeouts, 6th in ERA, and 4th in opponent batting average.
Katz steps into an organization that has been placing an emphasis on player development lately, and he’ll have no shortage of talent to help shape. One major challenge, however, could be the potential departure of left-handed ace Framber Valdez, who is a free agent and likely headed for a massive contract elsewhere.
Even so, Houston still boasts exciting upside — including Hunter Brown, one of the most electric young pitchers in the game. A veteran free agent signing, and possibly the return of someone like Justin Verlander, is also on the table.
Katz was widely credited with helping Dylan Cease take a leap toward ace-level production in 2022, and he worked closely with young pitchers navigating their first taste of the big leagues. Cease has comparable arsenal to Brown, and Katz's background fits well with Houston’s developmental approach and the current state of the organization.
The Astros have several young arms that they are banking on improvement from in 2026. Namely Spencer Arrighetti and AJ Blubaugh — pitchers with swing-and-miss stuff, but not overwhelming velocity, who may still be tapping into their ceilings.
If Houston does lose Valdez as predicted, the organization will need internal growth to help bridge the gap, making Katz’s role even more meaningful.