Jason Alexander is the kind of pitcher you barely notice until you suddenly do. When the Astros signed him on May 18, it barely registered on my radar at the time. Extra pitching depth is always preferable, but he looked more like a Triple-A insurance policy than a reliable big-league option — someone who might cover innings only if things got desperate.
Well, things did get desperate for the Astros. With injuries piling up for the pitching staff left and right, Alexander was called on to absorb innings
since the middle of June. Not really a surprise considering the sheer number of injuries in the starting rotation. What is surprising is how effective he’s been. Even if his peripherals don’t quite match the shine of his 2.82 ERA, the results have been far better than anyone expected. Yes, he isn’t blowing anyone away and has likely benefitted from a low BABIP. He has generally avoided the type of contact that can tank a start. But I think there is a legitimate question about how long this kind of performance will last. None of Alexander’s pitches grades out well by Run Values, with only his slider and overall location grading out above average by Stuff+.
With that said, Alexander’s contributions have kept this thing from entirely imploding. He has done better than expected at avoiding barrels thus far. Opposing hitters, when they do make contact, are hitting it on the ground around 47.2% of the time. That’s a valuable combination for a pitcher who doesn’t strike out more than he does.
If this team qualifies for the postseason, which isn’t a guarantee at the moment, Alexander has probably pitched himself into the third or fourth starter in a series. Honestly, he and Cristian Javier might be forced to start barring injury between now and October simply because the Astros don’t really have much else in options. You have to roll with Alexander as one of your top four starters until proven otherwise.
