Ronel Blanco Grinds Through Five in First Start
He gives you a shot every fifth day. That matters.
He gives you a shot every fifth day. That matters.
Coming into 2024: Ronel Blanco wasn’t a lock, but he earned it. A 2.80 ERA over 167.1 innings helped. He’s 31. Undrafted. Winter ball guy. He wasn’t supposed to throw a no hitter or crack this rotation. But here he is. Getting outs with a slider that held righties to a .229 slugging percentage last year. Lowest in baseball among pitches thrown 500-plus times to same-handed hitters.
Blanco opened his 2025 against the Giants. He wasn’t perfect, but he gave the Astros what they needed.
He’s not overpowering, but he competes. The fastball has shape. The slider plays. He knows how to sequence and keep hitters guessing.
Five innings. Three hits. One earned. Six strikeouts. Three walks. He worked around traffic and stayed composed. Not dominant, but steady. He left after a leadoff walk in the sixth.
Blanco had whiff heavy stuff, but it didn’t matter enough. He missed spots, lost counts, and couldn’t control the running game. Walks and timing issues turned manageable innings into trouble. These are the same problems that kept him from locking in last year. They’re still here.
Pitching with Shape
Blanco threw four pitches, all with different shapes. The fastball averaged 92.8 mph with nearly 16 inches of vertical break. The changeup came in at 83.9 mph with 14.3 inches of horizontal fade. The slider sat 85.7 mph with a 61.5% whiff rate. The curveball offered a slower look with depth.
Each pitch came from the same tight arm slot. That tunnel gave him options.
The Slider Was the Plan
Blanco threw the slider nearly 40% of the time, landing it for strikes and getting four whiffs on six swings. It averaged -6.06 inches of vertical drop and 3.67 inches of glove-side movement with a spin rate over 2150 rpm. It wasn’t just getting swings. It set the tone.
Staying in the Fight
There were walks, but he didn’t unravel. He pitched through traffic, trusted the slider, and sequenced well enough to get through five.
The Stuff
Slider: 85.7 mph | 39.1% usage | 61.5% whiff rate
Fastball: 92.8 mph | 31.0% usage | 0% barrel rate
Changeup: 83.9 mph | 14.1% usage | 28.6% whiff rate
Curveball: 80.7 mph | 15.2% usage | 14.3% whiff rate
Blanco finished with a 30.8% whiff rate overall. Not overpowering. But sharp.
The rotation continues to shove. Blanco gave the Astros what they needed. The arms are doing their part. The bats? Still waiting to catch up. The Dodgers call their approach 'five and dive.' Deliver five solid innings, hand it to the bullpen, and let the offense take care of the rest. The difference? Their bats show up.
He’s lined up to face the Twins next.
Fantastic analysis!