Vintage Frambchise: Valdez Carves Up Mets on Opening Day

Aces gonna ace.

Framber Valdez took the mound for his fourth straight Opening Day start and delivered exactly what we expected. Dominance.

Framber Valdez (Win, 1–0): 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

"It looked like Framber Valdez was irritated at a borderline 2-2 call that didn't go his way against Mark Vientos. Vientos grounded into an inning-ending double play on the next pitch, but Valdez still had words with home-plate umpire Andy Fletcher. Joe Espada came out to mediate."
— @Chandler_Rome

That was the only real flash of frustration. Everything else was what you’d expect. Same Framber. Same calm. Same surgical outing. Vintage Frambchise.

Establishing the Rhythm

The sinker led the way. Valdez threw it half the time at 94.8 mph with over 17 inches of arm-side run. It wasn’t overpowering, but it didn’t have to be. He got grounders, kept the ball off the barrel, and stayed one step ahead of the Mets’ lineup all afternoon.

The Curveball Still Owns

Still the best pitch in his bag. He threw it just under a third of the time, got a 60% whiff rate, and the shape held the whole way. Over 2800 rpm with depth and bite. He landed it early and used it late. When it's on, the rest of the arsenal falls right into place.

Mixing in the Changeup

The changeup did its job. Around 90 mph with late fade, just enough to keep righties honest. He only threw one slider, but he didn’t need more. He stuck with what worked and made it work better.

All in Sync

Mechanically, everything was clean. He repeated the delivery, hit his spots, and kept every pitch tunneled. Release points stayed tight. Nothing leaked. Every pitch looked the same coming out until it didn’t.

Under the Hood

He got 12 whiffs and 15 called strikes across 94 pitches. He faced 26 batters and allowed just four hits, none for extra bases. The Mets didn’t square much up, and the defense didn’t have to work too hard behind him. He stayed in the zone, stayed on tempo, and got the outs he needed.

Opening Day Statement

This is the Framber Valdez Houston trusts to lead a rotation. He was in rhythm. In control. Sequencing with intent and pitching with feel. The curveball looked nasty. The curveball was sharp. The sinker kept them honest. The Mets never settled in.

Valdez opened the season on his terms. Measured. Confident. The version Houston trusts.

Only three pitchers in Astros history have thrown 7+ shutout innings on Opening Day. Valdez is now one of them.

He’s entering a contract year and should be in the thick of the Cy Young conversation if this version sticks. The Astros didn’t hold extension talks with him this spring, but if he keeps dealing like this, they might wish they had.

Hunter Brown gets the ball tomorrow.