Who is Ronel Blanco? Meet Astros pitcher following impressive MLB starting debut

It's been a long road to the MLB for pitcher Ronel Blanco, which may have made last night's performance against the Los Angeles Angels sweeter. The 29-year-old Houston Astros pitcher made his first start in the MLB last night, throwing 5.1 innings, allowing 7 hits and 2 earned runs, while also recording five strikeouts.

The pitcher from the Dominican Republic gave the Houston Astros more than they would have expected, with Ronel Blanco's biggest moment coming in 2nd inning. Following a walk of Mike Trout, Blanco came face-to-face with Shohei Ohtani with the bases loaded, ending the inning with a strikeout of the former MVP.

"Ronel Blanco with a massive K. Ohtani at the plate bases loaded! Threw a changeup on an 0-2 count! #Ready2Reign" - @HtownWheelhouse

The 29-year-old from Santiago, Dominican Republic, signed with the Houston Astros as an international free agent in 2016, entering their minor league system. Since 2017, Blanco worked his way through various minor league levels in the Astros farm system, eventually earning his promotion to the MLB last season.

The Dominican pitcher made his MLB debut on April 8, 2022, however, his brief stint was not as successful as last night. Blanco only appeared in 6.1 innings for the Houston Astros in 2022, posting a 7.11 ERA while recording 7 strikeouts.

"That Ronel Blanco has done this well in his transition to starting, however brief, is actually insane. A 29 y/o with 6.1 MLB innings who hadn't averaged >2 IP per appearance at any MiLB stop since 2017. Stuff like this isn't even tried often, and it works even less often." - @ProspectSpencer

It remains uncertain if last night's start was simply a one-time thing or an indication of an increased role moving forward. Of his 191 appearances throughout his eight-year career in the minors, only 23 of them were starts so it seems likely that he will return to the bullpen.

A look at Ronel Blanco's 2023 stats in Triple-A and in the MLB

It appears that the 29-year-old has turned a corner this year, posting impressive numbers at both Triple-A with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys and in the MLB with the Astros. Through 16.0 innings this season in Triple-A, Blanco has a 2-0 record with a dazzling 0.56 ERA and 21 strikeouts.

Blanco's emergence as a stabilizing force in the Houston bullpen has helped the team maintain a 33-23 record in the American League West, only 2.5 games behind the Texas Rangers for the division lead. He currently has a 1-0 record with a 4.15 ERA and 21 strikeouts.