The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Astros Pitcher, Hunter Brown Joins the Show

Episode Date: April 1, 2025

 Astros Pitcher, Hunter Brown Joins the Show

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Hear every Rockets game. Can Whitmore. On Sports Talk 790. And streaming on the Iheart Radio app. Rockets. Home of your Rockets. 131 at the PM here on Sports Talk 790, the Matt Thomas show with Ross.

Without Matt Tom. as he is out on a travel day. But the show goes on. Adam Lexer is here, and right now we are joined by the, I'm going to say it, the Astros co-ace, Hunter Brown with us here on Sports Talk 790. Hunter Brown, appreciate the time. How are things? Things are great.

Thanks for having me, guys. I have a very important question. We're going to start with the hard-hitting stuff here. How do you feel about your nickname the Diesel that has been popping up? Yeah, I mean, I've actually had it for. since AAA. I don't know if you guys remember Pete Solomon, who picked here for a little bit.

He gave it to me in a Southwest Airport gate at about 4 in the morning one day, and I'm a fan of it. So, yeah, I mean, I like it. There are definitely worse things to be called. The diesel, that's good, you know? Okay.

Are you going to get, like, a tattoo, the diesel on your back now? No, I don't think I'm going to commit that much. but, you know, I'm definitely in on the knick-knacks. All right. Well, the diesel was flying there in your first start. You got the Velo up to a couple of fastest pitches you had thrown in your entire Major League career. Was that something that you were just having a little bit extra?

Adrenaline, is that something you've been working on as far as the uptick? Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, every off-season, right, you try to you ski your body feeling good. You work on mobility, work on strength, work on trying to, you know, increase those things. and I think that was just a byproduct of that. You know, obviously getting in front of the fans again for the first time. Feels great. So adrenaline was pumping, but, yeah, I mean, it's something that I hope to see continue and, you know, I have no real plans of anything major happening.

So I like where I'm at physically and things like that with my velocity. The way things have gone in your career, I wonder if, you know, pitching on Friday the day after opening day this season, did you kind of go through that? already with what happened in the postseason. Framber goes against Detroit in game one. You go in game two, and then it sets up the same way as you guys move into this season. Just kind of being able to enjoy opening day

knowing you're ready to go the next day? Yeah, I mean, I think every year, you know, just for me, every year I've been getting a little bit more comfortable with the things that go on, right? The festivities of opening day, you know, throughout the season traveling, you name it.

Those things, you just kind of get more accustomed to as you go through it and gain that experience. So, yeah, I mean, and especially pitching behind Framber, you know, usually he cools their bats down. So it's good to get out there after him. When someone asks you this that I'm going to ask you, I was always curious how other guys see it. And you've given some answers on this before, but why does Framber do that?

How does he do that? What, to you, makes Valdez so good? You know, obviously, you can talk about his pitch shapes and, you know, the things that he brings the table physically, but I think he has a actual great ability mentally to go out there and know that he has the tools to succeed and to trust in that, trust in himself, and go out there and execute, right? I think he takes a lot of pride in that mindset. Like, if I go out here and do my things, then things are going to go well for me. And I think he does that really well. And as you can see over the last five, six years, you know, he's done that. He's both in really good

numbers, but, you know, he's a workhorse for it. He goes out there, choose a bunch of inning, puts guys in tough spots, and, you know, find success that way. Everybody on this pitching staff, we're talking with Hunter Brown here, the Astros' starter coming up in this next series, second start of the season. Everybody has their own

mannerisms, their own attitude on the mound, the things that they kind of display emotionally and certainly on this staff. You know, Valdez before you, Spencer, the day after, we've now seen Rennell, we'll see Hayden this evening. Do you see anything after the fact that you do on the mound that one of them might point out to you or you've seen them now do

that, you know, really kind of explains who you are as an individual when you're on the mound? Yeah, you can definitely see it, right? We watch each other throw so much. You know, I think, I think I make a little joke when Framber's walking off and he's giving the P sign to the crowd from the bill of his hat. Like, you know, you know, Frammer's feeling himself that day. You know, Spencer might have a little bit of a little bit of, extra bob in his hair when he's jogging, you know. So things like that. You know, for myself, I don't, I haven't heard anything specifically,

maybe, you know, walking around differently. But, you know, yeah, we definitely see it in one another and try to keep those high and around things going. Really no reason for Spencer to have flow unless he's going to use it. And we appreciate that. No doubt. No doubt about it. Hunter Brown with us here on Sports Talk 790.

And what has it been like for you, of course, coming up a couple of years ago. And the guys in the clubhouse as far as the leadership, Justin Verlander, we know about Alex Bregman and all the help he's provided for you. What is it kind of like in there now? Do you feel like yourself taking on more of a leadership role? Or is there somebody else on the pitching staff? Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, I think any given day we have, we have, five guys in rotation right now that can go out there and be a leader.

I think in our bullpen, you know, we got we got Josh out there and Brayu. I think guys that are just gaining more experience, you know. I think that leadership role just naturally takes place as you keep going out there and, you know, playing. So I think we're full of it. Like you said, you know, it's been a little bit of a change given just how long the guys that you mentioned we're here for. But, you know, we have the guys in this clubhouse now. that are stepping up and ready to do that. You know, I think Payne has been doing a great job.

You know, obviously we have Altovae and Yordon and Tramber and the guys like that. But, you know, I think Yiner's doing a great job. I mean, you go around the clubhouse and name it. I think the additions of Prede's and Walker, you know, those guys, both very, very good, talented players that, you know, have been around this game for a while. So, you know, I think all across the board, we have leaders everywhere. We can certainly tell you what the fans think, and you could probably see it last night in the building with the City Connects, debuted for the first time, and you're there in the dugout enjoying it.

What did you think? And what do you think of this edition of the City Connects? Like I said, I can tell you the fans, they are to the moon over them, as the team might say. Yeah, I mean, I love them. I think they look great. I really like to have. I think the jerseys are awesome, you know, the little tribute down there and stuff. I think it's, you know, going from the full Navy into these white-on-white

and they look great. I think they're awesome. You know, I'm excited to wear them for my first time this season. You know, I can't wait until we change narratives and get some win to them. Are you superstitious? Like, you know, Framber likes to be in the Sunday blues. Like, do you have any kind of preference or do you care what kind of uniform you're wearing? Now, I will say I do.

I like the orange the best. I mean, if we're talking just personally here, preference, I do like the orange. I think it looks great on gray or in white pants. But no, I love all of our uniforms. I really do. Hunter Brown with us here on Sports Talk 790. So you mentioned dealing with your body physically and the added velocity and all that type of stuff. What has that journey been like for you as far as coming up and then starting and then going and then piling on the innings your first year, your first real full year.

and then now after last year kind of learning about maintaining and taking care of your body. Yeah, I mean, I think you know, there's adjustments that you have to make, right? You want to be feeling your best every five days that you've got to go out there and compete. So maybe making adjustments

over the last couple of years in my recovery the day after, you know, two days post-throw, you know, maybe changing the amount of pitches I'm throwing in the bullpen or the velocity of those pitches that I'm throwing in the bullpen. pen. I was blessed to be able to watch, you know, Verlander throw his bullpins over the last

couple of years and kind of see, okay, maybe he's going in. He has a more particular focus. Okay, how can I apply that to my own game? But, yeah, I think it's definitely taking on that mindset of like, all right, I need to be at my best every five days. You know, sometimes it's not going to happen. You're going to have to work on things and you're going to have to make adjustments throughout the season, especially, like you said, when you throw a bunch of innings and, you know, as the season grows and goes on, you know, things are going to

happen, and, you know, you just got to be able to roll with it and adjust as they come. Did you get to give JV. a what-up yesterday? Yeah, I did. I saw him in the center field. You know, he doesn't look as as good as he did in the Astros colors, but, you know, he's looking good, so it was nice

to see him. And, yeah, wish him the best this season. Certainly an interesting spot for him, him to be going all the way out to the West Coast going into the National League. I'm curious if I would have asked you this question two weeks ago, I think your answer would have been, what are you talking about? I'm curious if the answer will be the same today. What do you think of torpedo bats? I actually hadn't even heard of them until, you know, the last couple of days. I didn't, I guess I was just unaware that you could even really do that. You know, I think, I guess you could

chalk it up to, you know, golfers use different clubs. So, you know, maybe in that sense. But, yeah, I was not even aware that you could, you know, change the barrel like that. So, you know, it seems that it worked for them in the first series. We'll see how that goes. Maybe you'll see the whole league do it. What are the guys in the clubhouse saying about it? Yeah, I mean, I think there's been, you know, a little bit of talk about it.

I haven't really, you know, I'm not in the cage hidden with these guys. so I haven't thrown it out too much, but, you know, I think it's just more about the weight distribution than anything. It's a little bit closer to the handle. Maybe, I don't know if it's actually directly translated to quicker bad speed or, you know, the analytics of it, but I think it just applies a different field to the hitter. Maybe you can pick one up. I don't have too much the way in.

Yeah, maybe you can pick one up, Hunter, and you can be like Shohei Otani. I think those days are long gone for me, but you never know, I guess. Yeah, you never know. Just hit the cage with it. Tell us how it goes, Hunter. All right. All right. Appreciate the time, as always.

Hunter Brown here on Sports Talk 790. We'll talk to you down the road, and good luck in the future. All right, thanks, guys. Appreciate it.