Former Towson Pitcher Ethan Pecko Reaches Major Leagues With Houston Astros

Former Towson University right-hander Ethan Pecko has officially reached the highest level of professional baseball.

The Houston Astros selected Pecko’s contract from Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday, Aug. 19, adding the former Tiger to both the 40-man and active rosters before giving him the start that night against the Los Angeles Angels at Daikin Park.

Pecko did more than simply make it to the majors. The 23-year-old worked 3 2/3 innings in his MLB debut, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out four as Houston defeated Los Angeles, 3-2.

It was another major milestone in what has been a rapid rise through the Astros organization for one of the most successful professional pitchers to come out of Towson in recent years.

Pecko holds his own in MLB debut

Pecko became the 17th different starting pitcher used by Houston this season, tying a franchise record originally established in 1965. The Astros have been forced to piece together their rotation throughout the year because of injuries and inconsistent performance, opening an opportunity for Pecko during an important stretch of the American League West race.

The former Tiger showed some understandable nerves and command issues but also flashed the swing-and-miss ability that carried him through Houston’s system.

Pecko recorded four strikeouts and limited the Angels to three hits. Both runs charged against him came in the fourth inning, with Denzer Guzman producing a two-run double following a fan-interference ruling.

Houston’s bullpen took over from there.

Five Astros relievers combined for 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing Houston to hold on for the 3-2 victory and snap a three-game losing streak. Christian Vázquez homered, José Altuve delivered an RBI double and Cam Smith drove in the eventual winning run with a sacrifice fly.

For Pecko, however, the night represented the culmination of a journey that began well before professional baseball.

From Towson to the Astros

Houston selected Pecko with the 194th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB Draft.

At the time, he became the 19th Towson player selected in the MLB Draft and the program’s first draftee since Richie Palacios went to Cleveland in the third round in 2018. Pecko was also one of the highest-drafted players in Towson baseball history.

Pecko transferred to Towson after beginning his college career at La Salle.

During two seasons with the Tigers, the right-hander appeared in 21 games and finished with a 4.37 ERA and 64 strikeouts over 59 2/3 innings.

His final collegiate season showed why Houston was willing to invest a sixth-round selection in him.

Pecko made 11 starts for Towson in 2023 and went 2-2 with a 3.21 ERA over 42 innings. He struck out 48 hitters while holding opponents to a .250 batting average.

Among his strongest performances was a six-inning outing against Monmouth in which he allowed three hits and struck out six. In his final start for Towson, Pecko surrendered only two hits while striking out nine over 5 1/3 innings against Stony Brook.

Those outings helped establish him as a legitimate professional prospect.

Rapid rise through Houston’s system

Pecko wasted little time moving through Houston’s minor-league affiliates.

He began his professional career in rookie ball during the summer of 2023 but reached Low-A Fayetteville after only three appearances. By the conclusion of his second professional season, he had already advanced to Double-A Corpus Christi.

His breakout came in 2024.

Pecko pitched across three levels and finished the season 4-6 with a 3.47 ERA and 125 strikeouts across 96 innings. Houston subsequently named him its Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

The award placed Pecko among the most promising arms in an Astros organization with a long history of developing pitching.

Entering his major-league promotion, Pecko had accumulated an 11-16 professional record, a 4.08 ERA and 323 strikeouts over 273 2/3 minor-league innings. He had made 72 appearances, including 55 starts, while posting a 3.20 strikeout-to-walk ratio and limiting opposing hitters to a .241 batting average.

MLB Pipeline also ranked Pecko as Houston’s No. 9 prospect at the time of his promotion.

His arsenal includes a fastball that can reach the upper 90s along with multiple breaking and off-speed offerings. His combination of velocity, control and ground-ball production helped give Houston confidence that he could handle a major-league opportunity.

Overcoming setbacks

Pecko’s road to Houston was not completely smooth.

He underwent Tommy John surgery before his college career and later dealt with another significant challenge when he underwent thoracic outlet surgery following the 2025 season.

That makes Wednesday’s debut even more impressive.

Pecko returned in 2026 and worked his way back into position for an MLB opportunity despite the interruption in his development. Houston eventually decided his performance and long-term upside warranted a shot in the rotation during a playoff race.

Another Towson Tiger reaches the majors

Pecko became just the fifth former Towson player to reach Major League Baseball.

He joins Richie Palacios, Casper Wells, Chris Nabholz and Al Rubeling on that list. At the time of Pecko’s call-up, Palacios was also on an active MLB roster with the Tampa Bay Rays.

That makes Pecko’s promotion significant beyond his own career.

Towson does not regularly produce early-round MLB Draft selections, making the development of Pecko from a transfer pitcher into an Astros prospect and now a major-league starter an important moment for the Tigers baseball program.

For current and future Towson players, Pecko provides another example that professional baseball opportunities are available to players who perform and develop in the Tigers program.

MSB Take

This is a great story for Towson baseball.

Pecko was not a first-round phenom who was expected to fly through the minor leagues. He was a sixth-round selection who earned everything that came afterward.

He improved in the Astros system, dominated enough in 2024 to earn organizational Pitcher of the Year honors, battled through another major surgery and still made it to Houston just three years after being drafted.

Then, when the Astros handed him the ball in the middle of a playoff race, Pecko gave them 3 2/3 competitive innings and helped put Houston in position to win.

Making the major leagues is difficult enough. Doing it after multiple significant injuries and coming from a program like Towson makes Pecko’s rise even more impressive.

Now the question becomes whether Wednesday night was simply a memorable debut or the beginning of an extended opportunity in Houston’s rotation.

Either way, Towson baseball officially has another Major Leaguer.

Sources: Towson Athletics, Houston Astros/MLB.com, MLB Pipeline, Houston Chronicle and ESPN.