Biography

BIOGRAPHY

Lance McCullers Jr. was born October 2, 1993, in Tampa, Florida. He is a pitcher in the MLB.

The Astros assigned McCullers to the starting rotation at the outset of 2017 season. From May 6–23, he delivered 22 scoreless innings, which among Astros pitchers, was the longest scoreless inning streak since Roy Oswalt completed 32 from August 27 through September 11, 2008. In that same span, McCullers also became the first Astros pitcher since Nolan Ryan in 1984 to allow no earned runs over at least five innings pitched in each of four consecutive appearances.

On October 21, 2017, McCullers pitched four scoreless innings in relief and earned his first career save in a 4–0 win over the New York Yankees in Game 7 of the ALCS. This sent the Astros to their first World Series since 2005 and their first as a member of the AL, to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. He drew the start in Game 3 for his first career World Series start, and again in Game 7. The Astros won the Series in the seventh game for the first title in franchise history, and first for McCullers.

On March 24, 2021, McCullers and the Astros agreed to a five-year, $85MM contract extension that includes a $3.5MM signing bonus. During the 2021 season, he added a sweeping slider to his arsenal. He finished the 2021 season with a 13–5 record, a 3.16 ERA, and 185 strikeouts in 162+1⁄3 innings over 28 starts.