The Pirates are hiring Astros pitching coach BillMurphy to fill the same position, per source.
Murphy replaces OscarMarin, who led a pitching staff that ranked in the top 10 in the majors in ERA (3.76; seventh), WHIP (1.22; T-fourth) and batting average against (.236; eighth), while allowing the third-fewest home runs (153) and seventh-fewest walks (473) this past season.
Murphy, who had experience learning under BrentStrom during the latter's time in Houston, spent the past four seasons working as one of two pitching coaches in Houston.
Murphy joined the Astros before the 2016 season as a low-level minor-league pitching coach, became the Astros’ pitching coordinator in 2019, was promoted to assistant major-league pitching coach in 2021, and then to one of Houston’s two major-league pitching coaches after the 2021 season. Murphy won a World Series with the Astros in 2022, a year in which the pitching staff led the American League in ERA (2.90) and WHIP (1.09). This past season, the Astros' 3.86 ERA was fifth in MLB and tied for second with a 1.22 WHIP.
One of the developmental wins over the last two seasons for the Astros was 26-year-old starting pitcher Hunter Brown, jumping from a 5.09 ERA in 2023 to 3.49 last season and 2.43 this season.
Murphy joined the Astros at a time when former general manager Jeff Luhnow was implementing analytics and technology throughout the Houston organization. In addition to his ability to mix-in analytics with pitching mechanics, Murphy is bi-lingual and has built a reputation with Latin American players such as Framber Valdez, visiting players in the Dominican Republic during the offseason.
THE ASYLUM
Source: Pirates hiring Murphy as pitching coach
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
The Pirates are hiring Astros pitching coach Bill Murphy to fill the same position, per source.
Murphy replaces Oscar Marin, who led a pitching staff that ranked in the top 10 in the majors in ERA (3.76; seventh), WHIP (1.22; T-fourth) and batting average against (.236; eighth), while allowing the third-fewest home runs (153) and seventh-fewest walks (473) this past season.
Murphy, who had experience learning under Brent Strom during the latter's time in Houston, spent the past four seasons working as one of two pitching coaches in Houston.
Murphy joined the Astros before the 2016 season as a low-level minor-league pitching coach, became the Astros’ pitching coordinator in 2019, was promoted to assistant major-league pitching coach in 2021, and then to one of Houston’s two major-league pitching coaches after the 2021 season. Murphy won a World Series with the Astros in 2022, a year in which the pitching staff led the American League in ERA (2.90) and WHIP (1.09). This past season, the Astros' 3.86 ERA was fifth in MLB and tied for second with a 1.22 WHIP.
One of the developmental wins over the last two seasons for the Astros was 26-year-old starting pitcher Hunter Brown, jumping from a 5.09 ERA in 2023 to 3.49 last season and 2.43 this season.
Murphy joined the Astros at a time when former general manager Jeff Luhnow was implementing analytics and technology throughout the Houston organization. In addition to his ability to mix-in analytics with pitching mechanics, Murphy is bi-lingual and has built a reputation with Latin American players such as Framber Valdez, visiting players in the Dominican Republic during the offseason.
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