June 11, 2025 • 10 mins
Astros starting pitcher Brandon Walter joins Wex and AC to talk about his journey to Houston, life in Deleware, his approach following injury and reliving the homer from Yordan in 2024 to clinch a World Series title!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is the eight team Sports Talk seven to ninety.
Adam Clanton Adam Wexler with you on a Wednesday edition
of the program, as is Brandon Walter, Astros pitcher left hander.
I might add as he joins us as promised here. Hey, Brandon,
appreciate you taking the time out. And how's it been
so far in your brief tenure as an Astros pitcher?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Yeah, I appreciate you guys having me on. It's it's
been good. I mean it's only been a couple of
days with the big club here, but I mean just
the Oregon general it's it's been a great experience ever
since I joined.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Let me take you back to that point in time,
because it's not necessarily how everybody does this a injury
situation and not sure how twenty twenty four is going
to go, and the Red Sox release you during the season.
Later in the season, the Astros bring you on via
minor league contract and you're not pitching for them during
twenty twenty four. Tell me about how all those things
kind of developed. Was you know, was it a surprise
(00:53):
that the Red Sox so you'd been with your whole
major league or professional career? Let you go and how
you became an astro and what their plan was for
you at that time.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, it was definitely a weird timeline,
not how I visioned twenty twenty four going when I
entered camp last year, obvious for obvious reasons. The injury
and the whole changing team things, changing teams was unexpected. Yeah,
I mean, I mean I got injured in camp last year.
I ended up part of my shoulder. Wasn't sure if
(01:23):
I was gonna miss the whole season or not. I
never I never got a surgery or anything. We did
an injection in my shoulder that actually worked great. It
just it took a little longer than we had originally
thought to fully heal. And yeah, I mean I was
on the the minor league side of the roster with
the Red Sox last year. They had to make some moves.
I think it was right. I think I think it
was right at the trade deadline actually, so I ended
(01:46):
up getting DFA off the IL there and then released
shortly after. So I don't know where I was gonna go.
I didn't know that there would be any teams interested
to sign me while I was injured. Obviously, I wasn't
gonna able to play the whole the rest of the
season last year, but I mean those prep teams interesting. Luckily,
the Astros had a pretty good offer for me, and they, yeah,
(02:09):
they brought me in. They got my shoulder healthy, which
was my number one priority when it came to to
who I wanted to sign with, was was what's a
good setup to get my shoulder right and get me
back on the mountains place and then from there, obviously
it's just solid baseball stuff, but I wanted to make
sure I was healthy and being the right spot for that,
and the Asters were great from day one brought me in.
(02:30):
I went out to West Palm uh Rehab with those
guys down there for the for the remainder of the
season last year, a little bit into the fall, and
then came into spring this this season ready to go.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Was any of that being able to go to West
Palm late last year helpful just from a familiarity standpoint,
when you arrived at camp healthy to start this year,
I'd say so, yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
I mean I didn't get to meet really any of
the like the players there here just because those guys
were playing and I'm I was down there I'm in
the morning schedule in West Palm, but but just getting
to know that, like the medical staff a little bit.
I'd say this this spring training I was able to
go early to kind of finish up the rehab process.
(03:11):
That was definitely big for me. Getting down, get familiar
with the UH, with the ORG, with the pitching staff,
with the coaches and everything, and just just get a
good plan coming into this year.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
We're talking to Astro's pitcher Brandon Walter here on Sports
Talk seven ninety. You've had two starts, and they've both
been on the road, including that kind of weird environment
that is Tampa Bay's home field right now. That's not
a real stadium. But with everything you were just mentioning,
you know, all of the changeover and the injuries and
everything you've dealt with. One, it's kind of a two
(03:41):
parter or one is is it nice to just be
able to lock in at what you're actually trying to
do as far as your craft, to kind of block
all that out. And Two, do you enjoy starts on
the road like that at the beginning of the season
or at the beginning of your tenure, I should say,
as opposed to maybe being at home where there could
be some other things tugging at you in different directions.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Honestly, to me, it doesn't really matter where what the
atmosphere is.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Like.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
I know, my college coach Jim Sherman always choose to say,
we'll line it up in the parking lot and play there.
So just just compete basically, no matter where you're at,
and just lock in on those individual matchups when the
batter steps in. Uh, the more I think about the
environment or the crowd or anything, I think my mind's
just wandered in the wrong direction. So I try to
(04:26):
keep it simple and just get the guy out that's
in the box and until they take the ball from me.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
You had a major league experience with the Red Sox,
a major major league debut. I'm sure you remember that day.
I'm curious if over the course of your time in
that particular game where you were called to pitch in
that game, incredibly early after each inning you completed you
ended up going six and two thirds out of the bullpen.
Were you wondering is that it for me for today?
Is he gonna I am not going back out there
(04:51):
again and again and again.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Yeah? I mean that that was an interesting situation because
it wasn't it wasn't a typical appearance for me. I mean,
it was like a it was basically a start without
being a start, But I knew I was coming in
right after that guy that they had an opener, so
I kind of figured I'd be going long, especially when
we went down early in that game. Uh, just and
(05:14):
just I knew at that point my job was just
to cover as many innings as possible and and try
to limit that it just as possible. But it went
pretty well. But yeah, definitely a weird, weird scenario for
a debut because I was always a starter in the
minor leagues and then I'd go up to the big
leagues and my first real experience of coming out of
the pen was at the highest level, so it was
(05:34):
it was it was a weird change and a weird time.
But yeah, that first one was was basically a start.
That one wasn't really too tough, just because I could
keep my own my own starting routine, and then just
kind of I came in the second inning, so it
wasn't wasn't too much of a change for that. But
the other parents I had with them in the in
the pen were definitely different and kind of came along
(05:55):
with some some learning opportunities. Uh, just with my routine
and everything, just because I did come up as a
starter and was kind of learning on the fly there
in the pen.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
So you're a you're a Delaware product and not just
born there. You grew up in that area. And then
of course with the Red Sox situation. What's the biggest
change about being here in South Texas and playing here
and everything about being you know, a Houstonian at this point. Uh,
that's the biggest difference from a from a situation like
(06:26):
that in a very different part of the country.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Honestly. The weather, it's it's it's really hot, it's really humid.
My wife's from the Philly area also, she said, I'm
sure she would say the same thing that that's been
the biggest adjustment is just as getting used to to
sweating a lot. I know, it's it's not a huge
deal here and minute may, but when I was in
Sugar Lane, we're playing outside. You gotta get comfortable sweating.
(06:48):
So that's definitely the biggest adjustment. Not really much else.
I mean, I've been around baseball people my whole life,
so it's It's easy to kind of mess with anybody,
any teammate or anything, no matter where we are are.
So it's been a smooth transition, just kind of getting
used to the weather. And yeah, that's pretty much it.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
So a Delaware guy the Philadelphia wife drafted by the
Red Sox, played at Delaware? Been in Delaware? Were you
always a Red Sox guy? Was this your team before
they drafted you?
Speaker 2 (07:16):
No, I grew up a huge Phillies fan. Okay, I
grew up a Philly fans all four sports. Yeah, I
mean I grew up watching the early early mid two
thousand Phillies with you know, Ryan Howard and Chase out
Lee and those guys. They were able to win a
World Series in two thousand and eight. So yeah, I
mean I always I was always following them until I
(07:36):
got drafted. Then obviously, when you get drafted doesn't really matter.
Have you had a chance where your fandom is. You're
just for sure fighting for your own career, you know.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
So you haven't taken issue with your teammate Jordan Alvarez
about crushing them in twenty two.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
No, I was already I was already in pro ball
at that point. I mean that's that's that's a cool moment,
regardless of your fandom. You know, that's just a it's
a cool thing to see and then be able like
to watch that a big moment. There's been some big
moments with this team over in my lifetime, and now
being teammates with some of those guys is really cool.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
That takes us into kind of you're here and it's
clearly a little bit different because some of the players
you've been mentioning have obviously moved on over the years
or even this offseason. But you come into this clubhouse
for the first time with everybody, like you mentioned, first
time is spring training and then you've had your a
couple of opportunities and now you're remaining here with the club.
What's your sense of the vibe of this Astros clubhouse
(08:29):
that you're a part of.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
I mean, I could tell from day one it's a
winning vibe. So that's that's that's exciting to walk into
and just and just trying to learn from these guys.
I mean, these guys of one World Series. Not only
the players, but just like the front office and the
coaching staff. I mean, it's just the expectation is to
win and I love that and that they have one.
So it's cool. It's cool playing with Lance and and
(08:52):
those guys that have kind of were on like pretty
much throughout the whole run. Yeah, just getting to those
guys and just trying to take in as much as
I can and learn as much as possible.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
I have to imagine as we we let you go here,
this isn't something that's particularly normal. I'm hoping it's also
helpful that you're pitching on a pitching staff with fromber
Valdez and Josh Hater and Steven Okert and Brian King
and Bennett Susa and Colton Gordon. That is way too
many lefties for one team.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
I don't know. I don't can there ever be too
many lefties? I don't know.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
It just seems like there's one or two maybe, or
maybe you get two in the bullpen and one as
a starter. And we've been through it here in Houston
where it's been super light on lefties. Has it been
a little out of the ordinary even for you? And
like I said, has it been at all helpful for
that many guys who do a little bit different with
how they they're you know, they're wind up everything they
do their usage of pitches, I imagine it has to
(09:46):
be somewhat useful.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Yeah, I mean it's it's nice. It's nice being able
to watch these guys go out and work because I mean,
I'm gonna be pitching against the same lineups and you
can kind of learn from each pitch they throw, whether
it worked, whether it didn't, and just take it in
and learn from it. It's it's weird to say that
we have so many lefties just because I remember when
I signed here last year, I was kind of told
(10:09):
that there wasn't a lot of lefties, and that's like
pretty much every pitcher's a lefty. But I mean, it
doesn't really matter as long as you can get right
he's out. So that's that's one thing they preach to
us and put a big emphasis on, is being able
to get right he's out. Not to say lefties getting
lefties out or is easy by any means, but we
definitely have the advantage there. So the so the most
(10:31):
success we can have against righty's is really going to
determine how our our success is going to be on
the mound, because those are the matchups that really matter.
The A team on Sports Talk seven ninety
It is the eight team Sports Talk seven to ninety.
Adam Clanton Adam Wexler with you on a Wednesday edition
of the program, as is Brandon Walter, Astros pitcher left hander.
I might add as he joins us as promised here. Hey, Brandon,
appreciate you taking the time out. And how's it been
so far in your brief tenure as an Astros pitcher?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Yeah, I appreciate you guys having me on. It's it's
been good. I mean it's only been a couple of
days with the big club here, but I mean just
the Oregon general it's it's been a great experience ever
since I joined.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Let me take you back to that point in time,
because it's not necessarily how everybody does this a injury
situation and not sure how twenty twenty four is going
to go, and the Red Sox release you during the season.
Later in the season, the Astros bring you on via
minor league contract and you're not pitching for them during
twenty twenty four. Tell me about how all those things
kind of developed. Was you know, was it a surprise
(00:53):
that the Red Sox so you'd been with your whole
major league or professional career? Let you go and how
you became an astro and what their plan was for
you at that time.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, it was definitely a weird timeline,
not how I visioned twenty twenty four going when I
entered camp last year, obvious for obvious reasons. The injury
and the whole changing team things, changing teams was unexpected. Yeah,
I mean, I mean I got injured in camp last year.
I ended up part of my shoulder. Wasn't sure if
(01:23):
I was gonna miss the whole season or not. I
never I never got a surgery or anything. We did
an injection in my shoulder that actually worked great. It
just it took a little longer than we had originally
thought to fully heal. And yeah, I mean I was
on the the minor league side of the roster with
the Red Sox last year. They had to make some moves.
I think it was right. I think I think it
was right at the trade deadline actually, so I ended
(01:46):
up getting DFA off the IL there and then released
shortly after. So I don't know where I was gonna go.
I didn't know that there would be any teams interested
to sign me while I was injured. Obviously, I wasn't
gonna able to play the whole the rest of the
season last year, but I mean those prep teams interesting. Luckily,
the Astros had a pretty good offer for me, and they, yeah,
(02:09):
they brought me in. They got my shoulder healthy, which
was my number one priority when it came to to
who I wanted to sign with, was was what's a
good setup to get my shoulder right and get me
back on the mountains place and then from there, obviously
it's just solid baseball stuff, but I wanted to make
sure I was healthy and being the right spot for that,
and the Asters were great from day one brought me in.
(02:30):
I went out to West Palm uh Rehab with those
guys down there for the for the remainder of the
season last year, a little bit into the fall, and
then came into spring this this season ready to go.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Was any of that being able to go to West
Palm late last year helpful just from a familiarity standpoint,
when you arrived at camp healthy to start this year,
I'd say so, yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
I mean I didn't get to meet really any of
the like the players there here just because those guys
were playing and I'm I was down there I'm in
the morning schedule in West Palm, but but just getting
to know that, like the medical staff a little bit.
I'd say this this spring training I was able to
go early to kind of finish up the rehab process.
(03:11):
That was definitely big for me. Getting down, get familiar
with the UH, with the ORG, with the pitching staff,
with the coaches and everything, and just just get a
good plan coming into this year.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
We're talking to Astro's pitcher Brandon Walter here on Sports
Talk seven ninety. You've had two starts, and they've both
been on the road, including that kind of weird environment
that is Tampa Bay's home field right now. That's not
a real stadium. But with everything you were just mentioning,
you know, all of the changeover and the injuries and
everything you've dealt with. One, it's kind of a two
(03:41):
parter or one is is it nice to just be
able to lock in at what you're actually trying to
do as far as your craft, to kind of block
all that out. And Two, do you enjoy starts on
the road like that at the beginning of the season
or at the beginning of your tenure, I should say,
as opposed to maybe being at home where there could
be some other things tugging at you in different directions.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Honestly, to me, it doesn't really matter where what the
atmosphere is.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Like.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
I know, my college coach Jim Sherman always choose to say,
we'll line it up in the parking lot and play there.
So just just compete basically, no matter where you're at,
and just lock in on those individual matchups when the
batter steps in. Uh, the more I think about the
environment or the crowd or anything, I think my mind's
just wandered in the wrong direction. So I try to
(04:26):
keep it simple and just get the guy out that's
in the box and until they take the ball from me.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
You had a major league experience with the Red Sox,
a major major league debut. I'm sure you remember that day.
I'm curious if over the course of your time in
that particular game where you were called to pitch in
that game, incredibly early after each inning you completed you
ended up going six and two thirds out of the bullpen.
Were you wondering is that it for me for today?
Is he gonna I am not going back out there
(04:51):
again and again and again.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Yeah? I mean that that was an interesting situation because
it wasn't it wasn't a typical appearance for me. I mean,
it was like a it was basically a start without
being a start, But I knew I was coming in
right after that guy that they had an opener, so
I kind of figured I'd be going long, especially when
we went down early in that game. Uh, just and
(05:14):
just I knew at that point my job was just
to cover as many innings as possible and and try
to limit that it just as possible. But it went
pretty well. But yeah, definitely a weird, weird scenario for
a debut because I was always a starter in the
minor leagues and then I'd go up to the big
leagues and my first real experience of coming out of
the pen was at the highest level, so it was
(05:34):
it was it was a weird change and a weird time.
But yeah, that first one was was basically a start.
That one wasn't really too tough, just because I could
keep my own my own starting routine, and then just
kind of I came in the second inning, so it
wasn't wasn't too much of a change for that. But
the other parents I had with them in the in
the pen were definitely different and kind of came along
(05:55):
with some some learning opportunities. Uh, just with my routine
and everything, just because I did come up as a
starter and was kind of learning on the fly there
in the pen.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
So you're a you're a Delaware product and not just
born there. You grew up in that area. And then
of course with the Red Sox situation. What's the biggest
change about being here in South Texas and playing here
and everything about being you know, a Houstonian at this point. Uh,
that's the biggest difference from a from a situation like
(06:26):
that in a very different part of the country.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Honestly. The weather, it's it's it's really hot, it's really humid.
My wife's from the Philly area also, she said, I'm
sure she would say the same thing that that's been
the biggest adjustment is just as getting used to to
sweating a lot. I know, it's it's not a huge
deal here and minute may, but when I was in
Sugar Lane, we're playing outside. You gotta get comfortable sweating.
(06:48):
So that's definitely the biggest adjustment. Not really much else.
I mean, I've been around baseball people my whole life,
so it's It's easy to kind of mess with anybody,
any teammate or anything, no matter where we are are.
So it's been a smooth transition, just kind of getting
used to the weather. And yeah, that's pretty much it.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
So a Delaware guy the Philadelphia wife drafted by the
Red Sox, played at Delaware? Been in Delaware? Were you
always a Red Sox guy? Was this your team before
they drafted you?
Speaker 2 (07:16):
No, I grew up a huge Phillies fan. Okay, I
grew up a Philly fans all four sports. Yeah, I
mean I grew up watching the early early mid two
thousand Phillies with you know, Ryan Howard and Chase out
Lee and those guys. They were able to win a
World Series in two thousand and eight. So yeah, I
mean I always I was always following them until I
(07:36):
got drafted. Then obviously, when you get drafted doesn't really matter.
Have you had a chance where your fandom is. You're
just for sure fighting for your own career, you know.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
So you haven't taken issue with your teammate Jordan Alvarez
about crushing them in twenty two.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
No, I was already I was already in pro ball
at that point. I mean that's that's that's a cool moment,
regardless of your fandom. You know, that's just a it's
a cool thing to see and then be able like
to watch that a big moment. There's been some big
moments with this team over in my lifetime, and now
being teammates with some of those guys is really cool.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
That takes us into kind of you're here and it's
clearly a little bit different because some of the players
you've been mentioning have obviously moved on over the years
or even this offseason. But you come into this clubhouse
for the first time with everybody, like you mentioned, first
time is spring training and then you've had your a
couple of opportunities and now you're remaining here with the club.
What's your sense of the vibe of this Astros clubhouse
(08:29):
that you're a part of.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
I mean, I could tell from day one it's a
winning vibe. So that's that's that's exciting to walk into
and just and just trying to learn from these guys.
I mean, these guys of one World Series. Not only
the players, but just like the front office and the
coaching staff. I mean, it's just the expectation is to
win and I love that and that they have one.
So it's cool. It's cool playing with Lance and and
(08:52):
those guys that have kind of were on like pretty
much throughout the whole run. Yeah, just getting to those
guys and just trying to take in as much as
I can and learn as much as possible.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
I have to imagine as we we let you go here,
this isn't something that's particularly normal. I'm hoping it's also
helpful that you're pitching on a pitching staff with fromber
Valdez and Josh Hater and Steven Okert and Brian King
and Bennett Susa and Colton Gordon. That is way too
many lefties for one team.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
I don't know. I don't can there ever be too
many lefties? I don't know.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
It just seems like there's one or two maybe, or
maybe you get two in the bullpen and one as
a starter. And we've been through it here in Houston
where it's been super light on lefties. Has it been
a little out of the ordinary even for you? And
like I said, has it been at all helpful for
that many guys who do a little bit different with
how they they're you know, they're wind up everything they
do their usage of pitches, I imagine it has to
(09:46):
be somewhat useful.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Yeah, I mean it's it's nice. It's nice being able
to watch these guys go out and work because I mean,
I'm gonna be pitching against the same lineups and you
can kind of learn from each pitch they throw, whether
it worked, whether it didn't, and just take it in
and learn from it. It's it's weird to say that
we have so many lefties just because I remember when
I signed here last year, I was kind of told
(10:09):
that there wasn't a lot of lefties, and that's like
pretty much every pitcher's a lefty. But I mean, it
doesn't really matter as long as you can get right
he's out. So that's that's one thing they preach to
us and put a big emphasis on, is being able
to get right he's out. Not to say lefties getting
lefties out or is easy by any means, but we
definitely have the advantage there. So the so the most
(10:31):
success we can have against righty's is really going to
determine how our our success is going to be on
the mound, because those are the matchups that really matter.
The A team on Sports Talk seven ninety
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