Whitley made his spring debut Monday, striking out three over two perfect innings against the Mets.

EDGE Analysis

Watching Whitley follow Justin Verlander's two perfect innings was a reminder of the talent and depth to this Houston team. "Whitley had a lot of poise, and he used all his pitches," Astros manager AJ Hinch told Alyson Footer of MLB.com. "His stuff is real, you can see that from the very beginning. He's got good stuff and pretty good mound presence, and he makes hitters uncomfortable. I can certainly see first-hand why everybody's impressed with him." Whitley, the Astros' top pitching prospect and considered the best in the minors, is unlikely to break camp with Houston. He threw just 26.1 innings last season and will need to build up that count in the minors, either at Triple-A Round Rock or Double-A Corpus Christi.