| Cristian Javier | |
|---|---|
| Houston Astros – No. 53 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1997-03-26)March 26, 1997 (age 28) Santo Domingo,Dominican Republic | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 25, 2020, for the Houston Astros | |
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |
| Win–loss record | 35–22 |
| Earned run average | 3.66 |
| Strikeouts | 598 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Cristian Javier (born March 26, 1997) is a Dominican professionalbaseballpitcher for theHouston Astros ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). Javier signed with the Astros as an internationalfree agent in 2015 and made his MLB debut in 2020. During the Astros'World Series championship season in 2022, Javier was thestarting pitcher of two combinedno-hitters, including Game 4 of the World Series, the first player in MLB history to do so.[1] The World Series no-hitter was just the second in baseball history and the only combined no-hitter.
At age 16, Javier starting pitching, having a maximum velocity of 86 miles per hour (138 km/h) when he initially auditioned for theHouston Astros. Although his velocity was deemed to be low, thefastball generated notable whiff frombatters and he threw with excellentcommand andcontrol. The team brought him back for subsequent workouts, resulting in an increase in velocity each time. When Javier reached 89 miles per hour (143 km/h),scout Román Ocumarez quipped, "if you touch 90, we’re going to sign you." He did so in the next workout,[2] and Javier signed with theAstros as an internationalfree agent on March 18, 2015.[3] His contract was reported to be worth $10,000.[4]
Javier spent his first professional season with theDominican Summer League Astros, going 4–0 with a 2.13 ERA over42+1⁄3 innings. He played 2016 with theGulf Coast Astros andGreeneville Astros, pitching to a 4–2 record and 2.29 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 51 innings, and 2017 with theTri-City ValleyCats,Quad Cities River Bandits andBuies Creek Astros, compiling a 3–0 record and 2.25 ERA in 14 games (nine starts). He pitched in 2018 with Quad Cities and Buies Creek, going 7–6 with a 2.70 ERA with 146 strikeouts over 110 innings.[5][6] He opened the 2019 season with theFayetteville Woodpeckers before being promoted to theCorpus Christi Hooks on May 15.[7] He was promoted to theRound Rock Express on August 23.[8][9] Over 26 games (18 starts) with the three clubs, Javier went 8-3 with a 1.74 ERA, striking out 170 over113+2⁄3 innings.
Following the 2019 season, the Astros added Javier to their40–man roster.[10]
On July 25,2020, Javier made his MLB debut, pitching one scoreless inning versus theSeattle Mariners. He made his first career MLBstart versus theLos Angeles Dodgers four days later. On August 4, he received his first MLB career win.[11]
In 2020, Javier was 5-2 with a 3.48 ERA in54+1⁄3 innings over 12 games (10 starts).[12] Javier made his postseason debut against theMinnesota Twins in theAmerican League Wild Card Series, also receiving his first playoff win in this game.[13] Javier finished third in voting for theAL Rookie of the Year award behindLuis Robert and the winner,Kyle Lewis.[14]
On April 22,2021, Javier became the first Astros pitcher to record the first eight outs of a game by strikeout sinceJim Deshaies in1986.[15] In a five inning performance, he set a new personal high with nine strikeouts and one walk on no earned runs.[16]
Javier finished the 2021 season 4–1 with a 3.55 ERA, setting numerous then-career highs, including 36 games pitched, nine starts,101+1⁄3 innings, 130 strikeouts, 53 walks, and twosaves. He also struck out 11.5batters per nine innings pitched (K/9).[12]
After8+1⁄3 scoreless innings in relief spanning three appearances to begin the2022 season, the Astros made Javier their sixth starter. He won his starting debut on April 27, in which he allowed two runs, four hits, and two walks in five innings versus theTexas Rangers.[17] He started the May 3 contest versus theMariners without allowing a hit until the fourth inning whenTy France led off with a single; Javier permitted two hits in all over5+1⁄3 innings as the Astros shutout the Mariners 4–0.[18] Javier tied his career high with nine strikeouts on May 25, keeping theCleveland Guardians hitless untilErnie Clement singled with two outs in the fifth inning. Javier totaled5+2⁄3 scoreless innings in which he earned the win in a 2–1 final score.[19]
On June 25, 2022, Javier threw the first seven innings to lead his team to a combinedno-hitter against theNew York Yankees, starting opposite former Astros aceGerrit Cole.[20] In that game, Javier also collected 13 strikeouts to establish a new career-best. In his next start on July 1, 2022, Javier topped his strike-out record against theLos Angeles Angels with 14 over seven innings, giving up just one run on one hit, with no walks. With 27 strikeouts in total over his last two starts with one hit allowed, he set a Major League Baseball record for most strikeouts with only one hit allowed over a two-game span.[a][22] He became the fourth pitcher in franchise history to attain 13 or more strikeouts in consecutive starts, and the first since Cole in2019.[23]
Javier faced the Angels on July 13 and lasted3+2⁄3 innings while being charged with three runs and striking out 10. It was the first double-digit strikeout effort with less than four innings completed by astarting pitcher sinceCleveland'sDanny Salazar in 2014.[24] On August 20, Javier hurled six innings of two-hit and one-run ball with eight strikeouts versus theAtlanta Braves for agame score of 71. Over his prior six outings, he had allowed eight runs in 34 innings, including fourquality starts.[25] Javier retired the first 13Baltimore Orioles faced on September 25, allowing one total hit and baserunner over six innings while striking eight for a game score of 78.[26] It was a third consecutive scoreless start for Javier (19+1⁄3 innings), and a fifth outing over the season in which he allowed one or fewer hits over at least five innings, while collecting at least one strikeout per inning pitched.[b].[27] In his next and final appearance of the regular season on October 1, Javier hurled six scoreless innings versus theTampa Bay Rays, earned the win, and executed his first careerpickoff by throwing outTaylor Walls in the fifth inning. Javier ended his regular season campaign with the longest-active scoreless innings streak in the major leagues (25+1⁄3).[28]
Javier concluded the 2022 regular season with a 2.54 ERA and 11–9 record over 30 total appearances, 25 games started,148+2⁄3 IP, 89 hits allowed, 52 BB, 194 strikeouts and 3.7Wins Above Replacement (WAR), all of which established new career-bests to that point. He ranked 10th in WAR among AL pitchers, and his 194 strikeouts ranked seventh,[12][29] tied withFramber Valdez for the team lead. Javier's 5.4hits per nine innings (H/9) and nine losses led all Astros pitchers, and his 11.7 K/9 led Astros starters.[30]
In Game 3 of the2022 American League Championship Series (ALCS) atYankee Stadium, Javier made and won his postseason starting debut as the Astros prevailed, 5–0. Continuing his previous no-hit effort on June 25, 2022, he held the Yankees hitless for another3+1⁄3 innings for a total of10+1⁄3 consecutive, tyingMélido Pérez (1991) for most consecutive no-hit innings versus the Yankees by a visiting pitcher.[c] Javier totaled5+1⁄3 innings, allowing no runs on one hit, three walks, and striking out five.[31]
In Game 4 of the2022 World Series atCitizens Bank Park, Javier delivered the first six innings of a combined no-hitter and 5–0 win over thePhiladelphia Phillies. Called by catcherChristian Vázquez, it tied the series at 2–2.Bryan Abreu andRafael Montero both followed with one inning each, and like the no-hit contest in New York, Pressly closed out the ninth. Thus, Javier became the first to start in multiple combined no-hitters in the major leagues. The third no-hitter in MLB postseason history, it was the second inWorld Series play, followingDon Larsen's perfect game in1956.[d][32][33] The Astros defeated the Phillies in six games to give Javier his first World Series title.[34]
On February 10,2023, the Astros signed Javier to a 5-year, $64 million contract extension through the 2027 season.[35][36] He made 31 starts for Houston in 2023, compiling a 10–5 record and 4.56 ERA with 159 strikeouts across 162 innings pitched.[37]
Javier made 7 starts for the Astros in2024, compiling a 3–1 record and 3.89 ERA with 27 strikeouts across34+2⁄3 innings pitched. On June 5, 2024, it was announced that Javier would undergoTommy John surgery, ending his season prematurely.[38]
On August 11,2025, Javier was activated from the injured list to make his return from surgery.[39] For the third time, Javier produced an outing of six no-hit innings on August 29 of theLos Angeles Angels; in this case, Houston pitching combined to maintain a 2-hit shutout for a 2–0 win.[40]
Javier made and won hisWorld Baseball Classic (WBC) debut on March 13,2023. He pitched four scoreless innings in a 6–1 final overNicaragua.[41]
Javier's parents are Trinidad Mieses and Cecilio Javier.[42] His father saw him pitch in Major League Baseball for the first time during a combined no-hitter started by Javier in Game Four of the2022 World Series.[43] Javier is nicknamedEl Reptil.[43]
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | No-hitter pitcher June 25, 2022 (withHéctor Neris &Ryan Pressly) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | No-hitter pitcher November 2, 2022 (withBryan Abreu,Rafael Montero &Ryan Pressly) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Postseasonno-hitter pitcher November 2, 2022 (withBryan Abreu,Rafael Montero, &Ryan Pressly) | Succeeded by Most recent |
