Brandon Bielak

Raised in Sayreville, New Jersey, Bielak attended and played baseball at St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey.[1] In 2014, as a senior, he pitched to an 8–1 record with a 0.58 ERA, striking out 87 batters in 60.2 innings pitched.[2]

Undrafted out of high school in the 2014 MLB draft, he enrolled at the University of Notre Dame where he played college baseball for the Fighting Irish. In 2015, as a freshman, he was 6–3 with a 3.55 ERA in 17 games (14 starts), in 2016, as a sophomore, he compiled a 3–2 record and a 2.10 ERA in 15 games (four starts).[3] Following his sophomore season, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and was named a league all-star.[4] In 2017, as a junior, he was 2–6 with a 5.55 ERA in 15 games (14 starts).[5][6] After his junior year, he was selected by the Houston Astros in the 11th round of the 2017 MLB draft.[7]

Bielak signed with Houston and made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Astros. After two scoreless appearances, he was promoted to the Tri-City ValleyCats where he finished the season with a 1–1 record and a 0.92 ERA in eight games (four starts).[8] In 2018, Bielak began the season with the Buies Creek Astros and was named a Carolina League All-Star; he was promoted to the Corpus Christi Hooks in June.[9][10] In 25 games (17 starts) between the two clubs, he went 7–8 with a 2.23 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP.[11] In 2019, Bielak returned to Corpus Christi to begin the season and was promoted to the Round Rock Express in May. Over 23 games (twenty starts), Bielak went 11–4 with a 4.22 ERA, striking out 119 over 121+2⁄3 innings.[12]

On July 27, 2020, Bielak's contract was selected to the 40-man roster. He made his MLB debut that day against the Seattle Mariners and was the winning pitcher in an 8–5 contest.[13][14] Bielak finished the 2020 season with Houston with a 6.75 ERA over 32 innings.[15]

In 2021, Bielak went 3–4 while appearing in 28 games (two starts). He pitched fifty innings and struck out 46 batters while walking 21; he had a WHIP of 1.380 and an ERA of 4.50.[16] Bielak made five appearances for Houston in 2022, spending the majority of the season with the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys. In 12+1⁄3 innings pitched, he recorded a 3.65 ERA with 12 strikeouts.

Bielak was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land to begin the 2023 season.[17] The Astros recalled him to the major league roster on April 30, 2023.[18] On May 19, Bielak earned his first win of the season with a career-high nine strikeouts versus the Oakland Athletics.[19] He established a number career highs at the major league level in 2023, including in games won with a 5–6 record, games stated (13) and innings pitched (80). He posted a 3.83 ERA, 5.19 Fielding Independent Pitching, 86 hits, 36 walks, and 12 home runs allowed, 1.525 walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP), and 7.0 strikeouts per nine innings pitched (K/9, 62 total).[20]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet