Mississippi State baseball: Former Bulldog J.P. France is thriving with Houston Astros

Former Mississippi State baseball player JP France continues to find success with the Houston Astros during a thrilling breakout season.

Mississippi State baseball fans should be pretty familiar with one of the Houston Astros most thrilling young pitchers. J.P. France didn’t spend a ton of time in Starkville, but he was a key member of one of the more memorable seasons in Mississippi State baseball history.

As of right now, France is in the midst of a stellar season as he has worked to make it clear that he’s a reliable arm for the Astros.

It’s still July, so much of the season is still up ahead. However, the 28-year-old, right handed pitcher is performing incredibly well for someone who just recently made his Major League Baseball debut.

So far, through 77.2 innings pitched, France has compiled a 5-3 record with a 3.13 ERA. And he’s thriving at key times.

Mississippi State baseball: Former Bulldog J.P. France finds success with Houston Astros

While he didn’t play as much as many likely would have wanted during the bizarre 2018 season, France did play a key role in helping the Bulldogs keep moving during that unexpected postseason run that resulted in MSU making it to the College World Series.

In 2018, his redshirt senior season, France managed to go 5-5 with a 3.77 ERA in 25 appearances (including a couple of starts).

France had previously played for the Tulane Green Wave (kind of a natural college location for the New Orleans native). Now, in the Bayou City, France has taken his game to another level. He’s posted a 3.13 ERA and has 55 strikeouts against 22 walks.

Not bad for a rookie.

For the Astros, that’s significant. Houston let Justin Verlander move on to the New York Mets and they’ve been dealing with some injuries to key starting pitchers. So for them to trust France in this position is big. And it’s working out for everyone so far.