The pitcher who conquered the postseason with twenty-four consecutive curveballs
In short: In a high-stakes playoff moment, Lance McCullers Jr. did something statistically improbable. After losing his command, he threw 24 straight curveballs to retire six consecutive Yankees. This single-minded strategy helped secure a World Series title and cemented his reputation as a postseason specialist.
Lance McCullels Jr.'s career has been defined by both extreme dominance and significant physical setbacks. A first-round pick in the 2012 MLB draft, McCullers signed with the Houston Astros for a $2.5 million bonus. He rose through the minor leagues, including a championship season with the Quad Cities River Bandits in 2013, before making his major league debut on May 18, 2015.
His peak performance arrived in 2017, a year marked by both individual accolades and historic feats. In May 2017, he earned the American League Pitcher of the Month award after posting a 0.99 ERA over six starts. During that same period, he achieved a 22-inning scoreless streak, the longest for an Astros pitcher since 2008. Perhaps most famously, during Game 7 of the 2017 ALCS, he utilized a relentless sequence of 24 consecutive curveballs to retire the final six batters for the Yankees.
However, the physical toll of his high-intensity pitching has been immense. McCullers has navigated numerous injuries, including Tommy John surgery in November 2018, and multiple procedures to repair flexor tendons in his pitching arm. After a 915-day absence from the mound, he returned to the Astros in May 2025. His tenure in Houston ended in July 2026, when he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers and subsequently released.
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