What position does 2026 deadline trade acquisition Lance McCullers Jr. play? He is a pitcher.
McCullers is a right-handed pitcher whose MLB role has primarily been as a starting pitcher. The Houston Astros selected him with the 41st overall pick in the supplemental first round of the 2012 draft, and he developed into a major-league rotation arm rather than a position player.
His best-known pitch is a sharp breaking ball, particularly his curveball, which has helped him generate strikeouts. McCullers made his MLB debut for Houston in 2015 and later became an important part of the Astros’ postseason rotations, including their 2017 World Series championship team.
A common mix-up is confusing “pitcher” with a more specific role such as starter or reliever. “Pitcher” is the correct broad position, while “starting pitcher” describes the role he has most often filled. His father, Lance McCullers Sr., was also a major-league pitcher, but the two are separate players.