World Series ring for Astros pitcher and ex-Comet James Hoyt

LOS ANGELES (11-01-2017) -- Former Palomar pitcher James Hoyt will be sporting a World Series Championship ring after his Houston Astros team won the first world title in the organization's 55-year history Wednesday night by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in the World Series' seventh game.

Hoyt was one of the Astros' most effective relievers through the first half of the season. He struck out 5 and walked 1 over 2 2/3 innings in April; struck out 21 and walked 2 over 14 innings in May; and struck out 21 and walked 3 over 14 innings in June. That's 47 strikeouts and only 6 walks over 30 2/3 innings.

But Hoyt appeared to start to wear down in late May and early June, with his season ERA going from 1.46 in the games he pitched from April through most of May to 5.59 at the end of June. He was sent back and forth to Triple-A Fresno three times late in the year and finished the regular season 1-0 with a 4.38 ERA.

Hoyt concluded the season with 66 strikeouts compared to 14 walks over 49 1/3 innings for 43 Major League games pitched. Still some pretty impressive numbers. In two Major League seasons, he's struck out 160 batters and walked only 23.

Hoyt appeared to be rested as the playoffs began and was in the dugout for every post-season game for the new World Champions, with apparently a chance to be activated for the rest of the post-season in case of an injury to one of the relievers on the club's 25-man plost-season roster.

But even though there was conjecture he could be added to the playoff and World Series roster, he was among the relievers who weren't as the club, like the Dodgers, decided to use their ace starters frequently in relief instead of some of their regular relievers.

Bottom line, however, is that after the numers he's put up in two big-league seasons and especially during his big early 2017 run, the 6-foot-6, 230-pound, 31-year old right-hander's future with the Astros' Major League club appears bright. 

For now, he appears to be a lock to be voted a partial financial share of World Season money by the Astros players. And then there is that World Series championship ring.