Troy Melton

July 9, 2026

Career-high nine Ks in win

Melton (5-1) picked up the win in Wednesday's 6-1 victory over the A's, allowing one unearned run on four hits and a walk over 5.1 innings. He struck out nine.

Analysis

The nine Ks were a career high for Melton, who fired 62 of 91 pitches for strikes and racked up 15 swinging strikes while topping out at 98.7 mph with his fastball. The 25-year-old right-hander has given up one run or fewer in four straight starts since dealing with some back tightness in June, producing a 0.76 ERA, 0.59 WHIP and 27:5 K:BB through 23.2 innings during that impressive stretch. Justin Verlander (hamstring) and Jackson Jobe (elbow) could both return from the IL in early August, but it's hard to imagine Melton losing his spot in the rotation if he continues dealing.