Houston Astros Top Prospects
With Opening Day time ending, both major leaguers and minor leaguers are entrenched in their respective seasons. I thought it would be fun and wise to look at each MLB team’s top prospects. After all, more often than not, the top prospects of their team will accomplish one of three things, be the next star/regular player for their team, get traded for a star player, or at least reach the MLB and contribute in some fashion. They are the backbone of any successful organization. Look at the Rays, they may have a tiny payroll, but they are consistently a top-performing team with their amazing prospect system. As such, I’m taking a look at Houston Astros‘ top prospects. The Astros built a star-laden team through their minor leagues and prospects as Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker, Framber Valdez, Luis Garcia, Jeremy Pena, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, and many others were prospects in their system.
So, who are the next 5 players set to become potential stars for the Astros?
1. Jeremy Pena, SS, MLB
This is who the Astros let Carlos Correa go for when they decided against re-signing him. Pena is the new man at shortstop for the foreseeable future. He should stick in the MLB for the future unless a sudden downturn happens. Pena’s an amazing defender and has developed into a strong hitter. Over his 30 Triple-AAA games last year, he homered 10 times. This Spring, he performed with multiple homers and led the team in batting average. He has All-Star potential, but should at least be a consistent reliable regular. The upside for a 20-20 season is definitely possible. Over his 6 games so far, the 24-year-old Pena is hitting .292 with 3 runs, 2 doubles, and an HR. Not a bad start for a rookie with only 30 games in Triple-AAA.
2. Korey Lee, C, Triple-AAA
No, Jason Castro and Martin Maldonado are not the future for the team at catcher. That belongs to Korey Lee who should reach the majors sometime this year. The 23-year-old catcher has reached Triple-AAA. The first-round pick from 2019, has a lot of raw power and a good offensive future for a catcher. His defense is still being refined but has a strong arm after throwing out 43% of base-stealers last year. The things he needs to work on are his patience at the plate, batter’s eye, and his blocking/receiving at the plate. If he can make some good improvement on those, he should reach the bigs by August.
3. Hunter Brown, RHP, Triple-AAA
Hunter Brown is a right-handed pitcher drafted out of the 5th round in the 2019 draft. In his first full season in the pros, he reached the level of Triple-AAA speaking to his MLB readiness. He’s got a power fastball with a strong curveball that will allow him to at least be an effective reliever. If he can hone his slider/changeup, Brown has the makings of a mid-rotation or better starter. Last year, he struck out 131 batters in only 100.1 innings although the 50 walks will have to be fixed. This year, he is off to a strong start with a 1.04 ERA through 8.2 innings with 11 K’s, but the 5 walks must be lowered if he hopes to debut in the bigs this year. Brown should make his MLB debut this year, but not until September unless injuries cause the promotions.
4. Colin Barber, OF, High-A
Another pick from their talented 2019 draft, this time a 4th rounder, has a lot of potential in the outfield. Due to the pandemic and shoulder surgery last year, the 21-year-old Barber only has had 141 at-bats in his pro career so far. His potential hasn’t changed from that of an All-Star caliber player. He’s got great gap power with the potential to turn that into HR power. His speed will allow him to stay in centerfield and be a threat on the bases although his arm probably belongs in right field. He displays solid patience at the plate. I see him pushing for the MLB by the end of the 2023 season when he could take over Left Field from Michael Brantley. He’s got 20-20 potential but first must stay healthy to reach that height.
5. Forrest Whitley, RHP, Triple-AAA
I’m sure you have heard this name for years. That’s because he’s been one of the Astros’ top-5 prospects for probably 4 years now. He’s gone from the top pitching prospect in the game to being off the top-100 prospects. That’s due to a 50-game suspension due to drugs/PEDs, and injuries. When he has been healthy, he struggled with his command. Despite that, the first-round pick from 2016 is only 24 and has plenty of potential left in him once he heals from Tommy John Surgery. He should return to Triple-AAA pitching later this year with the hopes of finally reaching the MLB in 2023 sometime. Whitley has 5 pitches that could be plus or better and has the arm to stick at starting if he can rein his control and health. At worst, he should be a dominant closer.
