Houston Astros infield prospect Shay Whitcomb went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs on Thursday for Triple-A Sugar Land. The two blasts were his first home runs of 2025, now 5-for-25 (.200) on the young season with four of his five hits going for extra bases. The former fifth-round draft pick hit 35 home runs in 2023 and is coming off a 2024 season in which he hit 25 home runs and stole 26 bags at Triple-A, earning himself an MLB debut late in the year. The major league audition didn't go as well, slashing .220/.304/.293 with no home runs or steals, however, he struck out at a better-than-league-average rate of 17.4 percent and walked at a better-than-league-average rate of 10.9 percent over 46 plate appearances. Fantasy managers should keep the right-handed slugger on their radar as he'll likely be in the big leagues at some point this season and could provide more meaningful contributions in his second go-round. While he's only eligible at third base on Yahoo, the 26-year-old also played four games at second base for the Astros in '24 and was manning first base on Thursday, so his added versatility provides multiple paths to playing time and potential multi-positional eligibility on Yahoo down the line.
The Houston Astros have optioned infield prospect Shay Whitcomb to minor-league camp. Whitcomb was competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster but fell short. He made a brief MLB debut last season and held a .220/.304/.292 slash line across 20 contests. He tallied three doubles and held a 5:8 BB:K. However, Whitcomb has been very productive at Triple-A and could push for an early return to the big leagues if he enjoys a strong start to the 2025 campaign. Last summer, the 26-year-old posted a .293/.378/.530 slash line with 19 doubles, two triples, and 25 home runs. He swiped 26 bags while holding a 53:95 BB:K. This was significant improvement compared to the .224/.281/.434 line he held across his first 87 games at this level during the 2023 season. Whitcomb is worth monitoring in AL-only leagues as he will have value when he return to the major leagues.
Houston Astros infield prospect Shay Whitcomb is being promoted to the major leagues, according to Ari Alexander of KPRC2. Whitcomb has spent the entire summer at Triple-A Sugar Land and held a strong .293/.378/.530 slash line with 25 home runs, 19 doubles, 91 RBI, and 26 stolen bases through 108 games. Last summer, in his first 87 games at Triple-A, the UC San Diego product held a modest .224/.281/.434 line with 23 home runs and just seven doubles. Across his past 11 games, Whitcomb has carried a .283 average with three home runs and two doubles. The 25-year-old is currently ranked as the 14th-best prospect in the Houston pipeline on MLB.com. He is worth picking up in standard formats, given his potential to contribute to all five categories. However, he may not be given a full-time role, which could lower his ceiling in the short term.
Houston Astros shortstop prospect Shay Whitcomb has continued to hit very well at Triple-A and is nearing a promotion to the big leagues. Since August 1, Whitcomb has held a strong .300/.370/.500 slash line with two home runs, eight RBI, and a 4:7 BB:K ratio. This is a great sign, as Whitcomb carried a season-low .232 AVG through July. Overall, through his second extended look at Triple-A pitching, the UC San Diego product has had an excellent .295/.379/.534 line with 25 home runs, 91 RBI, and 26 swiped bags. Whitcomb is a name to keep a close eye on in redraft leagues going forward, as he could be a five-category contributor in the stretch run of the season.
Houston Astros shortstop prospect Shay Whitcomb enjoyed a big week at Triple-A and is inching closer to his major league debut. In his past six games, the former fifth-round selection has held a dominant .458/.533/.1.000 slash line with four home runs. Whitcomb tallied at least two hits in three of these games. Overall, through his second extended look at Triple-A pitching this summer, the infielder has posted a strong .302/.388/.549 line with 24 home runs, 88 RBI, and 26 stolen bases. This is a stark contrast to the .224/.281/.434 line he held across his first 87 games at Triple-A Sugar Land last summer. Whitcomb has logged starts at several positions in the infield and even the outfield, which will only increase his chances of joining the big league roster, given his defensive flexibility. Whitcomb is an intriguing stash candidate in deeper redraft formats.
Houston Astros shortstop prospect Shay Whitcomb went 1-for-4 at the plate Wednesday for Triple-A Sugar Land, walking once and belting his 19th home run of the season. Once thought of as a power-over-hit prospect, the 25-year-old has cut the K% down from 31.3% last season to 21.1% in 2024. The former fifth-round draft pick is now slashing .310/.393/.562 on the year with 20 stolen bases. Jeremy Pena is having a fine season in Houston, but Whitcomb figures to make his MLB debut later this season. In addition to the 19 looking balls in 2024, he also hit 35 across two levels in 2023, so managers in need of some power should keep tabs on when he gets the call.
Shay Whitcomb Continues Productive June For Triple-A Sugar Land
Houston Astros shortstop prospect Shay Whitcomb was 2-for-4 for Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday to add to a productive month at the plate. In June, Whitcomb is hitting .344 with six homers and 21 RBI to go with five stolen bases. The 25-year-old is hitting .309 with 15 homers and 61 RBI for Sugar Land this season. The No. 30 prospect for the Astros has an intriguing power-speed mix with 20 or more steals in each of the past three seasons in the minors. Across two levels of the minors last season, Whitcomb slugged 35 homers with 102 RBI. The swing-and-miss has been a problem over his minor-league career and could point to future struggles hitting for average against big-league pitching.
Shay Whitcomb
• SS
•
Astros
