Tyler is also now on the Restricted List – Anyone know the story on that?
When was the last time the team had 2 catchers in their top 10 of a national prospect ranking list?
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MLB Pipeline made a couple of adjustments to their preseason Astros Top 30 Prospects list. Back in April they added Wilyer Abreu after Jose Siri graduated. And in May they added JJ Matijevic with the graduation of Jeremy Pena. So Abreu and Matijevic currently show up at 29 and 30 respectively.
Baseball America out with their Hot Sheet today and for the first time this year (I believe) a pair of Astros are on it. No surprise that at #1 is Colin Barber (check the Asheville thread where I posted what Barber has been doing recently).
At #9 is Wilyer Abreu. No surprise if you’ve been following the 22 year old outfielder’s breakout season for the Hooks and his recent performance (.320/.493/.560 over his last 13 games for example with 17 walks versus 13 strikeouts). If you’re unaware of what the Hot Sheet is for BA describes it as a list that “simply recognizes what the hottest prospects in the minors did in the past week”. The key word there that i highlighted is “prospects”. If a 29 year old AAAA guy has a great week he’s not going to show up BA’s list because of course he’s not considered a prospect. So that must mean BA considers Abreu a prospect right? Well yes and no. Obviously he made the Hot Sheet so yes. But no if you look at BA’s Astros Top 30 Prospects list where Abreu is nowhere to be seen! Even though they updated it a mere two weeks ago!! Abreu does show up on both the MLB Pipeline Astros prospect list and Keith Law’s Astros prospect list.
A few notes on Abreu:
- His 52 walks (versus 50 strikeouts) ranks 2nd in all of affiliated baseball both majors and minors
- His 14 steals this season ranks 16th in the minors and has yet to be thrown out
- Defensively MLB Pipeline describes him as “more of a corner outfielder” while BA pegs him as a “fringy center fielder who can play both corners, with enough arm for right field”. For Law he’s a “plus defender in right with a tremendous throwing arm”.
For context, he was 10 for 21 in Stolen bases last year and had just 38 walks all of the season last year. That shows significant development.
Second week in a row two players on the Hot Sheet…
Hunter Brown is at #6.
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With a fastball that is sitting at 96 mph and touching 100, a curveball and slider that are both annihilating hitters and vastly improved control, it’s only a matter of time before he gets the call for his major league debut.
OF Logan Cerny is at #14.
Like Wilyer Abreu last week, Cerny is not on BA’s Top 30 Astros Prospects list. Currently anyway.
He’s doing a great job keeping the ball in the park too, but man I hope he can get the BBs more under control. From everything I’ve read his stuff has been big league ready going back to last season.
Do we know if he’s considered a SP or RP at ML level? Originally he was talked about as a SP.
Cannot be a RP walking hitters like that.
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Any idea why Fangraphs doesn’t have an organization top 30, 33, 34, or 40 ( it’s different every year) list for 2022 yet?
I’ve been scratching my head about that too.
Just speculating but I wonder if Kevin Goldstein was going to be heavily involved with that list (for obvious reasons). And then his decision in late March to get back into front office work by taking a job with the Twins delayed everything.
Two guys on the BA hot list this week with Hunter Brown at #7 and Pedro Leon at #11.
Brown was cited for his most recent start when he tossed 6 scoreless while allowing just 2 hits and 1 walk and K’ing 7. Especially impressive given that he did that in the pitcher hell that is Albuquerque. As BA notes in most other orgs Brown would already be pitching in the bigs at this point.
Speaking of the ABQ Leon hit 2 homers there (naturally). But he also walked 9 times, stole 6 bases while getting caught just once and had an EV of 100+ on seven of the balls he hit. BA states the obvious in when it mentions concerns about his lack of contact. But on the plus side it lauds his “intriguing” 3TO profile. Personally I’d like to see more 2TO than 3TO but to be fair he has cut down on the whiff rate over the last month or so.
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Hunter Brown moves up to #85 on the latest MLB Pipeline update to their Top 100 Prospects list.
Hunter Brown and Yainer Diaz were both selected to the Futures Game which will be played on July 16 in Dodger Stadium.
Putting this in the right thread…
https://twitter.com/orangefire_/status/1545472567607173120?s=21&t=UD0pNJW7tVJ0NXYSjWrWmw
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Brown up to #54 in BA’s midseason update. That sounds about right given his progress this year, while still accounting for the fact (grudgingly admitted) that other teams have good prospects too.
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Lineup for tonight’s Futures Game with Yainer Diaz starting at DH and batting 6th…
Only live TV is Peacock but will be shown on a delayed basis tomorrow at 9 AM on MLB Network.