Good call. Exactly what I was thinking yesterday after I did a little research on him post draft.
If they haven’t expressly agreed on a number pre-draft, they at least have a sense of what each guy will sign for before they take him. There are definitely conversations with the players beforehand–some probably more specific than others. Cam Fisher said he got the call from the Astros about a minute before they took him, but he might’ve had much more substantive conversations with them before the draft started. Anything more specific than that is beyond my knowledge.
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In round 11 it’s Nehomar Ochoa Jr., OF from Galena Park HS. UH commit. Announced as an OF, but he pitched as well. BA had him ranked #348 in the class as a RHP. Here’s their blurb:
Ochoa Acosta is a standout physical athlete with big tools on both sides of the ball. He has big raw power from the right side of the plate thanks to an advanced 6-foot-4, 208-pound physique despite being young for the class, and he runs and throws well from the outfield. On the mound, Ochoa Acosta has gotten his fastball up into the mid 90s, though he sits in the low 90s with scattered control and has also shown a mid-70s curveball and a low-80s changeup. He has impressive raw tools, but needs to make strides in his delivery, command and overall pitchability. Ochoa Acosta is committed to Houston.
None of the top-ranked remaining HS guys got taken in the 11th, nor did Witt. Their school commitments might just be too strong. We’ll see if/when they go–sometimes teams will take them later just in case they have a change of heart.
Interesting that the two HS guys the Astros have taken have been (relatively) off-the-board selections. These seem like Dana Brown specials (in a good way).
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Round 12: Anthony Huezo, lefty hitting high school OF from California. BA had him #406 in the class:
Huezo is a lean and projectable outfielder with a 6-foot-2, 177-pound frame that has a ton of room to add weight and strength in the next few years. A lefthanded hitter, Huezo has a wide stance with a high handset and high back elbow. His bat path could be improved a bit, as the barrel is often in and out of the zone quickly and he can get too choppy at times, though when he gets on plane he shows solid pop to the pull side. Huezo is a solid-average runner who clocked a 6.69-second 60-yard dash at Perfect Game’s National Showcase in 2022, and he’s also shown solid arm strength and defensive ability in the outfield. He is committed to UC Irvine and is extremely young for the class—he won’t turn 18 until November 2023.
Guess is any high school guys in these rounds will be over-slot, and if they keep taking them in the next couple rounds, they will not necessarily expect to sign all of them.
ESPN listed him at #133. According to Twitter,
In 28 games this season, Ochoa hit .602 w/ 1.277 OPS, 11 HR, 55 RBI, and 50 R.
ETA - just read an article that said Ochoa’s OBP was .685 and he also stole 27 bases last season.
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Those are some awfully gaudy numbers. Guess that’s where the money’s going.
In the 13th it’s Gamecocks RHP James Hicks, so we’re back to the senior signs. Still none of those big names have been taken by the Astros or anyone else, so likely those guys are going back to school and the Astros are through with over-slot guys (at least ones they expect to sign) after rounds 11 and 12.
Hicks was the Orioles’ 15th round draftee last year but went back to school. #480 for BA:
Hicks pitched two years at Crowder (Mo.) JC before heading to South Carolina for the 2022 season, where he threw just seven innings, but was drafted by the Orioles in the 15th round. Instead of signing, Hicks went back to Columbia for his age-22 season and second with the program, and posted a 3.51 ERA over 66.2 innings with a 20.4% strikeout rate and 5.1% walk rate. Listed at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Hicks is a sinker/slider righty who attacks with a 90-93 mph fastball that will touch 94. The pitch has around 19 inches of horizontal break and runs in on righthanded hitters from a lower, three-quarter slot. He pairs the pitch with a low-80s slider that has reasonable two-plane break and is his best swing-and-miss offering. Hicks has used a slower curveball in the mid 70s and occasionally flashed a mid-80s changeup that has solid arm-side fade—but he uses the fastball/slider combination nearly 90% of the time.
Agreed. At first blush, Ochoa seems like the guy the Astros would prioritize signing (and it will probably take some serious money to do so).
Round 14: Louisiana-Lafayette RHP Jackson Nezuh. Never had great results in college, pitched very few innings his first two years at FSU then transferred and started 18 games to the tune of a 6.30 ERA. Pretty good strikeout totals, though.
Round 15: Texas C Garret Guillemette. I’m sure most have y’all have seen a lot more of him than I have, so I don’t think I have anything to add there.
Round 16: Tyler JC C Will Bush. Played in the MLB Draft League this year and didn’t hit well, but must’ve made an impression on someone. And a good reminder that the draft-and-follow system is back under the new CBA.
Round 17: another juco pick, LHP Colby Langford out of Murray State (OK). They were getting close to finishing the draft without taking a single LHP—a group they really have not prioritized at all in recent years.
Round 18: Cal Poly RHP Derek True. Oakland’s 20th rounder last year, another reliever with pretty good strikeout numbers.
Round 19: possible over-slot guy, Florida HS OF Andrew Duncan. FSU commit. Assume unlikely to sign just based on draft position. Blurbs say he’s got all the tools but is very, very raw. Ranked #203 in the class by MLB.com.
Orioles pop Tanner Witt in the 18th. Almost certainly going back to UT despite getting picked.
Cardinals take Cam Johnson in the 20th. He’ll be headed to LSU.
And that’s it for the elite guys who fell. The rest go undrafted.
And in the 20th, with the 614th and final pick of the 2023 draft, the Astros take Western Carolina SS Pascal Ferraras. Congratulations to this year’s Mr. Irrelevant.
The 2023 draft is a wrap.
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The Astros seem to have a predilection for NC guys going back at least to Tyler White.
Writeup from Joe Doyle on Nehomar Ochoa, Jr.:
Ochoa Acosta is one of the most physically imposing players in the 2023 class with a muscled-up, grown-man body with projection remaining. He’s got tremendous bat speed and very real over-the-fence power right now. Some have compared the physique to Elijah Green, with a little less polish and more length to grow into. Ochoa Acosta has an above average arm in the corner, though he lacks the athleticism to use it on plays on the run. He’s an average runner with longer strides, some scouts opining he could hang onto that speed as he ages. The body will be what evaluators watch moving forward. It’s hard not to like what he brings to the batters box right now.
Doyle is a good follow on Twitter, btw. Regularly talks about the less well known guys playing college baseball and has a seriously detailed and extensive list of prospects going into the draft.
Cannot throw on the run??? WTH is he? A sprint out QB?
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UT sucks. Hmm bought my school SFA. Guess go IT! , Moth gets give me the lumberjack back!
Per MLB.com
Ochoa Jr. plans to sign with the Astros and forgo his commitment to the University of Houston. He said he’ll leave Saturday for the team’s complex in West Palm Beach, Fla., where he’ll undergo a physical before hitting the field.
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Yes! Dana is a bad man!
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We kept our boy at home.
5th rounder Jaworsky is signing too, per the folks at Astros Future. Wasn’t much mystery there since they took him in the 5th, but good to hear him say it. With 1-11 probably locks to sign, the last real question is the 12th rounder Huezo.
F.O.S.
UT bought??? The SFA Board of Regents interviewed all of the state’s university systems before deciding which one to join. Your school SOUGHT affiliation. Typical ignorant bullshit from you. Read below if you can:
“The vote went through after a board subcommittee spent more than three months examining the governance, financial, and other matters regarding potential affiliation with the university systems in the state: the Texas A&M University System, the Texas State University System, the Texas Tech University System, and the UT System.”
“We are excited about the enormous opportunities this affiliation will provide for our students, faculty and staff,” Karen Gantt, SFA board of regents chair, said in a statement. “We know that the future of SFA will be enhanced by becoming a member of the leading university system in the country.”