BA Pre-Season Top 10 from 2018
RHP Forrest Whitley (languishing at AAA)
OF Kyle Tucker (Career WAR 12.8 and counting)
1B/OF Yordan Alvarez (Career WAR 13.6 and counting)
RHP JB Bukauskas (traded & DFA; Career WAR -0.9)
SS Freudis Nova (injured; on Asheville roster)
RHP Jairo Solis (injured; protected from Rule 5 on AAA roster)
RHP Hector Perez (to BJs in Osuna trade; played 1 game in 2020; claimed off waivers by TB from Orioles in Dec)
RHP Jorge Alcala (to MIN in Presley trade; 0.9 WAR in parts of four years)
RHP David Paulino (to BJs in Osuna trade; played 7 games there in 2018 and 1 for PHI in 2021; career WAR -0.3)
3B JD Davis (to steM after 2018 in mostly minor league deal; 450 ML games - 384 since the trade; Career WAR 2.2)
Kenny Van Doren article on last year’s 2nd round pick Andrew Taylor who like several other pitchers (3rd rounder Michael Knorr, 4th rounder Trey Dombroski, 15th rounder Joey Mancini) was shut down after being drafted. Shut down as in not being assigned to a club, but Taylor was still getting some work in including throwing two bullpens a week in WPB before seeing action in a pair of outings in fall instructional league.
In the process of creating the BA Top 100 Prospects list, a number of players were left on the cutting room floor so to speak. Anyway from an initial list of over 200 players (based on polling of front office personnel, scouts and analysts throughout the game), Drew Gilbert and Will Wagner were listed as the two Astros among that larger group not quite making the Top 100.
I asked a BA writer on how it is that Wagner was in consideration for the Top 100 but only at #18 on the Astros Top 30 prospects (see below): “We combine our personal lists and then weigh it against all of the grades. Then we take the list and poll almost every GM, scouts and analysts. Someone voted for him. I think it was [redacted*] but don’t quote me on that.”
I guess it makes sense there’d be a wide split on Wagner between those who saw him in the AFL and those who didn’t, but you can’t help but chuckle at the gap between T100 guy and 18th in a so-so system. Kudos to that GM for sticking his neck out. Hope Wagner proves him right. The buzz has certainly been good lately.
Guys on previous BA list but fell off:
OF Tyler Whitaker (#12 on previous BA list)
RHP Alex Santos (#14)
RHP Jayden Murray (#18) (but he’s an NRI this spring)
RHP Alimber Santa (#23)
SS Christian Gonzalez (#26)
OF Jordan Brewer (#27)
RHP Adrian Chaidez (#28)
RHP Jimmy Endersby (#29) (also an NRI this spring)
OF Matthew Barefoot (#30)
Guys who show up on other prospect lists:
OF Logan Cerny (#12 on FG, #21 on MLB Pipeline)
OF Luis Baez (#18 on FG, #22 on MLB Pipeline)
OF Kenni Gomez (#23 on MLB Pipeline)
OF Zach Daniels (#29 on MLB Pipeline)
C JC Correa (#16 on FG)
LHP Parker Mushinski (#17 on FG)
RHP Edinson Batista (#23 on FG)
RHP Ronel Blanco (#26 on FG)
SS Dauri Lorenzo (#28 on FG)
LHP Julio Robaina (#31 on FG)
Note: FG and MLB Pipeline lists have yet to be updated for '23
'22 draftees who showed up on best debut lists (among ALL draftees, not just Astros):
RHP Nolan DeVos (5th rounder–CB & SL with highest spin rates measured & FB had largest vertical break)
RHP Tyler Guilfoil–(8th rounder–most Ks and lowest ERA and WHIP among all draftees)
SS Zach Dezenzo (12th rounder–highest EV of any player drafted)
Astros thought enough of these guys to hand out non-roster invites:
RHP Devin Conn
RHP Austin Hansen
RHP Joe Record
RHP Matt Ruppenthal (also a standout in AFL)
RHP Jairo Solis
C Luke Berryhill
C Cesar Salazar
C CJ Stubbs
INF Grae Kessinger
1B/OF Scott Schreiber
OF Ross Adolph
OF Marty Costes
Note: only included NRIs not otherwise mentioned above
I met Austin Hansen in Spring Training ‘18. He was amazingly confident for a 26th round pick or whatever he was, and very polite. He signed my nephew’s ball. Was very impressed with him too in Spring Training a couple years ago. Kid can throw, and has moxie to burn.
ETA: Actually I guess I have to ask my nephew who signed his ball, as Hansen wasn’t an Astro yet. Anyway he was awfully impressive in his one ST cameo. Reminded me of Wade Miller.
40 IP in 2022 after not pitching in two years is an awful small sample size to say career is over. The Astros think enough of him to keep him on the 40 man roster and protected in the rule 5 draft. That tells me a great deal about how they see his potential. He won’t turn 26 until September. He was the third youngest pitcher on the AAA roster last year.