It’s not a great system but there are certainly some interesting guys here. Neyens and Alvarez could quickly find themselves in the front half of the T100. Or they could flame out, of course, but they at least have serious potential.
Brito has gotten a lot of press since his AFL performance and seems like the next Astros Classic™. Pecko and Mayer aren’t far behind.
Frey hit really well after the draft and seems like he could be a steal. Crafty Astros always finding value from little-known college programs like LSU.
Melton… I don’t know if BA just adores him or if they find the rest of the system that uninspiring.
Re: Melton, I think it’s probably a bit of both? BA has been down on the Astros’ system for awhile (like a lot of folks). I also seem to remember they really liked Melton when he was drafted out of Oregon State. There were a lot of highly regarded/ranked collegiate outfielders that year; he was just the one who fell out of the first round.
Couple of other thoughts (agree with everything you wrote, btw)…
On the pitching side, Ryan Forcucci is really interesting. Had some first round buzz coming out of UCSD but only pitched 25 innings before undergoing TJS just prior to the 2024 draft. Looks like he’ll make his minor league debut this Spring (touch wood). If he’s healthy (again, touch wood), he could move quickly.
On the hitting side, kind of surprised Anthony Huezo isn’t in BA’s Top 10. One of the three high schoolers the Astros selected in the 2023 draft (Astros signed him to a fairly large overslot deal in the 12th Round), he put up some really good numbers at Fayetteville last year and BA seemed especially high on him. Really interested to see if he can repeat that success and how aggresive the Astros will be with him if he does.
I also thought I’d see Sullivan on the list. As for Cole, if he no longer qualified for the list, the same would likely have applied to Melton and Matthews based on the time they spent in the majors. There’s a chat with the writer this afternoon and I’m sure Cole will be question one.
Not sure if there’s a more frustrating prospect in the Astros’ system than Ullola. Just about everything I’ve read says his fastball and slider are MLB ready but his control is terrible. Wondering if he gets moved to the bullpen and is the next Bryan Abreu?
Meant to post this a few days ago. MLB asked its best writers to name a potential break out prospect for their respective teams. McTaggert went with Ryan Forcucci:
“Forcucci was getting first-round buzz at UC San Diego before Tommy John surgery derailed his junior season. Still, the Astros pounced in the third round of the 2024 Draft and are eagerly awaiting his pro debut. The 6-foot-3 righty has two main weapons that generate plenty of whiffs in a fastball that benefits from a low release height and excellent carry and a tight, mid-80s slider. It will be key to see how his stuff returns as he builds back up and if he can develop his changeup or curve into a strong third pitch.”
BA has a new post today ranking their top prospects at every position. It’s good context for seeing how the Astros’ guys compare across the league. The rankings run 10 deep at C, 1B, 2B, and 3B; 25 deep at SS; 15 deep at CF & corner OF; 40 deep for RHP; and 20 deep for LHP.
Brice Matthews was the only Astros prospect to rank on any of those lists, coming in at #8 for 2B.
Recently traded prospects Jacob Melton (#12 among CF) and Anderson Brito (#29 among RHP) were also ranked.