Troy Taormina-Imagn Pictures
Beneath is an evaluation of the prospects within the farm system of the Houston Astros. Scouting reviews have been compiled with data supplied by business sources in addition to my very own observations. That is the fifth 12 months we’re delineating between two anticipated reduction roles, the abbreviations for which you’ll see within the “place” column under: MIRP for multi-inning reduction pitchers, and SIRP for single-inning reduction pitchers. The ETAs listed usually correspond to the 12 months a participant needs to be added to the 40-man roster to keep away from being made eligible for the Rule 5 draft. Guide changes are made the place they appear acceptable, however we use that as a rule of thumb.
A fast overview of what FV (Future Worth) means could be discovered right here. A a lot deeper overview could be discovered right here.
The entire ranked prospects under additionally seem on The Board, a useful resource the location provides that includes sortable scouting data for each group. It has extra particulars (and up to date TrackMan knowledge from varied sources) than this text and integrates each workforce’s listing so readers can evaluate prospects throughout farm techniques. It may be discovered right here.
Different Prospects of Notice
Grouped by sort and listed so as of choice inside every class.
Advanced Highlights
German RamirezSS
Juan FriarRHP
Ramirez continues to be uncooked defensively, however he’s posting a .168 ISO in FCL motion as an 18-year-old with legit bat pace. Fraide signed for simply $10,000 this January. A projectable 19-year-old Mexican right-hander, he has already been introduced stateside due to his prodigious strike-throwing within the DSL (13-to-2 Ok-BB in 15 innings), and pairs flashes of 95-96 mph with compelling spin expertise.
Relievers with Foibles
Abel MercedesRHP
Railin PerezRHP
Rafael GonzalezRHP
Raimy RodriguezRHP
Misael TamarezRHP
Nolan devosRHP
Trey DombroskiLHP
Brett GillisRHP
Mercedes has touched 100 mph this 12 months, which certainly strikes worry within the hearts of Carolina League hitters. However since he’s walked 30 and hit seven batters in 22.1 IP, it’s not the kind of worry groups covet. Perez is a sidewinding pure reliever who was plucked from the Crimson Sox system within the Minor League part of the Rule 5 draft in 2023. He’s an uncomfortable at-bat for righties and has allowed simply 9 homers in over 250 professional innings, however 30-grade command may symbolize his peak. Gonzalez is a shorter, bodily developed Dominican righty who has flashed upper-90s warmth, however a protracted arm motion and his lack of a glove-side secondary caps a single-inning reduction ceiling. There’s middle-leverage reduction potential in Rodriguez’s east-west, sinker-slider assault, however there’s not sufficient stability in his decrease half actions nor strikes in his operation at current. Tamarez makes use of monstrous arm pace to run his two-seamer as much as 98 mph and was a spring coaching invite, however his management has devolved an excessive amount of to be thought of for spot work. DeVos has proven the fastball traits to hold a reduction profile, however he hasn’t pitched since 2023 on account of TJ rehab. Dombroski can spin it sufficient to earn consideration for a 40-man addition this November, however his command hasn’t been exact sufficient to financial institution on him pitching round 89-91 mph on the higher ranges. Since being a ninth-round choice in 2022, accidents saved Gillis to 7.2 skilled innings till this 12 months. He’s returned with a powerful physique and is carving up youthful hitters in Excessive-A, however his slider seems like his most compelling pitch and he lacks really feel for finding it.
Outfielders with Juice
Colin BarberLF
Pedro LeónRF
Yamal IncarnationUTIL
Luis RivesLF
GomezCF
Loss of life Owh.RF
Cesar HernandezLF
Barber nonetheless has plus uncooked left-handed pop, and his profile lacks a smoking gun for why he hasn’t produced extra, however he’s moved off middle and is putting out an excessive amount of for the second 12 months in a row. León is undersized for his excessive pull-power-over-everything strategy, and the 27-year-old has largely been sidelined this 12 months with a knee situation. Encarnacion is a compact (5-foot-7) and compelling bat pace/athleticism improvement undertaking who wants polish and extra outfield reps, however he has missed most of 2025 on account of damage and is simply getting going once more on the complicated. Rives nonetheless has the ability and construct that made him an intriguing $900,000 signing out of Cuba final 12 months, however he’s operating a sub-55% contact fee within the FCL. Gomez has remained athletic sufficient to remain in middle discipline however hasn’t grown into his energy potential as a result of he swings at all the pieces. Ochoa flashed intriguing energy potential in his full-season debut final 12 months, however he’s been banged up and continues to be putting out a ton. Hernandez signed for $1.7 million out of Cuba final 12 months, however he has a giant, late load in his unorthodox swing and has moved off middle discipline.
Infield Choices
Garret Guillemette, c/1b
Alejandro NunezUTIL
Pascanel FerrerasUTIL
Waner Luciano. 3B
Guillemette is a former fifteenth spherical decide who has made some significant enhancements to masking the higher rail of the strike zone, and is now guess to get to his stable common uncooked energy. There’s sufficient hit device right here for a stable offensive profile for a catcher, however he’s a a lot shakier guess for sticking there. Nunez is a do-everything utilityman who lacks a standout device. Ferreras is a pint-size utilityman with plus uncooked pop, however he isn’t attending to it on account of outer half plate protection points and extreme chase. Luciano has the bat pace and swing path for plus energy, however he struggles to trace breakers and hits a prodigious variety of popups.
System Overview
As a lot because the Astros’ 2025 season is a testomony to the concept that they may simply hold successful the AL West it doesn’t matter what (and irrespective of who will get cycled into their thinning core of battled-tested postseason veterans), it is a below-average system particularly due to the dearth of future stars up high. And for as a lot as this entrance workplace and whole operation has reworked through the years, they nonetheless produce depth in what have turn out to be pretty constant methods.
In relation to the hitters they’ve focused on the high of the draft, there’s a transparent urge for food for toolsy athletes and power-hitting frames, and since they’ve turn out to be very used to choosing behind the primary spherical – after they’ve had first spherical picks in any respect – that comes with an urge for food for threat. Newly called-up Brice Matthews has monstrous instruments that the Astros are betting will overcome a scary in-zone miss fee. Cam Smith – as a result of whenever you commerce a franchise mainstay for a participant coming off their draft 12 months, the newbie analysis weighs in – is betting on distinctive measurement and athleticism overcoming an unorthodox swing for accessing energy. Even a defensive-minded decide like Walker Janek is betting on his bat pace offering a basis for affect offense that’s not often accessible behind the dish.
That normal urge for food extends to the worldwide house, the place the Astros’ Cuban connection stays sturdy. If it was revealed that their Latin American scouts’ guiding mission is use the subsequent Jordan Alvarezit wouldn’t appear too out of line with the outcomes. Luis Baez’s grueling month of June at an aggressive Double-A project outlines the problem they’ve had with matriculating huge energy prospects from the complicated leagues to the Crawford packing containers. However they’re taking repeated photographs on objective, and I’m as bullish on the early seems of Kevin Alvarez as is cheap for a 17-year-old who has performed fewer than 30 professional video games.
The place the Astros tackle their share of criticism across the business is their reducing conversion fee on worldwide starters, which had shaped the bones of their final World Collection title. Alimber Santa, Miguel Ullola and Anderson Brito all have outlier physicality and really a lot appear to be the pitching variations of the membership’s power-hitting proclivities, however they’re the perfect of a slew of worldwide arms the place command deficiencies make the bullpen their greatest route for offering affect.
However that’s not a flaw of Houston’s pitching as a complete, the place backspun four-seamers are nonetheless ruling the day, and the Astros’ home operation has confirmed adept at discovering and enhancing pitchers from non-elite applications. They didn’t invent discovering starters whose worth has dipped on account of Tommy John surgical procedure, however Ryan Forcucci and Bryce Mayer are the kinds of opportunistic provides a perennial contender must make to maintain their run.
There are actually no 50 FV abilities right here who’re nonetheless prospect eligible, and I’m pretty skeptical of the hit instruments of Matthews and Janek on the high, despite the fact that they’ve the defensive skill to return worth even when their hitting plateaus. The cliff is clearly coming for this Nineties Braves-level run of possession of the AL West that Houston followers have so richly loved. But even with that actuality staring the Astros within the face, there may be nonetheless proof of the organizational strengths which have saved this run going longer than simply about every other workforce may have dreamed of engineering.
