Sorry, he should have been on the list of injured pitchers, but I only included guys who have appeared at full season levels. I assume he is hurt but haven’t seen any news.
George Springer really broke out when Cesar Cedeno was his Coach and Started to become Power Hitter and Started to Steal more Bases. I remember looking over the Coaching staff and looking at the website, Cesar Cedeno the Great Astros CF. George Springer always changed his batting stance and adjusted his hands through minors and the majors. Crouching stance to Normal Upright Stance. George Springer Father I believe played baseball, He is still in great shape, I remember him sktting in the stands at a Boston Game.
My prospect list heading into the 2024 season, updated with observations from spring training: Grade 50: 1. OF Jacob Melton 2. OF/1B Joey Loperfido: could be a core piece 3. RHP Spencer Arrighetti 4. 3B Zach Dezenzo: injury is a bummer 5. IF Brice Matthews 6. OF Luis Baez 7. OF Kenedy Corona 8. OF Pedro Leon 9. OF Colin Barber: almost a sleeper pick at this point Grade 45+: 10. RHP Ryan Gusto: huge boost in stock 11. RHP Alex Santos II: didnt see much of him in MLB ST but his AA assignment and ceiling are fantastic signs 12. IF Will Wagner 13. IF Chase Jaworsky: Fayetteville is a big opportunity for him 14. OF Nehomar Ochoa: Fayetteville is a big opportunity for him 15. RHP Jake Bloss 16. RHP Jose Fleury: AA assignment is a great sign 17. RHP Miguel Ullola 18. RHP Alonzo Tredwell: stock down due to MIA 19. OF/IF Tyler Whitaker 20. OF Kenni Gomez 21. IF Camilo Diaz 22. RHP Abel Mercedes: 102 mph 23. OF Cesar Hernandez 24. LHP Colton Gordon 25. RHP Forrest Whitley 26. RHP Andrew Taylor 27. RHP Jaime Melendez Grade 45: 28. C Miguel Palma 29. C Will Bush: Fayetteville is a big opportunity for him 30. RHP Drew Strotman: looked great in ST Other Grade 45: C: none IF: Shay Whitcomb, Waner Luciano (should probably be in top 30), Alberto Hernandez OF: Trey Cabbage, Quincy Hamilton, Zach Daniels, Jordan Brewer, Logan Cerny, Cam Fisher, Zach Cole (hurt, injury unknown), Anthony Huezo, Esmil Valencia, (Anderson Paula), (Luis Rives) P: Rhett Kouba, Misael Tamarez, Blair Henley, AJ Blubaugh, Tyler Guilfoil, Michael Knorr, Julio Robaina, Trey Dombroski, Jose Guedez, Valente Bellozo, Ethan Pecko, Alimber Santa, Raimy Rodriguez, Luis Contreras Grade 40: C: Luke Berryhill, CJ Stubbs, Garret Guillemette, John Garcia, Luis Encarnacion, Collin Price, Jancel Villarroel, Fernando Caldera, Juan Santander IF: Jeremy Arocho, Tommy Sacco, Chad Stevens, JC Correa, Kobe Kato, Jacob Teter, Ryan Johnson, Jackson Loftin, Jeron Williams, Cristian Gonzalez, Alejandro Nunez, Xavier Casserilla, German Ramirez OF: Justin Dirden, Oliver Carrillo, Eduardo Perez P: Bryan King, Logan VanWey, Ray Gaither, Cole McDonald, Mark Washington, Cesar Gomez, Kasey Ford, Jacob DeLabio, Carlos Betancourt, Luis Angel Rodriguez, Aaron Brown, Brayan De Paula, Ian Foggo, Alejandro Torres, Wilmy Sanchez, Alain Pena, Nolan DeVos, Jairo Solis, Joey Dixon Interesting Non-prospects: C: Ryan Wrobleski, Nerio Rodriguez, Andrews Sosa, Carlos Cauro, Kedaur Trujillo, Victor Diaz IF: Bryan Arias, Narbe Cruz, Austin Deming, Rafael Ramirez, Franchely Silverio, Cristopfer Gonzalez, Sandro Pereira, Roiner Quintana OF: Rolando Espinosa, Roilan Machandy, Richi Gonzalez, Hector NIeves, Amauri Ramirez, Ariel Lebron, Karniel Pratt P: Jayden Murray, Edinson Batista, Deury Carrasco, Manuel Urias, Railin Perez, James Hicks, Yeriel Santos, Adrian Chaidez, Mitchell Kilkenny, Luis Vega, Danny Subero, Enrique Coronel, Jose Varela, Engel Peralta, Franklin Gil, Mauricio Maican, Julio Marte, Luis Aguilar These lists are getting more difficult to compile every year because the way orgs have evaluated and promoted prospects has made it less linear and harder to predict. This could all look wildly different in 4 months. I am super excited about the young position players in Fayetteville. Aside from the AA infield, I think the farm is solid, and could take a huge step forward this season. Their 2nd/3rd/4th tiers of depth are well above-average; they lack 3-4 prospects from that top tier. We are still in the years where the loss of those 4 picks is hurting, but this could be the last year that is the case.
Explain it like I'm 5, but I haven't kept up too much with the minor league system. If Bregman and Tucker both walk, do we have anyone that could fill their shoes and do a decent job of it? Or not really / too soon to say?
There’s a lot of good options en route to replace Tucker. Loperfido, Melton, Leon, Corona, and possibly even Baez and Fisher could all reach the majors by 2026, and they all have the ceiling to be an above average RF. None of them are anywhere close to the kind of prospect Tucker was, but I feel good that at least one of them will pan out into a 2-4 win/yr player. For that reason I’m comfortable with them letting Tuck walk. Bregman is a lot less certain. Dezenzo is a very good prospect with star-level ceiling, but he carries significant risk and now he’s starting this season hurt. He represents really the only viable ready replacement. Beyond him, the Astros have a pretty big group of guys capable of playing 3B but who project to be more fringey bench players: Kessinger, Whitcomb, Wagner, Hensley, Cabbage. It’s not outside the realm of possibility that one of those guys breaks out this season and makes a claim as Bregman’s successor, but it’s extremely unlikely. The only other possibility, which is also remote, is that Brice Matthews exceeds all expectations and destroys High A and AA this season, putting him in the mix to move to 3B and replace Bregman. Again, unlikely. If Houston doesn’t extend Bregman, given the barren landscape for free agent 3B next offseason, my guess is Mauricio Dubon or a trade target is Houston’s 2025 opening day 3B. Kinda bleak. Chapman, Urshela, Turner, and JD Davis are the only free agents. Morel, Burger, Moncada, Suarez, McMahon and the Reds surplus IF are potential trade targets.
This will be interesting to watch. Bush, Ochoa and Jaworsky will be three high upside players to watch in Fayetteville. Kenni Gomez is the one I will be very curious to watch in Fayetteville. Tremendous success his first year of pro ball at an early age, and was noticeably stronger and bigger. Then last year was a lost year. Corona is AA surprises me too.
Appreciate it guys . Thanks for the wealth of information! Seems like all good things come to an end , eventually then. Ahh well. Damn good run any way you slice it since 2016/2017. Hopefully a few guys in the minors surprise to keep the window open maybe. Or maybe they just don't. Hoping for the former.
I have never gotten a complete answer. I know that he was injured at one point, but there were also rumors of personal issues with his family.
I am optimistic. This is a huge swing year for the organization. They really need to see some of their high ceiling prospects (a lot of whom are in the lower minors) take a big step up, they need a good 2024 draft, and they need their controllable MLB players (Diaz, Pena, Meyers, Alvarez, Altuve, Javier, Brown, France, Hader) to be good.
The top draft pick losses from the sign stealing hurt, as does picking at the bottom of the first round - but it has been long enough. They need some of the international guys and draft picks to emerge. They traded two top 100 prospects to the Mets, but the Astros front office and PD staff were not as high on them. Melton is starting the season in AA at 23 years old, Corona is 24 in AA..... Treadwell is like 22 and no one knows what he will become or if he will even play. Matthews is in A+ after being a college 1st round pick. Right now they do not have a single player in the top 100 of many top commercial lists ... which doesn't mean there will not be production - but it does mean it is time for some of these players to emerge. This is a make or break year for a lot of these players.... the last two years of guys that that Brown drafted in Atlanta are starting to make their way up and emerge - it's time some of these guys break out.
Nehomar Ochoa wants to pitch also. Astros want him to be strictly a OF Power Hitter. Maybe Ochoa can be a Cleanup Relief Pitcher. Ochoa was a Starting Power Pitcher in High School.
