AZFL is always a hitters' league. Whitley and JB just needed innings (yet they still dominated) was great to see Dawson and Toro do well.
Fatbacks. Should have been the Fatbacks, it's pork country and everything, it's got that alliterative action, they would sell a crap-ton more merchandise, perfect name. Woodpeckers is lame. Why does nobody consult me about this stuff?
3B Randy Cesar is no longer on the Hooks roster; looks like he reached minor league free agency and either elected to pursue other opportunities or was not offered a contract by the Astros. No big loss; despite his 40+ game hitting streak, he was a limited player. Going into next season, the farm is much as it was going into 2018: extremely deep in pitching (including top end talent), average in the outfield (bolstered by top end talent), and below average on the infield and at catcher. The rosters will have holes in the infield at every level, where non-prospect guys like Jack Mayfield, Colton Shaver, and Trey Dawson will have everyday roles.
Outfield has to be well-above average with 2 top end guys, a 4th-OF type in Straw, and Dawson. IF basically is low level guys with upside like Nova. DH has to be above average.
Fangraphs ranks enough prospects (and provides the info for free) to give a decent idea of where each org ranks at each position. Stubbs is the 21st ranked catching prospect. Matijevic is 24th at 1B. Nova, Arauz, Pena, and Deury Carrasco are all ranked at SS. Toro and Joe Perez at 3B. So they have some prospects in the infield, but none that would be considered elite by pundits. In the outfield, Tucker and Alvarez are elite, but Alex McKenna is the only other Astros OF prospect who is listed. 12 months ago Straw was simply a sleeper and Dawson was a bust. Both guys have certainly raised their stock but still profile as 4th OF. Tucker and Alvarez keep the position as average, but once they graduate, the position will be relatively barren barring unexpected breakouts. And that goes for the entire position player side; without Tucker and Alvarez, the position player side is ranked in the bottom five of the league.
My preference would have been the Forty-Fives - alliterative & a nod to the Astros' original name. Otherwise, I'd have gone with the Fear since Cape Fear is close by.
BA had their draft report card out. ($) Obviously not much has changed since the draft, but they did mention that Costes could match Beer or Taylor in exit velo (which is intriguing given his K/BB skills). Moclair was tabbed with the best FB(94-96) though obviously his walk rate was ugly this year. France, Conine and Costes were best 'late round pick.'
Nice read on Kyle Tucker: "Tucker is training in his hometown of Tampa. His offseason goal is simple: to get “as big as possible.” Tucker stands 6-4 and said Monday he is up to 205 pounds — an 11-pound gain from his listed weight last season. There is room for 10 more pounds, Tucker said." https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sp...intent-on-being-big-part-of-2019-13455737.php With Altuve's contract and Springer, Correa, Bregman to follow, the Astros need to prioritize young superstars (ie Whitley, Tucker) to remain competitive while maintaining their budget... versus trading them away for two-year rentals (ie Realmuto) IMO.
An excellent alternative Top 30 Prospects list recently published that has added insight into the players: https://www.prospectslive.com/lists/2018/11/12/houston-astros-top-30-prospects
Not going to click on the Chron spam site, but your quoted part makes me nervous. It seems like every year there are a few players who spend the offseason bulking up only to get injured because they lose flexibility and their body isn't used to carrying that extra weight. See Noah Syndergaard, 2017. I'm sure the Astros signed off on this and their training staff knows way more than I do; plus 215 lbs at 6-4 isn't exactly Zion Williamson bulk. Just always raises an eyebrow.
