Let's welcome the draft class of 2025 to the Houston Astros organization! All news for the 2025 draftees will go in this thread. This year's signing deadline is 4 PM Central on July 28. College seniors are exempt from this deadline. Players drafted in rounds 11-20 can sign for up to $150,000 without having the bonus count against the bonus pool; for over-slot bonuses, only the amount over $150,000 will count. For JUCO players, teams can elect to take the draft-and-follow approach. Should a team exercise this option, a JUCO player they pick can sign between the end of the JUCO season and the beginning of next year's draft for up to $225,000. Bold - player has signed or intends to sign Name stricken through - player intends to return to school/attend college Last update: 8 AM, July 25 Round 1, Pick 21: Xavier Neyens, 3B, Mount Vernon High School, Mount Vernon, Washington - signed for $4,120,000 (full slot value, $2500 contingency bonus removed) Round 3, Pick 95: Ethan Frey, OF, LSU - signed for $997,500 (probably signed for $1 million, but $2500 contingency bonus was removed; $193,600 over slot value) Round 4, Pick 126: Nick Monistere, 2B, Southern Miss - signed for $397,500 ($197,000 below slot value) Round 5, Pick 156: Nick Potter, RHP, Wichita State - signed for $336,600 ($106,500 below slot value) Round 6, Pick 186: Gabel Pentecost, RHP, Taylor (Indiana) - signed for $297,500 ($44,100 below slot value) Round 7, Pick 216: Jase Mitchell, C, Cape Henlopen High School, Lewes, Delaware - signed for $797,500 ($529,800 over slot value) Round 8, Pick 246: Kyle Walker, 2B, Arizona State - signed for $152,500 ($67,300 below slot value) Round 9, Pick 276: Kellan Oakes, RHP, Oregon State - signed for $247,500 ($48,000 over slot value) Round 10, Pick 306: Zach Daudet, SS, Cal Poly - signed for $7,500 ($2,500 contingency bonus removed; $181,400 below slot value) Round 11, Pick 336: Justin Thomas, OF, Arkansas - signed for $177,500 ($27,500 counts against pool) Round 12, Pick 366: Elijah Farley, Navarro High School, Geronimo, Texas - signed for $150,000 (max for rounds 11-20) Round 13, Pick 396: Aubrey Smith, RHP, UNC Wilmington - signed for $150,000 Round 14, Pick 426: Josh Wakefield, OF, Grand Canyon - signed for $150,000 Round 15, Pick 456: D.J. Newman, RHP/OF, Bowling Green - signed for $202,500 ($52,500 counts against pool) Round 16, Pick 486: Chase Call, OF, UC Irvine - signed for $20,000 Round 17, Pick 516: Grayson Saunier, RHP, Texas - signed for $150,000 Round 18, Pick 546: Landon Arroyos, SS, Grayson High School, Loganville, Georgia - signed for $252,500 ($102,500 counts against pool) Round 19, Pick 576: Joey McLaughlin, OF, Harrah High School, Harrah, Oklahoma (committed to Arkansas State) Round 20, Pick 606: Curtis Hebert, SS, Portland - signed for $150,000 Bonus pool: $7,181,500 5% excess threshold (correct me if I'm wrong here): $7,540,575 Pool money used: $7,536,600 Pool exceeded by $355,100 Bonus pool before 5% overage (results in loss of 2026 1st-round pick): $3,975 The first 9, with slot values 1. Xavier Neyens - $4,122,500 - signed for full slot but $2500 contingency bonus was removed (+2,500) 3. Ethan Frey - $803,900 - signed for $997,500 (-193,600) 4. Nick Monistere - $594,500 - signed for $397,500 (+197,000) 5. Nick Potter - $443,100 - signed for $336,600 (+106,500) 6. Gabel Pentecost - $341,600 - signed for $297,500 (+44,100) 7. Jase Mitchell - $267,700 - signed for $797,500 (-529,800) 8. Kyle Walker - $219,800 - signed for $152,500 (+67,300) 9. Kellan Oakes - $199,500 - signed for $247,500 (-48,000) 10. Zach Daudet - $188,900 - signed for $7,500 (+181,400) Overslot 11-20 signings Justin Thomas - $177,500 (-27,500) D.J. Newman - $202,500 (-52,500) Landon Arroyos - $252,500 (-102,500) Undrafted free agents In the past, some players apparently signed as undrafted free agents with the Astros but never appeared on a roster of a minor league affiliate. The bonus limit is also $150,000 for undrafted free agents. Here are the undrafted players who have agreed to terms with the Astros. Jackson Wells, RHP, Arkansas-Little Rock Coleman MacRae, RHP, Central Arkansas Brandon Cassedy, RHP, George Mason Charlie Weber, RHP, Saint Louis Mason Lytle, OF, Texas-San Antonio Brandon Forrester, IF, New Mexico State August Cuneo, C, Petaluma High School, Petaluma, California Ryan Petrovitch, RHP, Dakota High School, Macomb, Michigan Some (half-assed) thoughts I'm fully on the Neyens train. He's probably gonna be shouldering the load for 80% of this class, with Frey and maybe Mitchell picking up the rest. If Nick Potter finds command, he'll be a steal. None of the picks after the 11th round really pop out to me, but I'm interested to see how long of a leash they give D.J. Newman before they tell him to focus on one aspect of the game. That is, if they can talk him out of heading to Tennessee first. Curtis Hebert also has experience as a pitcher and arguably had more upside on the mound but I guess the Astros have enough belief in his bat to list him as a shortstop when they picked him. and the Astros agreed with that assessment. He's also played shortstop, so two-way is a possibility, but it appears he'll be on the mound to start off his pro career. The three high schoolers after the 10th round aren't really highly regarded so I think they'll sign. Two choices here: turn pro and get professional development or slum away in the mid-majors. Kyle Walker is my "exceeds expectations" pick. This hasn't exactly gone well for me in the past, but everything about Walker screams "exceeds expectations," much like Tony Kemp.
First undrafted free agents are in: Central Arkansas RHP Coleman MacRae; never really put it together in his three seasons as he went 8-9 with a 5.95 ERA in college, mainly due to a 5.6 BB/9. Little Rock RHP Jackson Wells, who was originally planning to transfer portal to Arkansas George Mason RHP Brandon Cassedy; Cassedy went 8-2 with a 3.32 ERA and was 1st-team All-Atlantic 10 in his only season with the Patriots after transferring from Division III Christopher Newport.
Saint Louis RHP Charlie Weber is the next player to get a UDFA deal. He returned home after starting his college career at Wofford. 4-1 with a 3.05 ERA in 18 relief appearances (56 IP). He walked 18, struck out 58, and allowed a .239 average against.
Here's Anthony Boyer/Eephus Tosser's thread of rundowns for the draft class: https://bsky.app/profile/eephustosser.bsky.social/post/3ltv3by74vk2p
Man I love this annual thread. Props to you @tellitlikeitis for doing this and being so thorough and consistent with all the minor league stuff all these years. I have been living in Moscow since 2012, the dark days of Astro baseball, when the team was terribad, and every morning I would be on the “marshrutka”, kind of like a mini shuttle bus, on my way to work and reading all of your posts and getting irrationally excited about all the prospects. Years and years later, and I’m still doing the same. Thank you man. I appreciate you
UTSA outfielder Mason Lytle is the first position player to agree to a UDFA deal for this post-draft cycle. Lytle, a former Pearland Oiler, played three seasons at San Jacinto College before transferring to Oregon in 2022, where he only played in six games before suffering a season-ending injury. Lytle then moved back to Texas and finished his college career with UTSA. I believe that makes him a 6th-year senior.
This is a top heavy draft for the Astros IMO. I think that Frey is a good off set for Neyens. Neyens is the younger guy with swing and miss but a lot of strong raw skills. It may take him awhile to move up with his profile and age, and there is a lot of risk but also an extremely high ceiling. Frey is older, and while I believe his athleticism and skills are under-rated, he is more of the bat first prospect that shouldn't require a lot of time in the lower minors and could be a fast mover. His ceiling is basically a starting above average corner outfielder, but his floor is basically a 5th outfielder. He should not crash and burn. I like the safe versus risky off set between the two. As for the rest of the draft, I don't know enough to have an educated opinion on some of these kids. I do know that the Astros drafted at least one pitcher that I did not think was even a prospect, but they know far better than I do and I trust them. I also like the high schoolers late - they are basically lottery tickets. Every MLB draft, especially with less picks, is a risky proposition - but this one seems especially so, but that is how Brown has largely drafted since joining the Astros, and even with Atlanta and Toronto.
The Astros can not afford to swing and miss regarding signability of their top 10 rd guys. I'm sure they had agreements in place and knew the numbers before even taking them.
Gabel Pentecost (6) radio interview from this afternoon. It sounds like he'll be signing soon. Video starts right around the start of his segment.
