Where Astros' Top 30 prospects are starting season By Jim Callis MLB.com @JimCallisMLB Apr. 4th, 2018 With the 2018 season getting started, here's a look at where the Astros' Top 30 prospects are starting the season: 1. Forrest Whitley (MLB No. 9), RHP -- Suspended 2. Kyle Tucker (MLB No. 16), OF -- Fresno Grizzlies (AAA) 3. J.B. Bukauskas (MLB No. 77), RHP -- Quad Cities River Bandits (A) 4. Yordan Alvarez, OF/1B -- Corpus Christi Hooks (AA) 5. Freudis Nova, SS/3B -- Extended spring training 6. Cionel Perez, LHP -- Corpus Christi Hooks (AA) 7. Jorge Alcala, RHP -- Buies Creek Astros (A Adv) 8. David Paulino, RHP -- Fresno Grizzlies (AAA) 9. J.D. Davis, 3B -- Houston Astros (MLB) 10. Corbin Martin, RHP -- Buies Creek Astros (A Adv) 11. Hector Perez, RHP -- Buies Creek Astros (A Adv) 12. Rogelio Armenteros, RHP -- Fresno Grizzlies (AAA) 13. Jairo Solis, RHP -- Extended spring training 14. Joe Perez, 3B -- Extended spring training 15. Ronnie Dawson, OF -- Buies Creek Astros (A Adv) 16. Framber Valdez, LHP -- Corpus Christi Hooks (AA) 17. Drew Ferguson, OF -- Fresno Grizzlies (AAA) 18. Dean Deetz, RHP -- Suspended 19. Cristian Javier, RHP -- Quad Cities River Bandits (A) 20. Riley Ferrell, RHP -- Corpus Christi Hooks (AA) 21. Myles Straw, OF -- Corpus Christi Hooks (AA) 22. Jonathan Arauz, SS -- Quad Cities River Bandits (A) 23. Gilberto Celestino, OF -- Extended spring training 24. Garrett Stubbs, C -- Fresno Grizzlies (AAA) 25. J.J. Matijevic, OF -- Quad Cities River Bandits (A) 26. Jandel Gustave, RHP -- Houston Astros (MLB) -- DL 27. Chuckie Robinson, C -- Buies Creek Astros (A Adv) 28. Brett Adcock, LHP -- Buies Creek Astros (A Adv) 29. Abraham Toro-Hernandez, 3B/C -- Buies Creek Astros (A Adv) 30. Brandon Bailey, RHP -- Buies Creek Astros (A Adv)
Found this article about Buies Creek. Takeaways: First 2 starts will be tandems, then 2 starts for a single pitcher, then 2 more tandems it's not clear if that 2 and 2 is how they'll do it the whole season, but it means that Bailey and LaRue will get a bit longer of a leash in their first starts. It also said Bielak will be used as a late inning reliever, but he's listed as a starter for one of their games, so I would guess he's the second part of a tandem in one of the first few games, and the reporter didn't really understand the concept.
The pressure might just be too much for some guys. Imagine being Paulino and seeing all the guys in front of you (there are 4 Cy young candidates on the roster). Where does he fit? Since the talent ahead of them is already doing great things in the Major Leagues; there is absolutely no room for error. I was rooting for Davis, but ML pitching is exposing him, just like they exposed Brett Wallace, Jon Singleton, Reed, etc... Thank goodness Gurriel is mending from his injury. Hopefully he gets back sooner rather than later.
One weird thing is that Anthonly Hermelyn, who was announced as released a few weeks ago, is still on the BC roster. All the others who had been released were removed. With Ryan Thompson being added to the AAA roster (on the DL), there are only 11 players in the system who have experience at a full season roster who are not currently showing up: C Ruben Castro: probably in EST IF Ozziel Sanchez-Galan: very likely in EST RHP Brendan Feldmann: probably in EST RHP Juan Robles: probably in EST RHP Enoli Paredes: probably hurt RHP Jose Hernandez: probably hurt RHP Edgardo Sandoval: probably hurt RHP Gabriel Valdez: probably hurt RHP Nick Hernandez: very likely hurt RHP Angel Heredia: probably hurt but maybe released LHP Carlos Hiraldo: very likely in EST
Hermylyn being on there caught me by surprise as well. Also on the roster who wasn't announced was Randy Vasquez who, while listed as a DH, has been used as a catcher in the past. Combined with Chuckie Robinson. They've got 3 non-Toro-Hernandez catchers on the roster, which may be an indication that he's going to be used exclusively as a 3B. I wonder why Thompson got put on the roster on the DL, while the presumably hurt Nick Hernandez didnt?
Buies Creek lineup @ Salem 1. Ronnie Dawson, CF 2. Josh Rojas, 2B 3. Abraham Toro, 3B 4. Chuckie Robinson, C 5. Troy Sieber, 1B 6. Chas McCormick, LF 7. Patrick Mathis, RF 8. Kristian Trompiz, SS 9. Osvaldo Duarte, DH Starter: Jorge Alcala
I haven't watched JD's ABs that closely, is it that bad? We all remember Breggy's inauspicious start and subsequent hitting tear.
And yet somehow he ran into 4 HR's last year... which is one more than his heir apparent in Reed! Thank goodness they signed Yuli and he worked out...
Straw has scored twice for the Hooks. I was hoping for a straight steal of home off the lefty when he got to 3rd, but he waited for a sac fly.
Kit Scheetz and Abdiel Saldaña with 5 scoreless innings out of the Buies Creek bullpen. Scheetz allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 2 innings while Saldaña allowed 3 hits and struck out 1 in 3 frames.
Can’t wait for Scheetz to get to AA so we can find out if he’s a legit prospect or just an older college lefty striking out guys 2-3 years younger than him.
Opening day recap: AAA Studs: Kyle Tucker 2-3, bb Drew Ferguson 3-3, 2b, bb Garrett Stubbs 1-3, 3b AAA duds: Mike Hauschild 2.1 ip 7 er AA studs: Myles Straw 1-2, 2 bb Nick Tanielu 2-5, 2b AA duds: Riley Ferrell .2 ip Er, 3 bb High A studs: Troy Sieber 2-4, 2bb Chas McCormick 1-4, 3b Osvaldo Duarte 1-3, 3b Kit Scheetz 2 ip, 0 er, 4 k Abdiel Saldana 3 ip, 0 er High A duds: Patrick Mathis 0-3, 3k A studs: Jon Arauz 2-4 Mike Papierski 1-3, 2b, bb Jake Meyers 1-1, 2 bb A duds: Bryan De La Cruz 0-4, 2k
Caught a bit of the game yesterday, and I'm guessing if he has a role in the majors it's a match-up lefty in the pen. He threw from a really low slot, almost side arm, and flummoxed batters with a slider and change. Given his undrafted status, I would guess there's not much velocity there (when I was watching, the announcer didn't call any velocities), but the deception might make him a decent arm. Best case scenario is probably a Triggs or Suter type.
