DSL Blue and FCL have a combined record of 61-29. Bodes well for how good FCL and Fayetteville should be next season. Asheville and Corpus are the only 2 of the 6 affiliates with a losing record.
With 16-19 year olds that are not even stateside, it is so hard to tell how they will turn out. However - Alvarez was a favorite of Brown and Rodgers and they gave him like 40% of their draft money. Couple that with being a top prospect, and the fact the Alvarez still is physically growing, and it looks like the Astros have to be happy with his progress. He is very young, but he has basically been a professional since he was 13-14 years old, his dad even moved him out of Cuba and to the Dominican to train and play.
Looking forward at the Astros minor league future after the 25 draft. When you consider the lopsided youth that already existed in the system with the upper minors seemingly almost bereft of talent. Then pushing everyone they had up to cover a huge number of injuries in the major league left Sugar Land a virtual wasteland. There are a couple of hope-fulls in Corpus Cristi, particularly Sullivan and a quartet of starting pitchers. You have to go down to Ashville to find a level of promise that seems credible for a major league organization. On the other hand the complex leagues are more loaded than I can recall. The team drafted more teens, and signed a couple of additional undrafted teens than I have seen in years. They will all go to the complexes as well and while a few FCL players will graduate in 26 many more will not. In 2027 these youngsters will really begin to show up in full season ball. The Ashville team will mostly be at the AAA level and Houston's Minor league system will be an average and improving system for the first time in a long while.
So, the complex league and lower level being where all the talent is works to our advantage. this big league roster has zero holes if Matthew and Melton hit, through 2027. Year is the last year of club control for Astros: Diaz-28 Walker-27 Matthews-31 Peña- 27 Paredes- 27 Alvarez-28 Melton- 31 Meyers- 27 Smith- 30 Altuve- 29 bench- Dubon-26, Dezenzo 31, backup catcher tbd, That means we have exactly 2 roster spots coming due over the next 2 years: backup catcher and utility infielder- and UT guy isn’t even up until after 26. We need Matthews and melton to be able to hold their own as league average players and then we need the farm to produce absolutely nobody of any importance until after 2027 (so, 2.5 years of development time until the lower minors guys have to be ready for prime time) at which point in time we will have to replace all star level players at SS and 3B, what will probably be a sub par 1B, as well as a league average CF. We will have 60M or so coming off the books to replace those 4: Walker- 20M Peña- 15M after arb 3 Paredes- 15M after arb 4 Meyers- 8M after arb 3 those are guesses on the arb, obviously, but the point is that we will have 4 holes to plug- 2 of them as plus players and 1 average and 1 below average. we’d be able to extend or sign 1 star level player with that money, so really we only need 1 really good player and 2 league average players produced and we have 2.5 years to make that happen. I’m not paying attention to the pitching side of the equation because we have plenty. The real deal is we need to graduate 1 star or 2 above average pitchers in addition to keeping the assembly line of average ish guys ready. With what we have at the major league level and in the upper minors I’m not all that worried about that. so much of this org hinges on Dana being right about Matthews and Melton. He’s done a really good job and I trust him on the scout and development side.
FCL Astros are 37 - 16, which might be the best win % of the Astros minors. IIRC, the Astros DSL teams were also successful last year, which has rarely been the case over the years. The Astros might have some solid talent moving through their DSL and FCL teams rn. It is a number games. The more prospects playing well in the low minors increases the chance that one will become a winning lottery ticket. We will see.
This is so crazy, that the Astros overpromise on every player’s return and yet say absolutely nothing about Melton, then he just randomly shows up in AAA on rehab assignment. wtf.
I will take some good no news over the news we have been getting over the last 2 months. But I get what you are saying.
Melton with a 107 mph line drive single and comes around to score. Didn’t try to steal in a 5 pitch AB.
Genuine question: does our medical staff know that everyone doesn't HAVE to be on the same rehab schedule?
Javier gave up 1 run in first, 1 ball hit hard the open the game, a shitty IF hit. Stolen base. Sac fly. Lots of strikes. Not a lot of swing and miss. Game day scouting too cheap for MIlb tv
Saw that IF Ryan Johnson was promoted to AAA. Probably a temporary fill-in but if it’s permanent then that’s a big opportunity for him.
Melton hit a 102 mph line drive out in his 3rd AB. He seems ready. I’m guessing off day tomorrow, plays CF one day, DH’s the other day and is in houston on Monday. Chas traded for a lotto ticket sometime before melton comes back or Hummel is DFA’d. javier 2 2/3. 50 pitches. 1 run. 2 hard hit balls. Only 2 swing and misses. Walked last 2 guys he faced.
I think using Melton and Matthews as a tandem to play wherever Altuve isn’t is a really good way to get both guys in the mix.
