Mid-July Astros Tidbits

With the All-Star festivities in the rear-view mirror and the second half bearing down, it’s time to check in with some Astros tidbits.

All-Star Update – Major Leagues

The Astros sent 6 players to the All-Star game: Jose Altuve (0-2, K), George Springer (0-3, 2K), Carlos Correa (0-2, K), Chris Devenski (1.0 IP, K), Lance McCullers (DNP), and Dallas Keuchel (DNP). Devenski was a replacement for the injured Dallas Keuchel. One glaring omission was that of super sub Marwin Gonzalez. Maybe it’s a homer bias, but Marwin should’ve been suiting up in Miami.

All-Star Update – Minor Leagues

Class A – Midwest League (Quad Cities River Bandits)

  • P Carson LaRue – (0.2 IP, 2 K)
  • C Chuckie Robinson – (0-1)
  • 1B Yordan Alvarez – DNP
  • OF Marcus Almonte – (0-2)

Class High A – Carolina League (Buies Creek Astros)

  • P Nick Hernandez – (1.0 IP, 1 H)
  • P Franklin Perez – DNP
  • P Yoanys Quiala – DNP
  • OF Myles Straw – (2-4, 2 K)

Class AA – Texas League (Corpus Christi Hooks)

  • P Rogelio Armenteros – (1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER. 2 K)
  • C Garrett Stubbs – (1-2, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 3B)
  • 1B Jon Singleton – (0-4, 2 K)
  • 2B Jack Mayfield – (0-2)
  • SS Luis Urias – (1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI
  • 3B J.D. Davis – (2-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 2B)
  • OF Drew Ferguson – (2-3, 1 R, 2 BB)

Class AAA – (Fresno Grizzlies) 

  • 3B Colin Moran – (2-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI)
  • OF Derek Fisher – (0-3, this was 3 days after his very good performance in the Futures Game, see below)

Futures Game

  • 1B Yordan Alvarez – World Team – (1-1, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB)
  • OF Derek Fisher – U.S. Team – (1-2, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 SB)
  • OF Kyle Tucker – U.S. Team – (1-3, 1 RBI, 1 2B)

The MLB Draft

The Astros sat in the middle of the first round this season and had a top-10 talent fall into their lap at 15. J.B. Bukauskas, the ace of a North Carolina team that finished 2nd in the ACC and was upset in the Chapel Hill Regional. Bukauskas pitched to a 9-1 2.53 line with 116 strikeouts in 92.2 innings.

Houston took 6 pitchers in the top 10 and 17 overall while selecting only 7 HS players.

There will be more draft coverage to come later this month.

Top Prospect Update

  1. Francis Martes – Made his ML debut and is 2-0 with a 5.18 in 7 games (4 starts). Martes still has control issue (1.44 WHIP), but also showing his ability to miss bats (9.62 K/9)
  2. Kyle Tucker – Earned a promotion to AA and has not slowed down. With an overall .288/.366/.553 with 17 HR and 19 SB, there is a chance we will see Tucker in Houston no later than September of next season.
  3. David Paulino – Began season on DL and is currently serving 80 game suspension for PED usage.
  4. Forrest Whitley – Promoted to High A Buies Creek and is 1-0 with a 0.90 in two starts and has struck out 81 in 56.1 innings this season.
  5. Derek Fisher – Made his big league debut and impressed in a 5-game sample with .278/.381/.611. Was a victim of too many OF on the main roster, but is almost certain to be the “next man up.”
  6. Franklin Perez – Impressed in High A ball at 19 years old.
  7. Daz Cameron – Starting to get the feel of pro baseball. Not hitting for a high average, but showing good on-base skills (.308 OBP) and speed (19 steals).
  8. James Hoyt – Recently losing prospect status (> 50 IP), has spent the majority of the season in Houston throwing an impressive 53 strikeouts in 33 innings, but sporting a less impressive 4.91 ERA.
  9. Teoscar Hernandez – Was bypassed by Derek Fisher when the Astros needed an extra OF, but has played well in Fresno with a .265/.355/.437.
  10. J.D. Davis – Still in AA due to the great play of Colin Moran and the status of A.J. Reed, Davis has done everything to earn his way to Fresno hitting .281/.343/.509 with 19 HR in 324 at-bats.

Expect a mid-season Top 50 update sometime the last week of July.

‘GO STROS!

Featured Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons




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