Houston Astros Top 50 Prospects (2024)

2024-P1500-HOU — Top 50 graphic design by Michael Packard, @CollectingPack on Twitter.

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For one of the perennial American League powers, the Houston Astros’ farm system is far from one of the Minor League Baseball power organizations. This is one of the systems in our Top 50 ranks that does not include a Tier 1 prospect. There is plenty of potential here and several players poised to rocket up this list in 2024. Our Prospects1500 ranking team would not be surprised to see one or two of these players potentially reach Tier 1 at this point next year, but that’s going to take some unbelievable breakout campaigns.

Look for players like Zach Dezenzo, Will Wagner and Pedro León to make their MLB debuts this season. Keep your eyes out for Houston’s top 2023 draft picks – 1st round pick Brice Matthews, 2nd rounder Alonzo Tredwell, and 3rd round selection Jake Bloss. It will certainly be interesting to see how many of these Astros farmhands progress, and which direction the organization moves in. One thing’s for sure. The MLB club is always near or at the top of the American League West, and which key players in the pipeline will be the next ones to step up and contribute.

Six Prospects1500 writers contributed to this column and rankings including Scott Greene (@Scotty_Ballgame), Tony Bps (@tonybps1), Greg Bracken (@gregbracken07), Adam Greene (@aj_greene1015), Clint Fasse (@ProspectLarceny), and Jeremy Mahy (@JMahyfam). The writer’s Twitter handle follows each player write-up or paragraph.

Prospects1500 Tiers:
Tier 1: Players with high expectations of both making the majors and playing at an All-Star level for a number of years
Tier 2: Players with an above-average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 3: Players with an average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 4: Players who have the potential to make the majors; possible sleeper candidates for sustained MLB success
Tier 5: Players of interest, worth keeping an eye on, who may make (or have made) the majors but provide minimal impact

Levels listed for each player are the highest levels player reached in 2023

Tier 1

None

Tier 2

1. Jacob Melton, OF, 23, Double-A
Melton has all the tools to be a fantasy stud. There is no doubting the power-speed combination that he possesses, what will determine his ultimate ceiling will be his ability to make consistent contact. In 394 plate appearances with High-A last year, he hit 18 home runs and stole 41 bases with a 21% strikeout rate. A late season promotion to Double-A did come with an increase in the K rate, but the power-speed combo was still very real (5 home runs and 5 stolen bases in 56 PA’s). Likely headed back to Double-A to start the year, it will be interesting to see how he fares with a full season of facing advanced pitching. (@JMahyfam)

2. Joey Loperfido, OF/2B/1B, 24, Triple-A
Loperfido really shot up lists after he destroyed Double-A pitching last season. In 365 plate appearances he slashed .296/.392/.548 with 19 home runs and 20 stolen bases good for an excellent .412 wOBA. Much like with Melton above, Loperfido’s promotion at the end of the season saw his K rate increase (32%). Look for Loperfido to iron out those issues with a repeat of Triple-A to start the season. Thanks to his positional versatility he could be ready to help the ‘Stros in 2024 should the need arise. (@JMahyfam)

Tier 3

3. Zach Dezenzo, 3B, 23, Double-A
If you’re drafted in 2022 and debut professionally that year, can you call 2023 a breakout season? I’m going to anyway. Dezenzo had a great season across High-A and Double-A, followed up by representing the Astros in the Arizona Fall League. He slashed .407/.474/.628/1.102 in 31 games for Asheville, but then played 63 games for Corpus Christi and tapped into some power, launching 14 homers in the Texas League. The third baseman has some speed too, tallying 22 bags last season. (@Scotty_Ballgame)

4. Luis Baez, OF, 19, Single-A
The six-foot-one outfielder out of the Dominican Republic displayed tremendous power during 2023 making his debut in the states. His strength is unquestionable between his bat and his arm from anywhere in the outfield, but a more relaxed approach in controlling the strike zone will be important for his next season. If you’re looking at exit velocities, Baez lights up the radar gun on contact. His statline was slightly down from his DSL numbers in 2022, so seeing how he further adapts to the minor leagues will be something to follow in 2024. (@aj_greene1015)

5. Spencer Arrighetti, RHP, 24, Triple-A
Arrighetti, the organization’s 2023 pitcher of the year, possesses a lethal fastball-slider combo as evidenced by 141 strikeouts in 124.2 IP across Double-A and Triple-A. There is little doubt that he can get big league hitters out with his fastball-slider combo, but the lack of a third pitch and spotty command might send him to the bullpen. I could see a scenario where his stuff plays up in shorter stints allowing him to be a weapon at the back end of games. (@JMahyfam)

6. Brice Matthews, SS, 21, Single-A
Matthews was Houston’s first round pick in last year’s amateur draft. Our draft guru (@ShaunKernahan) had this to say about him. “There is real swing and miss concerns with Matthews, but he can also provide plenty of power while playing up the middle. He is one of the more athletic prospects in the class and has plus speed with an arm that can certainly keep him on the left side of the infield”. His 33 games at Single-A last year certainly backed that up. He slashed .217/.373/.367 with 10 extra base hits, 16 stolen bases, and a 26.7% strikeout rate. (@JMahyfam)

7. Colin Barber, OF, 23, Double-A
As a promising power/speed prospect being drafted out of high school in 2019, the Astros had high expectations for Barber before he dealt with the pandemic and multiple injuries limiting his experience over his first four years. Barber is actually just as calm on the base paths than he is in the batter’s box. He can effectively mix working counts and drawing walks with barreling balls from the pull and opposite side. He got time at all three spots in the outfield in the limited time, so staying on the field with more reps can do the most for his stock in 2024. (@aj_greene1015)

8. Will Wagner, 2B/3B, 25, Triple-A
I had a chance to see Wagner in the 2022 Arizona Fall League, where he was surprisingly not named to the Fall Stars Game as he hit .346 with 3 HR, 15 RBI, 37 TB and an OPS of 1.145. Then, the son of soon-to-be MLB Hall of Famer Billy, had a solid 2023 across AA/AAA with a .337/.420/.518/.938 slash, even though his Triple-A stint was only 6 games. Look for the 25-year-old to start 2024 in Sugar Land, with an outside shot to make the club out of Spring Training. (@Scotty_Ballgame)

9. Pedro León, OF/2B, 25, Triple-A
Houston’s former number one prospect has seemed to stall out over Triple-A the last few seasons, but still has the hit-tool to make it to the majors. León is quick which helps him play a good outfield, and a versatile second baseman; he’s also stolen 59 bases for Sugar Land since the start of 2022. He’s not an on-base machine but he does drive in runs and consistently goes for extra bases on hits. León also has the power to drive the ball out of the park at any moment, but will need to start lifting the ball more next season after a high ground ball rate since making Triple-A. There’s still plenty of upside and could definitely be playing in Houston as soon as this season. (@aj_greene1015)

Tier 4

10. Colton Gordon, LHP, 25, Triple-A
11. Kenedy Corona, OF, 23, Double-A
12. Rhett Kouba, RHP, 24, Triple-A
13. Zach Cole, OF, 23, High-A
14. Justin Dirden, OF, 26, Triple-A
15. Michael Knorr, RHP, 23, High-A
16. Trey Dombroski, LHP, 22, Single-A
17. Jose Fleury, RHP, 21, Single-A
18. Alonzo Tredwell, RHP, 21, College
19. Miguel Palma, C/1B, 22, High-A
20. Jesus Carrera, RHP, 19, Rookie (DSL)
21. Tyler Guilfoil, RHP, 23, High-A
22. Zach Daniels, OF, 24, Double-A
23. Engel Daniel Peralta, RHP, 19, Rookie (DSL)
24. Andrew Taylor, RHP, 22, Single-A
25. Shay Whitcomb, SS, 25, Triple-A
26. Forrest Whitley, RHP, 26, Triple-A

Corona profiles more as a platoon outfielder but has a nice blend of speed and some pop. Dirden is a little older for a prospect at 26, but he could see time this season as a backup outfielder with a chance for more. Dombrowski is more stuff over speed and could be a 4th/5th starter type if he continues his progress. Knorr has a solid fastball and gets his strikeouts, but his command has to improve for him to move up the ladder. Tredwell is one to keep an eye on here. He’s a tall right hander with good off-speed stuff. If he can improve his fastball even slightly, he could be a solid rotation piece. Daniels is an intriguing prospect. He has enough speed and massive power to at least go 20-20 at his peak but has strikeout concerns that he has to work through. Taylor has a great fastball but if he doesn’t refine his secondary offerings, he may be relegated to a bullpen role, where he could flourish. Whitcomb is the infielder version of Daniels – speed and power with hitting concerns. You didn’t make a mistake in reading Whitley’s name. He’s still around with his tantalizing potential among all of his injuries. (@tonybps1)

Tier 5

27. Kenni Gomez, OF, 18, Rookie (FCL)
28. Miguel Ullola, RHP, 21, High-A
29. Waner Luciano, 3B/OF, 18, Rookie (FCL)
30. Jaime Melendez, RHP, 22, Double-A
31. Jake Bloss, RHP, 22, Single-A
32. Alimber Santa, RHP, 20, Single-A
33. Nolan DeVos, RHP, 23, High-A
34. Camilo Diaz, SS, 18, Rookie (DSL)
35. Misael Tamarez, RHP, 23, Triple-A
36. Esmil Valencia, OF, 18, Rookie (DSL)
37. Alex Santos II, RHP, 21, High-A
38. Cam Fisher, OF, 22, Single-A
39. Chase Jaworsky, SS/2B, 19, Rookie (FCL)
40. Alberto Hernandez, SS/2B, 19, Rookie (FCL)
41. Anthony Huezo, OF, 18, Rookie (FCL)
42. Jose Varela, RHP, 19, Rookie (DSL)
43. Julio Robaina, LHP, 22, Double-A
44. Edinson Batista, RHP, 21, High-A
45. Luis Rodríguez, LHP, 24, Triple-A
46. Luis Encarnacion, 1B/C/OF, 21, Double-A
47. Carlos Betancourt, RHP, 22, High-A
48. Jancel Villarroel, 1B/C, 18, Rookie (DSL)
49. Valente Bellozo, RHP, 24, Double-A
50. Sandy Mejia, RHP, 20, Single-A

Gomez has a great hit tool and solid speed where he can be a future leadoff hitter but without much power. Melendez has made some Prospects of the Week appearances over the last couple of seasons, and could be a sneaky deep dynasty league add. Ditto for Santos II. Tamarez needs to improve upon his 1-10 season, which brought a 5.08 ERA and 1.48 WHIP. He’s attempting to do that for Licey in the Dominican Winter League. Guilfoil, Ullola, and Betancourt are all middle relief prospects. Valencia and Jaworsky both have a good feel for hitting with some speed. Hernandez is a young shortstop with some pop. (@Scotty_Ballgame and @tonybps1)

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Adam Greene

Adam Greene is a Sport Management and Marketing double major at UMass Amherst's Isenberg School of Management. His main focus is sport marketing, where he's already had internships with the local Westfield Starfires and Springfield Thunderbirds. He now writes for the Cape Cod Baseball League. From Longmeadow, MA, Adam is a huge Red Sox fan and has been following the team his whole life. When Covid hit, he started paying a lot more attention to the Red Sox minor league teams, and now, follows them almost as much as the big league squad. Follow him on Twitter at @aj_greene1015 and Instagram at the same handle.

Scott Greene

President of Prospects1500. Founder of Diamond Duos dynasty fantasy baseball leagues and the MLB Fantasy Playoffs Parlay. Participant and champion in several dynasty/fantasy baseball and football leagues. Sales Manager for Reminder Publishing in real life. Huge Bruce Springsteen and pro wrestling fan. Along with his wife and two boys, lives in Longmeadow, MA. Follow on Twitter at @Scotty_Ballgame.

Jeremy Mahy

Jeremy covers the St Louis organization and contributes on Prospects of the Week for Prospects1500. Born and raised in the Midwest, he is a lifelong fan of the Birds on the Bat. You can follow him on Twitter @JMahyfam for more baseball content.

"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too." -Yogi Berra

Tony Bps

Tony Bps Spina is a lifelong baseball fan hailing from the City of Brotherly Love - Philadelphia! Tony has loved baseball since 1980 and has followed the Phillies through good and bad times. Tony is married with 3 kids and works for a financial institution but has enough free time to play in 20 fantasy baseball leagues with 75% of them being Dynasty Leagues. He lives a few blocks away from Citizens Bank Park and attends many Phillies games per year in addition to their minor league teams in Lehigh Valley and Reading. He can be reached on Twitter at @TonyBps1.