Houston Astros Preliminary Prospect List
by John Sickels on Nov 17, 2011 3:00 PM EST
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PrintPreliminary Astros list below the fold. This one is actually not too long, which is good because I need space considering how many prospects I've written up for other teams.
Houston Astros 36 players
Juan Abreu RHP
Ruben Alaniz RHP
Jack Armstrong Jr RHP
Jay Austin OF
Adam Bailey OF
James Buchanan RHP
Tanner Bushue RHP
Xavier Cedeno LHP
Paul Clemens RHP
Jarred Cosart RHP
Jorge De Leon RHP
Delino DeShields Jr 2B
Mike Foltynewicz RHP
Jake Goebbert OF
Kyle Hallock LHP
Adrian Hauser RHP
Kody Hinze 1B
Dallas Keuchel LHP
Mike Kvasnicka 3B
Chris Lee LHP
Jiovanni Mier SS
Telvin Nash 1B
Brett Oberholtzer LHP
Luis Ordisgoitti RHP
Ariel Ovando OF
Jimmy Paredes 2B
Domingo Santana OF
Ross Seaton RHP
J.B Shuck OF
Jonathan Singleton 1B-OF
Jordan Scott OF
George Springer OF
Nick Tropeano RHP
Jonathan Villar SS
Austin Wates OF
Josh Zeid RHP
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Half this list
are former Phillies prospects…or so it seems…
Five former Phillies prospects by my count.
Let’s not get carried away.
The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world.
by Stupendous Man on Nov 17, 2011 3:36 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Twas only a joke
Let’s not get too serious
My bad.
If only there were a way to convey sarcasm over the interwebz.
The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world.
by Stupendous Man on Nov 18, 2011 11:54 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I really like Nick Tropeano.
I think he’ll surprise a lot of people next year.
The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world.
by Stupendous Man on Nov 17, 2011 3:37 PM EST via mobile reply actions
i agree.
his debut was impressive
Adoptive father of 18th round draft pick and future ace, BRANDON ALLEN
by Nnamdi Asomugha on Nov 17, 2011 4:43 PM EST up reply actions
He seems to have a bit of a cult fan-dom
Of which I am proudly a member.
Chris Wallace had a good year. showed some power,
I would put him above some others listed above. Emilio King as well.
by lawson3 on Nov 17, 2011 4:27 PM EST via mobile reply actions 1 recs
Personally
I don’t consider Emilio King much of a prospect at all. He had a hot streak when he first popped up in Lexington, but high K rate and lacking power isn’t a combination for success.
I like King
But I can’t defend him to much and your points are valid, especially the K rate. Although I think his power is coming along.
by lawson3 on Nov 17, 2011 5:06 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Kings Defense is outstanding
14 outfield assist in Appy in 2010 – mostly RF
14 in 2011 in Lexington playing all over the OF.
Shows great reaction to balls in OF in addition to a great arm.
Offensively showed significant progress over 2010. Definitely a sleeper to watch in 2012. Could be the Hinze of 2012.
I don't personally like either of those guys for top 20 status
Wallace struck out way too much and didn’t walk enough for such an older player and his defense is nothing special. Teams don’t usually like defensively-challenged guys as their backup catcher and I’m very skeptical he has the hit tool to see the lion’s share of the playing time in the majors. Probably an organizational guy but the power from the catcher position is interesting I suppose.
King had his first decent year at age 21 in single A and even then the BB/K was ugly. Won’t stick in CF. Nothing to see here.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
Yeah
King isn’t in my top 40. Wallace is a borderline top 20 type…not a C+ though. If John can’t find 20 C+ or better types (which is certainly possible), then I think Wallace could fit in @ 20 maybe, but so could a few others.
by auclairkeithbc on Nov 17, 2011 5:53 PM EST up reply actions
Ill disagree with you on his defense the Orem. Its beeter then what some of the reports
youve read. HE still has work to do on it but is better then whats been reported.
"This is a simple game, you throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the the ball, you got it?!"
Nick Tropeano's going to be a B+ prospect in a year or two.
Book it.
"Hakeem couldn't kick your ass cuz you were too
close kissin his!"- Sir Charles to Kenny Smith.
Booked!
Check out The Dream Shake.
Follow @PatrickHarrel
by Patrick Harrel on Nov 17, 2011 11:48 PM EST up reply actions
bold, but way too general
Will it be one year or two??
I think you really need to include
Vincent Velasquez. He is easily in my top 20, and a C+.
I really liked Velasquez…too bad he got injured. Would have been great to see what he could have done last year
by Woodlands'stro on Nov 17, 2011 8:47 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Velasquez should be included as mentioned
Jonas Dufek and Brandon Meredith are a couple interesting ones from this draft.
velasquez
I can see Velasquez and Chris Wallace, yes. Meredith and Dufek are college players who did not perfom well in short-season ball. I don’t see much of a reason to include them given space limits.
by John Sickels on Nov 17, 2011 5:11 PM EST up reply actions
I don't see any chance of Meredith making top 20
But I would like to note that his tools are reportedly quite good. I could maybe see him as an HM.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
I don't see them as potential top 20 candidates either
And the criticism of their performance thus far is valid. But I do like them over guys like Xavier Cedeno or Jorge De Leon in terms of future potential, that was the only reason I thought they might be worth a mention.
What do you guys think of Koby Clemens?
I think he could be ok, has a decent eye and some power. But he does K a bunch and is limited a ton defensivly. He could be a good Pinch Hitter however.
He was let go by the Astros.
Currently a minor league free agent.
Would like to see Bushue out of the top 20.
He’s a bust. Don’t have any hope left that he can bounce back.
"Hakeem couldn't kick your ass cuz you were too
close kissin his!"- Sir Charles to Kenny Smith.
A bit too early to call Bushue a bust, IMO. Let’s see how he does with a full healthy season next year.
The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world.
by Stupendous Man on Nov 18, 2011 1:23 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Disagree with that one
He still has projectability left, but he is approaching the crossroads. I think he’s in the 15-17 range. He’s just clearly better in my mind than guys like Tropeano, Lee, Hallock who really are just straight C guys right now.
by auclairkeithbc on Nov 18, 2011 8:43 AM EST up reply actions
If you told me I could have one of Tropeano and Bushue
There’s no question I take Nick right now. I think he should be a C+, and Bushue a C.
I just can't see that.
Tropeano is a prospect, but it is hard to project him as a major league starting pitcher, and he doesn’t have the kind of stuff you’d want as a bullpen guy, maybe a long reliever? Bushue is unlikely to become a MLB starter at this point too, but the upside is there at least. And he has late inning relief potential as well. The point is, from my perspective, both players are kind of long-shots to become decent major leaguers. Tropeano might have a bit of a higher floor, but both floors fall short of MLB contributors. So I’m looking pretty squarely at ceiling, and I just think it pretty safe to say Bushue’s is higher. Tropeano could fit into the top 20 maybe if there are only 18/19 C+ types, and John needs to fit in one of the C’s into the last spot or two, but Bushue is still a C+ to me, and safely in the top 20.
by auclairkeithbc on Nov 18, 2011 10:10 AM EST up reply actions
Everything I've read about Tropeano
Suggests that his changeup is an elite pitch, one of the very best in the draft only behind guys like Bauer, Hultzen, Gilmartin and company. I agree that his velocity is lacking, but I think his offspeed stuff has the potential to make him a legitimate big league starter in the Shaun Marcum mold.
Well
I won’t be rooting against him. I’m just not sold at this point. I do like him more than Lee, Hallock, Dufek and others drafted after the top 3 rounds.
by auclairkeithbc on Nov 18, 2011 10:18 AM EST up reply actions
Last I heard, his fastball was sitting around 90 mph with solid command. With his above average changeup, I could see him have some success as a starter if he develops a breaking ball.
The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world.
by Stupendous Man on Nov 18, 2011 12:01 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
*having success
The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world.
by Stupendous Man on Nov 18, 2011 12:01 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I still like Bushue.
But yeah, I like Tropeano better too. I think both will be a C+ on this list, but Tropeano will be a solid B next year, I bet.
The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world.
by Stupendous Man on Nov 18, 2011 11:57 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I'd give both
RHP James Buchanan, the 15th President of the United States, and Astros SP prospect Jake Buchanan a C-.
Would Jimmy Paredes have too many MLB PAs to be eligible for your list?
If so, I’d nominate 3B Jonathan Meyer (this is a guy that you may want to vet with some Cal League sources) or C Chris Wallace as his replacement.
I’ve not seen or heard much about RHP RP Dayan Diaz, but his numbers are very impressive. The web reports from Tri-City say he was pumping 94-95 mph fastballs which seems no stretch based on the stats. If you’ve got sources in the NY-Penn League, you might want to check in on him. He’s probably in a similar boat as Jorge De Leon prospect-wise (fastball and what else?) but may have a higher ceiling as a late-inning arm than either De Leon or the not-listed former Giants high draftee Jason Stoffel in AA.
Xavier Cedeno
was recently outrighted off the 40-man roster and re-signed to a minor league deal. So he’s probably not in the picture as far as the organization’s Top 40 prospects go.
list
Paredes as debreer23 points out has too much major league service time, so he’s cut. I’ll replace him with Diaz.
What was your grade on Paredes anyway?
"Hakeem couldn't kick your ass cuz you were too
close kissin his!"- Sir Charles to Kenny Smith.
by bone31crusher on Nov 18, 2011 4:16 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, that's about right.
I give Paredes a boarderline B. Same thing as a strong B-, I guess.
People think he won’t be an impact player, but I think he will be. He’s a freak athlete with great tools. He can definitely be a 20 HR, 30+ SBs if he pans out.
He also showed surprisingly good discipline at the plate in his brief stint with the Astros last year. You’d think that he would strikeout a lot because of his poor stats in the minors, but he rarely swung at bad pitches. Same for J.D. Martinez.
He’s like Jonathan Villar, only further down the line in his development.
"Hakeem couldn't kick your ass cuz you were too
close kissin his!"- Sir Charles to Kenny Smith.
by bone31crusher on Nov 18, 2011 4:49 PM EST up reply actions
He could go either way
He’s a toolbox with a gorgeous swing, but we’ll have to see if he can hit ML pitching.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
He had a .286 average in 168 at-bats.
So that’s a good start.
His patience at the plate was a pleasant surprise, as well.
"Hakeem couldn't kick your ass cuz you were too
close kissin his!"- Sir Charles to Kenny Smith.
by bone31crusher on Nov 18, 2011 8:39 PM EST up reply actions
The average isn't particularly meaningful in this sample size
But from a purely eyeballing it standpoint, I liked his tools more than I thought I would.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
I understand that he only played in around 45 games,
but you have to be impressed with his plate discipline, especially since he was supposed to be a very free-swinger.
"Hakeem couldn't kick your ass cuz you were too
close kissin his!"- Sir Charles to Kenny Smith.
by bone31crusher on Nov 18, 2011 10:09 PM EST up reply actions
It was better than I expected but still quite bad
47 strikeouts and only 9 walks.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
It was more of having long at-bats,
and not swinging at bad pitches.
"Hakeem couldn't kick your ass cuz you were too
close kissin his!"- Sir Charles to Kenny Smith.
by bone31crusher on Nov 19, 2011 1:22 AM EST up reply actions
Another guy
In a weak system like this, I’d include Chase Davidson on the list. Great numbers in the Appy League, altho hi ARL at 21 y/o. Is a big 1BMan, but is a lefty. Dont know anything else about him, but w 8 SBs in 165 ABs, probably not too unathletic.
Astros system isn't weak anymore.
Probably “average” now. I look forward to the day when that notion catches on.
The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world.
by Stupendous Man on Nov 19, 2011 2:29 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
surprising speed
Saw him have a couple of hustle doubles and steal some bases. Want to see him in full season ball playing with people his age. Would be surprised to see him in Lancaster this year to begin. Was dominating Appy pitching.
Anyone still have hope for Jay Austin?
Did bat .311 with 4 (of 5) stolen bases in 11 games. Also had 6 walks and only 9 strikeouts. Small sample size, but it’d be nice to see him have a good year. Still has that great upside.
"Hakeem couldn't kick your ass cuz you were too
close kissin his!"- Sir Charles to Kenny Smith.
I'm not optimistic on Austin.
He’s still young, but he is still very raw considering that he is about to enter his fifth pro season. He’s very much an example of ‘great athlete, bad ballplayer’. There have also been reports of makeup and character issues, especially after his demotion to Lexington last season. He’s got great upside, but he’s still too raw to have a realistic shot at reaching it any time soon, in my opinion.
The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world.
by Stupendous Man on Nov 20, 2011 12:07 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
this is a big year for him
I am hopeful that the AFL season is a harbinger of a better 2012. He had a awful 2010 AFL and we know how 2011. He was very young when drafted and had maturity issues. the fact that Houston sent him to the AFL MAY have been a challenge to prove his prospect status. I hold out hope for him but he has a lot to over come. Needs to be able to show something at AA before the season is out.
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