Matt Albers

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Houston Astros #3 prospect in 2007
  A local product who played at a suburban Houston high school and nearby San Jacinto (Texas) Junior College, Albers has had one of the system's best arms since signing as a draft-and-follow in 2002. But he showed newfound dedication in 2006, when he was the Texas League pitcher of the year, led the circuit in ERA and made his big league debut. Albers' 91-94 mph two-seam fastball runs in on righthanders and away from lefties, and it chews up bats. He also can hit 97 mph with a four-seamer when needed. He uses a hard breaking ball with slider velocity and curveball break, and it's a solid-average pitch. He does a good job of repeating his windmill delivery, so his command should continue to improve. Albers' changeup is making progress but he needs to trust it more. He sometimes rushes his mechanics and gets under his pitches, losing life and leaving them up in the zone. He had problems with alcohol earlier in his career but has put that behind him. Ticketed for Triple-A at the start of the season, Albers has a ceiling as a good No. 3 starter and could help solidify the back of Houston's rotation later in the year.
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  Ranked Houston Astros #12 prospect in 2006
  A local product who played for a suburban Houston high school and nearby juco power San Jacinto, Albers has one of the best arms in the system. But he learned in 2005 that won't mean much if he doesn't improve his dedication. He has yet to place much value on preparing for starts or working on his off days, and his mechanics and command wandered throughout last season. So did his confidence. If he takes his career more seriously, he could be a frontline starter. Albers works consistently at 93-94 mph and touches 97 with his fastball, and both his curveball and slider show the potential to become plus pitches. He doesn't throw his average changeup enough. He needs to get more consistent with his secondary pitches and his control. He was hittable last year because he rarely pitched inside and struggled to keep the ball down. Albers had a soft body when he signed, and while he has gotten in better shape it's still a concern. The Astros suspended him for a month after an alcohol-related incident at a South Atlantic League all-star game function in 2004. He has gotten his life in order, and now must do the same with his career. Some club officials wonder if he lacks the focus to be a starter and might be more effective as a reliever. He'll remain in the rotation for now, though he could repeat high Class A as a wakeup call.
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  Ranked Houston Astros #6 prospect in 2005
  Drafted out of a suburban Houston high school and signed as a draftand- follow out of local junior college power San Jacinto, Albers has had more strikeouts than innings in each of his three pro seasons. He was suspended for an alcohol-related incident at the low Class A South Atlantic League all-star game last June and spent a month in rehab. He didn't miss a beat when he returned. Albers achieves late, heavy sink with a fastball that sits at 92-93 mph and tops out at 96. He can overmatch hitters simply by pitching inside. He also throws a curveball, slider and changeup, all of which have their moments. He's durable and throws with little effort after improving his delivery. Albers' greatest need is for more consistency on the mound and off the field. His secondary pitches and command come and go, and he must take his career more seriously. His body isn't as soft as it was when he signed, but it's still a concern. Slated for high Class A Salem, Albers could force his way to Houston's new Double-A Corpus Christi affiliate by the end of 2005. He has a high ceiling but also a long distance to go to reach it.
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  Ranked Houston Astros #9 prospect in 2004
  Albers is a local product, drafted out of a suburban Houston high school and signed after a year in junior college. He made tremendous strides from his first pro summer to his second, topping the New York-Penn League in strikeouts and turning in quality starts in each of his last six outings. Despite a short, stocky frame, Albers generates 91-95 mph fastballs with little effort. He also has a quick, sharp breaking ball and is picking up a changeup. His fearless makeup might be as good as his stuff. He did a better job controlling his mechanics and his pitches in 2003. His feel for his craft also improved. Houston has had success with short pitchers, but Albers not only was short but also had a soft, pudgy body when he signed. The Astros challenged him to improve his conditioning and he responded, though he'll have to continually watch himself. His secondary pitches require more work. Albers will team up with Jason Hirsh again in low Class A. Hirsh has a higher ceiling, but Albers is more polished and consistent at this point.
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  Ranked Houston Astros #28 prospect in 2003
  The Astros selected Albers out of a suburban Houston high school in 2001 and signed him as a draft-and-follow after he spent a year at San Jacinto JC, where he went to the Junior College World Series. He's something to behold because he has a short, somewhat soft frame at 6 feet and 210 pounds--with an electric right arm attached. Albers is still raw, but his potential is obvious. He throws a 91-95 mph fastball, a slider that has its moments and a changeup. He can be inconsistent with his release point and needs to firm up his body, but he'll shoot up the prospect list and through the minors if he figures it all out. Albers sent a positive sign to the Astros by shedding 12 pounds before reporting to instructional league. Houston won't rush him, so he could begin 2003 in extended spring training before reporting to short-season ball.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Texas League #15 prospect in 2006
  Like Talbot, Albers is a pitcher who came to Corpus Christi and added performance to his potential this season. Albers had not pitched above Class A coming into 2006, but he performed well enough to earn a big league callup in July. He bounced between Houston and Triple-A the rest of the season, but his 19 starts for the Hooks were enough to earn him the league ERA title (2.17) as well as pitcher-of-the-year honors. Albers' arm has never been a question, but coming into the season there were major reservations about his makeup and dedication to the game. He put those all aside this year, winning high marks for his focus and ability to ratchet up his stuff when the situation called for it. Most managers thought it was simply a case of maturity and Albers finally realizing he was within striking distance of the big leagues. He certainly has the stuff to pitch there, and one opposing manager said Albers' stuff was the best in the league. He consistently worked in the low 90s with his fastball, complementing it with a good changeup and slider. He also showed improved command and ability to control the running game.
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  Ranked South Atlantic League #18 prospect in 2004
  Albers was one of several players who ran into trouble at the SAL all-star game in Charleston, S.C. Rome all-stars Chuck James and Matt Esquivel were sent home after a barroom incident at the event, and Albers was suspended for a month by the Astros organization afterward, reportedly for an alcohol-related incident. However, he returned to the rotation in August and finished the season strong, striking out 51 in his last 34 innings. Albers ranked fifth in the league in strikeouts despite the missed time. Stocky and strong, he got those whiffs primarily off his fastball. It reached 93-94 mph consistently and he held that velocity deep into outings. "His fastball had average life, but he had pretty good command of it," Clark said. "I thought his curve at times was a good pitch, and he'd throw it in fastball counts. He was also very effective against lefthanders, even though I thought his change was below average. Down the line, it could be a good pitch for him."

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #85 prospect in 2007

• December, 2006 Scouting Report
  A local product who played at a suburban Houston high school and nearby San Jacinto (Texas) Junior College, Albers has had one of the system's best arms since signing as a draft-and-follow in 2002. But he showed newfound dedication in 2006, when he was the Texas League pitcher of the year, led the circuit in ERA and made his big league debut. Albers' 91-94 mph two-seam fastball runs in on righthanders and away from lefties, and it chews up bats. He also can hit 97 mph with a four-seamer when needed. He uses a hard breaking ball with slider velocity and curveball break, and it's a solid-average pitch. He does a good job of repeating his windmill delivery, so his command should continue to improve. Albers' changeup is making progress but he needs to trust it more. He sometimes rushes his mechanics and gets under his pitches, losing life and leaving them up in the zone. He had problems with alcohol earlier in his career but has put that behind him. Ticketed for Triple-A at the start of the season, Albers has a ceiling as a good No. 3 starter and could help solidify the back of Houston's rotation later in the year.