2017 Houston Astros Top 10 Prospects Insider
See Also: Astros Top 10 Prospects
Talent Infusion: Draft Report Card
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SEASON IN A SENTENCE: Houston dug itself a hole with a terrible start and ultimately took a step back, even though a small one, winning two fewer games and finishing in third place in the American League West.
HIGH POINT: The Astros started 7-17 in April but were 20 games over .500 for most of the next three months, culminating with a sweep of the lowly Angels and a 13-3 thrashing of Tim Lincecum on July 25. Jose Altuve, still swinging the bat at his best, slammed two homers in the game but his just seven the rest of the year.
LOW POINT: Houston couldn’t beat rival Texas, which won the AL West and went 15-4 against the Astros. The last loss, a 3-2 defeat, was the eighth one-run Texas win and included two ninth-inning runs for the Rangers off Astros closer Ken Giles.
NOTABLE ROOKIES: Righthander Chris Devenski emerged early as a key force in the bullpen, and he delivered 108 innings and a 2.16 ERA, with 43 of his 48 appearances out of the bullpen. Houston relied heavily on rookies to boost the lineup in the second half, chief among them shortstop/third baseman Alex Bregman, who overcame a 2-for-36 start to hit .264/.313/.478. First base was a revolving door for the Astros, who tried both rookies Tyler White and A.J. Reed with little success. Righthanders Michael Feliz (8-1, 95 strikeouts in 65 innings) and Joe Musgrove (4-4, 4.06) showed flashes as well in the second half.
KEY TRANSACTIONS: Houston’s key moves came in the offseason, with the exception of the July signing of Cuban free agent Yulieski Gurriel to a five-year, $47.5 million contract. The 32-year-old worked into the lineup in August and September and got 130 at-bats, leaving him prospect-eligible for 2017.
DOWN ON THE FARM: Houston ranked just 11th in organizational domestic winning percentage, its worst mark under GM Jeff Luhnow after having finished first in 2012, ’13 and ’15 and eighth in ’14. Just two Astros affiliates made the playoffs; Corpus Christi had the best record in the Double-A Texas League (85-55), while Lancaster won the second half of the high Class A California League’s South Division. Bregman (.306/.406/.580, 20 HR) was having one of the best seasons in the minors before his callup. Outfielder Myles Straw, who spent most of the season at low Class A Quad Cities, won the minor league batting title, hitting .358 in 346 at-bats.
OPENING DAY PAYROLL: $94,893,700 (21st)
| BEST TOOLS | |
| Best Hitter for Average | Kyle Tucker |
| Best Power Hitter | A.J. Reed |
| Best Strike-Zone Discipline | Yulieski Gurriel |
| Fastest Baserunner | Myles Straw |
| Best Athlete | Daz Cameron |
| Best Fastball | Francis Martes |
| Best Curveball | Francis Martes |
| Best Slider | Hector Perez |
| Best Changeup | Francis Martes |
| Best Control | Brady Rodgers |
| Best Defensive Catcher | Garrett Stubbs |
| Best Defensive Infielder | Miguelangel Sierra |
| Best Infield Arm | J.D. Davis |
| Best Defensive Outfielder | Gilberto Celestino |
| Best Outfield Arm | Teoscar Hernandez |
| PROJECTED 2020 LINEUP | |
| Catcher | Garrett Stubbs |
| First Base | A.J. Reed |
| Second Base | Jose Altuve |
| Third Base | Alex Bregman |
| Shortstop | Carlos Correa |
| Left Field | Kyle Tucker |
| Center Field | Teoscar Hernandez |
| Right Field | George Springer |
| Designated Hitter | Derek Fisher |
| No. 1 Starter | Francis Martes |
| No. 2 Starter | Dallas Keuchel |
| No. 3 Starter | Lance McCullers Jr. |
| No. 4 Starter | Joe Musgrove |
| No. 5 Starter | Franklin Perez |
| Closer | David Paulino |
| TOP PROSPECTS OF THE DECADE | ||
| Year | Player, Pos. | 2016 Org |
| 2007 | Hunter Pence, of | Giants |
| 2008 | J.R. Towles, c | Did not play |
| 2009 | Jason Castro, c | Astros |
| 2010 | Jason Castro, c | Astros |
| 2011 | Jordan Lyles, rhp | Rockies |
| 2012 | Jon Singleton, 1b/of | Astros |
| 2013 | Carlos Correa, ss | Astros |
| 2014 | Carlos Correa, ss | Astros |
| 2015 | Carlos Correa, ss | Astros |
| 2016 | A.J. Reed, 1b | Astros |
| TOP DRAFT PICKS OF THE DECADE | ||
| Year | Player, Pos. | 2016 Org |
| 2007* | Derek Dietrich, 3b (3rd round) | Marlins |
| 2008 | Jason Castro, c | Astros |
| 2009 | Jio Mier, ss | Blue Jays |
| 2010 | Delino DeShields Jr., 2b | Rangers |
| 2011 | George Springer, of | Astros |
| 2012 | Carlos Correa, ss | Astros |
| 2013 | Mark Appel, rhp | Phillies |
| 2014* | Brady Aiken, lhp | Indians |
| 2015 | Alex Bregman, ss | Astros |
| 2016 | Forrest Whitley, rhp | Astros |
| *Did not sign. | ||
| LARGEST BONUSES IN CLUB HISTORY | |
| Mark Appel, 2013 | $6,350,000 |
| Alex Bregman, 2015 | $5,900,000 |
| Carlos Correa, 2012 | $4,800,000 |
| Kyle Tucker, 2015 | $4,000,000 |
| Daz Cameron, 2015 | $4,000,000 |
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