Shay Whitcomb: Astros 2024 Minor League Player Of The Year
Third baseman Shay Whitcomb struggled when he reached Triple-A Sugar Land in 2023. He worked diligently in the offseason to make sure that didn’t happen again in 2024.
Mission accomplished.
The 25-year-old Whitcomb hit .293/.378/.530 with 25 home runs and 26 stolen bases in 108 games for Sugar Land this season, earning his first big league callup on Aug. 17.
“Shay is a fantastic player and a fantastic kid off the field,” Astros farm director Jacob Buffa said. “More so than anyone, he’s able to make adjustments. He doesn’t shy away from them even if they’re difficult.”
Whitcomb improved his OPS at Triple-A by nearly 200 points between 2023 and 2024.
“This offseason, I had a big emphasis on swing decisions and walk rates, especially to try to minimize my strikeouts,” Whitcomb said. “That was something that really elevated my game.”
Whitcomb’s year-over-year strikeout rate with Sugar Land dropped from 31% to 20%. His walk rate nearly doubled from 6% to 11%.
Houston drafted Whitcomb with the final pick of the five-round 2020 draft. The UC San Diego shortstop has showed off versatility in pro ball by playing all infield positions and, new this year, both corner outfield spots.
For the first time in his life, Whitcomb carries three baseball gloves: one for the infield, outfield and first base.
“I think that’s one of the reasons why I got here (to the majors),” he said of his versatility. “I’m a shortstop primarily, but the Astros when they drafted me made it a point to make me really fluent at second base as well as third.”
