Blair Henley looks to have rounded into form. His last 4 appearances have been great. Sleeper to help in Houston next season. And he may be a Rule 5 risk at this point.
Hopefully his velo is still not peaked after his injury, for a guy like him another 1-2 ticks up could be a big deal.
Houston’s Rule 5 class looked pretty weak coming into the season but quite a few guys have made a solid case to be protected: IF: Whitcomb OF: Barber, Corona, Daniels, Brewer P: Robaina, McDonald, Henley, Macuare, Taveras, Record, Gusto I would also expect Solis and Melendez would garner consideration in spite of their 2023 performance just due to upside. Im surprised they didn’t bump up a couple of those AA OF to AAA to see if they can hang to help inform their decision.
I still think he’s a year of AAA away, but I really like Kenedy Corona, everything outside of the hit tool looks like it’s above average MLB level. If he can make consistent contact and keep getting stronger, he’s got a lot of upside.
I fully expect Barber and Corona to be protected; they are just too talented and their present skill set presents them as very likely capable of sticking as a 4th/5th OF for a year until they can be optioned. All the others it’s hard to say. Whitcomb has a great case that he can stick as a backup middle infielder who hits for power, so if he is not protected I would think he’d be a major risk. Brewer and Daniels are probably safe due to strikeouts and injuries. All those eligible pitchers I listed have big league stuff but they all have significant dings with either injuries or lackluster stats.
Last year was 88-91 with the fastball. This year usually 90-92 mph. His fastball plays up - movement, movement, deception and elite command. There wasn’t a lot of interest in him at the trade deadline - but Astros were fine with that.
Miguel Ullola had a nice outing yesterday, striking out 8 over 4 innings. Over his last two outings he has a ridiculous 19 Ks to 2 BB in 8.2 innings. He's had a pretty rough year overall, so hopefully he's turned a corner.
Ullola, Blubaugh, and Knorr are 3 guys I think could really break out once they are able to move from Asheville to Corpus. Bellozo too to a lesser extent.
Can we please keep this thread focused on the Minor Leagues? I just scrolled through 3 pages of Pena/Meyers/Dubon/Chas/Catcher/etc....
Ethan Pecko allowed a run on four hits and struck out one in his two innings for the FCL. The second game of their doubleheader yesterday was suspended due to rain and a few of the pitchers from this year's draft class got some time on the mound. James Hicks retired all five batters he faced, striking out one.
Most of these opinions are based on what I have observed in person on from game tape - but some are just what I have been told from others that are to some degree involved in the game. Esmil Valenia - signed for a little over a 1.1 million with the Astros at 17 years old. He didn't get more money because he isn't going to be an up the middle defender, and possibly will be limited to 1st base. His bat is his calling card. Already showing strong double potential and at least a few years from being fully mature. He has less physical upside than some - but the hit skill looks real. His performance this summer only helped his stock. He is still 17 but his body is more mature than some others, I think we could see him stateside next year. German Ramirez - was signed by the Astros as a true 16 year old to a surprising 1.2 million dollars. He tends to keep a low profile and has been connected to the Astros since he was 14 years old. He is a project and drafted based on upside. He has good size at 6'0" and 180 lbs for his age. Right now he is a very athletic and smooth shortstop that covers a lot of ground. Because of his frame and weight at 16 years old, he likely could end up in center or third base. I have seen a decent amount of tape on him, and at this point he mostly looks like he WILL be a good player. He had a so-so season, with an OPS around .650% and no power. However at 16, that isn't bad. He will likely repeat this level next year. Overall his stock is on the upswing. What stands out to me is his really quick bat and reflexes. Camilo Diaz - Signed for nearly 2.5 million dollars. He is 17 years old and already is 6'3" and 210 lbs. That is really good size for a SS, and while the Astros claim that they think he will stay there - he is built like a future three bagger. He handed the bat fairly well this season. He showed an amazing ability to draw walks, which off sets the slightly elevated strikeout rate. He has power and the rare ability to turn on pitches in on his wrists. Overall he had a very solid first professional season. He did not set the league on fire, but did all that was expected and then some. It is possible that he doesn't go state side because of his age, and lower contact rate. Kenni Gomez - Played last year at 16 years old and had a strong season. Was ticketed for state side entering this year, but reported with a noticeably different body. He had grown several inches and had added muscle. There were also some concerns about overwhelming him in a new country at his age. He ended up in the Florida Complex League and regressed some as a hitter adjusting to his body changes. It wasn't a total loss of a season, as he exhibited greatly improved speed on the bases and in the outfield. While he didn't jump a level like some hoped, he just turned 18 years old and will likely end up in A ball next year, even with his body changing so much. Luis Baez - a year older than Gomez, but has leap frogged him as the top lower level prospect in the organization thanks to his hit tool (not entirely true as Gomez is a legitimate CF). He had a solid season in A after the call up. He didn't hit many homers, but showed plenty of double power at an early age, and the strikeouts were appropriate for the level. There is some hope that by the end of next season he could be in AA.
Been intrigued by Sandro Pereira, although he's probably locked in as a 2B going forward. At 5-7, 150 (probably grown since then), he's eventually going to get Altuve comparisons (warranted or not), but we'll see if he can hit like Jose.
Thanks for sharing this. Any idea why Kenni's playing time was so limited over the last month or so? Injury?
I would think in general teams want their best prospects playing in games, no matter their age. The complex leagues seem a little bit different from other levels but sparse playing raises questions for me, regardless of age.
