2018 Draft Summary

Earlier this month, I posted a summary of draft results to date for 20 years, starting in 1998 and continuing through 2017. Now it's time to look at the early results of the 2018 draft class. (These summaries emanate from a much deeper team-by-team analysis that was rolled out earlier this year. Links to the team-by-team information can be found at the end of this post.)

This post is an attempt to summarize the initial results of the 2018 draft in order to get an idea as to how a particular draft class plays out over time. This is just the start of an ongoing analysis that will follow this draft class going forward, looking at both the success (or failure) of individual players and how those players may ultimately benefit the team that drafted them (even if the player never plays for the drafting team and that benefit comes in the form of trade value), the makeup of the class, the likelihood of making it to the majors and other such minutiae. I plan to revisit and update information on both the historical and newer draft classes in the next offseason and I'll just see where the data takes me. This project stems from my curiosity about the draft in general and my enjoyment in sorting through myriad pixels in order to ultimately access the bigger picture. (I know. I'm a little weird.)

GENERAL NOTES: Information was obtained from Baseball-Reference. The player position reflects the primary position at which the player actually played in 2018 (and not necessarily the position at which he was drafted).

2018 DRAFT RESULTS

1214 Drafted | 960 Signed (79.1%)
658 Pitchers Drafted | 510 Signed (77.5%)
556 Position Players Drafted | 450 Signed (80.9%)
805 College Players Drafted | 752 Signed (93.4%)
104 JC/CC Players Drafted | 67 Signed (64.4%)
305 HS/NS Players Drafted | 141 Signed (46.2%)
7 Players Released/Retired as of 12/31/18 (0.73% of Signed Players)

POSITION BREAKDOWN (Primary Position in 2018*)

391 RHP Signed: 322 C | 27 JC/CC | 42 HS/NS
119 LHP Signed: 96 C | 9 JC/CC | 14 HS/NS
84 C Signed: 60 C | 9 JC/CC | 15 HS
38 1B Signed: 34 C | 1 JC/CC | 3 HS
49 2B Signed: 44 C | 1 JC/CC | 4 HS
52 3B Signed: 40 C | 4 JC/CC | 8 HS
57 SS Signed: 35 C | 2 JC/CC | 20 HS
170 OF Signed: 121 C | 14 JC/CC | 35 HS

*Two additional OF and one additional 1B can be added to the position player totals to account for two-way players who are included in the pitcher totals.

2018 DRAFT OVERALL BY AFFILIATE (PITCHERS)

Overall: 3.67 ERA | 1.299 WHIP
376.2 Avg IP Per Affiliate
25 Avg IP Per Active Pitcher

59 Pitchers did not pitch in 2018 (44 C, 5 JC/CC, 10 HS)

Lowest WHIP
Indians: 2.41 ERA | 1.138 WHIP | 336.2 IP | 14 Active Pitchers
Blue Jays: 3.22 ERA | 1.149 WHIP | 389 IP | 17 Active Pitchers
Rays: 3.07 ERA | 1.179 WHIP | 563.1 IP | 20 Active Pitchers
Rangers: 3.27 ERA | 1.201 WHIP | 170.2 IP | 9 Active Pitchers
Astros: 2.74 ERA | 1.207 WHIP | 364.2 IP | 16 Active Pitchers

Highest WHIP
Orioles: 3.97 ERA | 1.449 WHIP | 330.2 IP | 16 Active Pitchers
Braves: 3.98 ERA | 1.431 WHIP | 348.2 IP | 17 Active Pitchers
Angels: 4.63 ERA | 1.399 WHIP | 281.2 IP | 12 Active Pitchers
Reds: 4.73 ERA | 1.396 WHIP | 467.2 IP | 16 Active Pitchers
Seattle: 4.44 ERA | 1.378 WHIP | 316.1 IP | 15 Active Pitchers

Highest Average Innings Pitched
Cardinals: 36.1 IP | 17 Active Pitchers
White Sox: 35 IP | 15 Active Pitchers
Tigers: 33.1 IP | 15 Active Pitchers
Royals: 30.1 IP | 18 Active Pitchers
Pirates: 29.2 IP | 16 Active Pitchers
Reds: 29.1 IP | 16 Active Pitchers

Lowest Average Innings Pitched
Mets: 16.1 IP | 15 Active Pitchers
Yankees: 18.2 IP | 16 Active Pitchers
Rangers: 19 IP | 9 Active Pitchers
Cubs: 19.1 IP | 13 Active Pitchers
Marlins: 19.1 IP | 17 Active Pitchers
Phillies: 19.2 IP | 15 Active Pitchers

Lowest Hits Per Nine Innings
Astros: 6.64 H/9 | 16 Active Pitchers
Blue Jays: 6.76 H/9 | 16 Active Pitchers
Mets: 7.12 H/9 | 15 Active Pitchers
Athletics: 7.23 H/9 | 14 Active Pitchers
Rangers: 7.38 H/9 | 9 Active Pitchers

Lowest Walks Per Nine Innings
Indians: 2.30 BB/9 | 14 Active Pitchers
Cardinals: 2.42 BB/9 | 17 Active Pitchers
Red Sox: 2.44 BB/9 | 13 Active Pitchers
White Sox: 2.68 BB/9 | 15 Active Pitchers
Tigers: 2.71 BB/9 | 15 Active Pitchers
Nationals: 2.74 BB/9 | 15 Active Pitchers

Highest Strikeouts Per Nine Innings
Indians: 11.63 SO/9 | 14 Active Pitchers
Angels: 11.22 SO/9 | 12 Active Pitchers
Padres: 11.08 SO/9 | 13 Active Pitchers
Mets: 10.85 SO/9 | 15 Active Pitchers
Yankees: 10.57 SO/9 | 16 Active Pitchers

2018 INDIVIDUAL DRAFT PICKS IN 2018 (PITCHERS)

Player's highest level played in 2018 noted*

Lowest WHIP (Minimum 30 IP)
LHP Michael Mediavilla (Brewers): 0.59 ERA | 0.626 WHIP | 30.1 IP | Rk
RHP Ryan Feltner (Rockies): 0.88 ERA | 0.652 WHIP | 30.2 IP | Rk
RHP Simon Rosemblum-Larson (Rays): 1.16 ERA | 0.724 WHIP | 38.2 IP | A
RHP Connor Coward (Cardinals): 0.88 ERA | 0.732 WHIP | 41 IP | Rk
RHP Michael Baird (Cardinals): 1.61 ERA | 0.739 WHIP | 44.2 IP | SSA
RHP Ethan DeCaster (Tigers): 0.84 ERA | 0.781 WHIP | 32 IP | A+
RHP James McArthur (Phillies): 0.54 ERA | 0.810 WHIP | 33.1 IP | A
RHP Gus Varland (Athletics): 0.95 ERA | 0.816 WHIP | 38 IP | A
RHP Brett Daniels (Astros): 1.62 ERA | 0.840 WHIP | 33.1 IP | SSA
LHP Drew Rom (Orioles): 1.76 ERA | 0.848 WHIP | 30.2 IP | Rk

Lowest Hits Per Nine Innings (Minimum 30 IP)
RHP Cole Uvila (Rangers): 3.69 H/9 | 31.2 IP | SSA
RHP Austin Hansen (Astros): 4.11 H/9 | 30.2 IP | SSA
LHP Michael Mediavilla (Brewers): 4.15 H/9 | 30.1 IP | Rk
RHP James McArthur (Phillies): 4.32 H/9 | 33.1 IP | A
RHP Simon Rosenblum-Larson (Rays): 4.42 H/9 | 38.2 IP | A
RHP Ryan Feltner (Rockies): 4.70 H/9 | 30.2 IP | Rk
RHP Josiah Gray (Reds/Traded to Dodgers): 4.99 H/9 | 52.1 IP | Rk
RHP Connor Coward (Cardinals): 5.05 H/9 | 41 IP | Rk
RHP Joey Pulido (Blue Jays): 5.15 H/9 | 36.2 IP | SSA
LHP Will Tribucher (Rockies): 5.23 H/9 | 31 IP | Rk

Highest Strikeouts Per Nine Innings (Minimum 30 IP)
RHP Kyler Stout (D'Backs): 14.75 SO/9 | 32.1 IP | A
LHP Clayton Andrews (Brewers): 14.73 SO/9 | 33 IP | A
RHP Simon Rosemblum-Larson (Rays): 14.43 SO/9 | 38.2 | A
RHP Austin Ross (Phillies): 14.01 SO/9 | 35.1 | SSA
LHP Austin Cox (Royals): 13.77 SO/9 | 33.1 | Rk
RHP Cole Uvila (Rangers): 13.64 SO/9 | 31.2 IP | SSA
LHP Eli Lingos (Indians): 13.22 SO/9 | 32 IP | SSA
RHP Austin Hansen (Astros): 13.21 SO/9 | 30.2 IP | SSA
RHP Perry DellaValle (Cardinals): 13.20 SO/9 | 45.2 IP | Rk
RHP Daniel Bies (Yankees): 12.90 SO/9 | 30 IP | SSA

*Notes on players include the highest level achieved for the 2018 season using the following abbreviations:

Rk = Rookie

SSA = Short Season A

A = Full Season A

A+ = Full Season A Advanced

2018 DRAFT PICKS IN 2018 (POSITION PLAYERS)

Overall: .261/.349/.386/.735 batting line

8 Position Players did not play in 2018 (6 C, 2 HS)

High OPS
Rockies: .291/.371/.479/.850 | 14 Active Players
D'Backs: .288/.374/.440/.815 | 11 Active Players
Dodgers: .275/.367/.433/.800 | 19 Active Players
Twins: .281/.366/.427/.793 | 16 Active Players
Indians: .276/.373/.409/.783 | 14 Active Players
Royals: .282/.364/.412/.776 | 13 Active Players

Low OPS
Orioles: .219/.298/.322/.619 | 14 Active Players
Angels: .239/.317/.350/.667 | 9 Active Players
Cubs: .251/.333/.337/.670 | 15 Active Players
Athletics: .243/.339/.343/.682 | 18 Active Players
Astros: .232/.324/.362/.686 | 14 Active Players
Rangers: .253/.339/.347/.686 | 11 Active Players

2018 INDIVIDUAL DRAFT PICKS IN 2018 (POSITION PLAYERS)

Player's highest level played in 2018 noted*

High Individual Average (Minimum 200 PA)
OF Cal Stevenson (Blue Jays): .369/.511/.523/1.034 | Rk
OF Jarren Duran (Red Sox): .357/.394/.516/.910 | A
1B Zach Shannon (D'Backs): .354/.439/.677/1.116 | Rk
OF Nathan Eaton (Royals): .354/.427/.581/1.008 | Rk
3B C.J. Alexander (Braves): .352/.429/.495/.924 | A+
1B Grant Lavigne (Rockies): .350/.477/.519/.996 | Rk
C Ryan Jeffers (Twins): .344/.444/.502/.946 | A
3B Bobby Honeyman (Mariners): .336/.370/.460/.830 | A+
SS Owen Miller (Padres): .336/.386/.460/.846 | A
2B Coco Montes (Rockies): .333/.413/.513/.926 | Rk
OF Alek Thomas (D'Backs): .333/.395/.463/.858 | Rk

High Individual OPS (Minimum 200 PA)
1B Zach Shannon (D'Backs): .354/.439/.677/1.116 | Rk

OF Cal Stevenson (Blue Jays): .369/.511/.523/1.034 | Rk
OF Jonah Davis (Pirates): .306/.398/.612/1.010 | Rk
OF Nathan Eaton (Royals): .354/.427/.581/1.008 | Rk
1B Grant Lavigne (Rockies): .350/.477/.519/.996 | Rk
OF Jordan Qsar (Rays): .289/.422/.573/.996 | SSA
OF Niko Hulsizer (Dodgers): .281/.426/.531/.957 | Rk
SS Blaze Alexander (D'Backs): .329/.417/.538/.955 | Rk
OF Matt Cogen (Dodgers): .313/.403/.550/.953 | A
C Joey Bart (Giants): .294/.364/.588/.952 | SSA

High Individual Runs Scored
OF Cal Stevenson (Blue Jays): 73 R | 59 G | Rk
OF Nathan Eaton (Royals): 59 R | 66 G | Rk
OF Will Golsan (Rockies): 58 R | 63 G | Rk
OF Kyle Isbel (Royals): 57 R | 64 G | A
OF Niko Decolati (Rockies): 55 R | 69 G | Rk
2B Coco Montes (Rockies): 55 R | 69 G | Rk

High Individual Doubles
3B David Villar (Giants): 23 2B | 62 G | SSA
OF Kyle Isbel (Royals): 22 2B | 64 G | A

OF Nathan Eaton (Royals): 20 2B | 66 G | Rk
1B Nick Gatewood (Padres): 20 2B | 60 G | SSA
1B Dillon Paulson (Dodgers): 20 2B | 58 G | Rk

High Individual Triples
OF Nathan Eaton (Royals): 12 3B | 66 G | Rk
OF Ross Adolph (Mets/Traded to Astros): 12 3B | 61 G | SSA
OF Jarren Duran (Red Sox): 11 3B | 67 G | A
OF Justin Dean (Braves): 9 3B | 60 G | A

High Individual Home Runs
3B Nolan Gorman (Cardinals): 17 HR | 63 G | A
OF Keegan McGovern (Mariners): 15 HR | 69 G | A
1B Chris Williams (Twins): 15 HR | 62 G | Rk
OF Jordan Qsar (Rays): 14 HR | 62 G | SSA
1B Zach Shannon (D'Backs): 14 HR | 54 G | Rk

High Individual RBI
1B Dillon Paulson (Dodgers): 61 RBI | 58 G | Rk
OF Drew Mount (Reds): 58 RBI | 65 G | Rk
C David Fry (Brewers): 57 RBI | 63 G | A
OF Niko Decolati (Rockies): 56 RBI | 69 G | Rk
1B Zach Shannon (D'Backs): 55 RBI | 54 G | Rk

High Individual Stolen Bases
OF Danny Amaral (Pirates): 25 SB | 58 G | SSA
OF Jarren Duran (Red Sox): 24 SB | 67 G | A
OF Kyle Isbel (Royals): 24 SB | 64 G | A
SS Frainyer Chavez (Rangers): 23 SB | 45 G | Rk
OF Adrian Ramos (Blue Jays): 23 SB | 44 G | Rk

High Individual Walks
OF Cal Stevenson (Blue Jays): 64 BB | 59 G | Rk
OF Jordan Qsar (Rays): 50 BB | 62 G | SSA
OF Chandler Taylor (Astros): 46 BB | 63 G | A
1B Grant Lavigne (Rockies): 45 BB | 59 G | Rk
OF Cade Harris (Rockies): 43 BB | 59 G | SSA

*Notes on players include the highest level achieved for the 2018 season using the following abbreviations:

Rk = Rookie

SSA = Short Season A

A = Full Season A

A+ = Full Season A Advanced

OVERVIEW

I'm not going to rank the affiliates as to the strength of their draft classes (to this point) because, with so many variables, comparing one system to another can often be the equivalent of comparing apples and kumquats. But there were still a few systems that stood out to me in terms of early results, depth, short-term potential, longer-term potential or a combination of all of those factors. And, although there were several franchises who stood out for pitching, but not position players (or vice versa), these are the ones that impressed me early by showing strength in both areas. (These are in no particular order.)

DIAMONDBACKS
There aren't any projected superstars among the Diamondbacks 2018 pitching class, but their overall initial results up and down the pecking order was suggestive of very good depth from their pitching ranks. And with all but one pitcher having been drafted out of college, this group could start factoring into the Diamondbacks plans in a couple of years. Balancing that out are a trio of Top 10 prospects on the position player front (two high school signees) who got off to great starts in their pro careers (plus an intriguing 15th rounder). Based on initial results, you could see a star or two emerge from the group.

RAYS
Based on initial results, the Rays look to have good depth with both pitching and offense as players throughout the draft impressed me with their inaugural seasons. As both groups were college-heavy, it won't take too long to see how much help this draft class will be able to offer the Rays at the major league level. On top of that, you can add a Top 100 high school lefty with potential star power (Matthew Liberatore) who got off to an excellent start. This could ultimately prove to be a very strong group.

PHILLIES
I really like the depth of the Phillies 2018 pitching draft class, particularly with the good mix of college, juco and high school players performing well at a variety of levels. And with college 3B Alec Bohm leading the way as the Phillies top prospect (and #59 overall in the top 100), most position players performed as well or better than expected in their first seasons.

TIGERS
Again, depth is the key with the Tigers as they went for both quality and quantity in 2018, signing 38 of 40 picks (and all of their top 37 picks). Their pitching was particularly strong with the Tigers top prospect overall RHP Casey Mize (ranked #2 RHP prospect as well) handling himself well against the early challenge to High A competition and strong results throughout the class, including the 35th and 36th round picks. The Tigers were very aggressive in promoting several of their position players and a number of them responded well to the challenge. This early exposure to higher competition could move up the timetable for some of these players to help out in Detroit sooner rather than later.

INDIANS
On the flip side of the coin, I am probably more intrigued by the long-term potential of Cleveland's 2018 draft class than I am by any more immediate success. With that said, there were a number of college-drafted pitchers who performed very nicely in 2018 and were promoted to full season teams as a result. But their top two high school pitching picks (currently #9 and #12 prospects in the system) could ultimately help write the story of how successful this draft class will prove to be. In addition, there are a few high school and juco players on the position player side that could portend longer-term success, particularly Cleveland's #4 prospect C Bo Naylor. This draft class will take a little longer to come into focus, but has the potential to generate a star or two.

RANGERS (WILD CARD)
In my mind, the Rangers 2018 draft class is the most uncertain of all in outcome, but should be extremely interesting to watch play out. The Rangers drafted heavily among high school and juco players and currently have four high schoolers numbering in their Top 30 prospect list, including their #3 prospect RHP Cole Winn (who also resides on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list). A total of 11 of their 31 signed draft picks (including 10 of their pitchers) did not play in 2018 so there's not much of a track record to go by at this point. This draft class could be boom or bust, but in any event, it will likely take a while for it to all play out.

I singled out the above teams because I found the draft classes to have the most potential in both pitching and offense, but there are a number of teams that showed very strongly in one area or the other, but not necessarily in both.

On the pitching side, the Pirates college-heavy 2018 draft class has a number of pitchers who could move quickly through the system. The Blue Jays and Astros both showed good depth with a number of lower round pitchers performing nicely in their inaugural seasons. The Royals had mixed results, but with a whopping six pitching prospects in their Top 30 prospects (and four of those in the Top 10), I certainly expect more from some of these prospects moving forward even if they may have underperformed initially.

On the position player side, the Braves, Cardinals and Dodgers were all very aggressive in promoting players and those players responded well. The Marlins, Brewers and Angels, with so many younger players, may be slower to promote players, but will have a lot of high risk/high reward long-term potential. The Rockies had excellent initial results throughout their 2018 draft class. Boston has a good mix of highly touted high school prospects and college players with very good early success; the Yankees group has a similar mix but more uneven initial results. Even with the (apparent) defection of Kyler Murray to football, the top of the Athletics draft class is impressive (although the lower depth may be a bit questionable). On the other hand, I like the depth of the Mariners class and can see a number of their college-drafted players make fast work of the minors.

Other 2018 draft classes will likely achieve success ultimately, but the initial results may have been less than stellar. And there will certainly be individual players who have the chance to be stars who will emerge from draft classes that boast little else of lasting impact. The story of the 2018 draft is really just starting to be written. Stay tuned ...

PREVIOUS POSTS

NL EAST
Atlanta Braves
Miami Marlins
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Washington Nationals
NL East 2018 Draft Summary

NL CENTRAL
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals
NL Central 2018 Draft Summary

NL WEST
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
NL West 2018 Draft Summary

AL EAST
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays
AL East 2018 Draft Summary

AL CENTRAL
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins
AL Central 2018 Draft Summary

AL WEST
Houston Astros
Los Angeles Angels
Oakland Athletics
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers
AL West 2018 Draft Summary

2018-2019 Astros Offseason Transcations

Keeping up with all the Astros offseason transactions...

As of April 4, the Astros' 40-man roster currently stands at 38 players.

The most recent transactions will be listed first.

IN

Players who have joined the Houston Astros organization.

WAIVER CLAIMS

11-2: C Chris Herrmann claimed off waivers from Mariners (non-tendered 11-29, signed with Athletics 12-11)

TRADE ACQUISITIONS

1-6: OF Ross Adolph, 2B Luis Santana, and C Scott Manea acquired from Mets for IF J.D. Davis and IF Cody Bohanek
11-17: IF Aledmys Díaz acquired from Blue Jays for RHP Trent Thornton
10-16: LHP Brayan de Paula (19-year old Dominican) and OF Adonis Giron (17-year old Dominican) acquired from the Marlins for $500,000 international bonus pool money

FREE AGENT SIGNINGS (MLB and MiLB)

3-15: LHP José Nodal (International FA) signed - 16-year-old from Cuba (born July 16, 2002)
3-15: RHP Juan de los Santos (International FA) signed - 19-year-old from the Dominican Republic (born March 8, 2000)
3-6: RHP Misael Tamarez (International FA) signed - 19-year-old from the Dominican Republic (born January 16, 2000)
3-2: RHP Edinson Batista (International FA) signed - 16-year-old from the Dominican Republic, turns 17 on May 19
2-27: RHP Marcos Eusebio (International FA) signed - 18-year-old from the Dominican Republic
1-31: LHP Wade Miley (MLB FA; played with Brewers in 2018) - 1-year contract, $4.5 million + $500,000 in incentives
12-19: OF Michael Brantley (MLB FA, former Indians OF) - 2-year contract, $32 million
12-6: C Robinson Chirinos (MLB FA, former Rangers C) - 1-year contract, $5.75 million
11-26: RHP Miguel Padilla (International FA) - 16-year-old from Venezuela (turns 17 on April 13)

ADDED TO 40-MAN ROSTER

The deadline to add players to the 40-man roster for protection from the Rule 5 draft was 4:00 PM Central time on November 20. The following minor league players who were eligible for selection in the Rule 5 draft were added to the 40-man roster before the deadline:

RHP Bryan Abreu
RHP Rogelio Armenteros
C Garrett Stubbs

RULE 5 DRAFT SELECTIONS

C Alejandro Flores - selected in minor league phase from Nationals

Flores, who turns 23 on December 27, spent 2018 at Low-A Hagerstown in the Nationals system. He was originally signed in 2013 by the Braves and spent three seasons in that system before returning home to play in Mexico.


OUT

Players who are no longer a part of the Houston Astros organization.

RELEASED

3-27: LHP Tim Hardy (Quad Cities)
3-27: IF/RHP Antonio Nunez (Round Rock)
3-27: LHP Carlos Hiraldo (Corpus)
3-27: OF Logan Mattix (Tri-City)
3-27: IF Luis Encarnacion (Tri-City)
3-25: LHP Alex Winkelman (Corpus)
3-25: 2B Ryne Birk (Corpus)
3-25: RHP Carlos Sierra (Corpus)
12-20: RHP Yoanys Quiala (Corpus)
12-20: OF Carlos Diaz (GCL)
11-15: RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (Corpus/Fresno)
11-2: RHP Wender Oberto (DSL)
11-2: RHP Jose Antonio Hernandez (DSL)

Dykxhoorn was released so he could sign with the SK Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization. Diaz and Quiala found themselves on the restricted list due to drug suspensions to end the 2018 season.

TRADED

1-6: IF J.D. Davis (Houston, 40-man) and IF Cody Bohanek (Buies Creek) traded to Mets for OF Ross Adolph, 2B Luis Santana, and C Scott Manea
11-17: RHP Trent Thornton (Fresno) traded to Blue Jays for IF Aledmys Díaz

SIGNED WITH OTHER TEAMS

3-14: LHP Tony Sipp (MLB FA) signed with the Nationals
3-11: C Martin Maldanado (MLB FA) signed with the Royals
2-25: IF Marwin Gonzalez (MLB FA) signed with the Twins
2-13: RHP Jandel Gustave (MLB FA) signed with the Giants
12-21: RHP Charlie Morton (MLB FA) signed with the Rays
12-11: RHP Matt Ramsey (MiLB FA; Fresno) signed with the Angels
12-11: C Chris Herrmann signed with the Athletics (non-tendered 11-29)
11-26: C Brian McCann (MLB FA) signed with the Braves
11-16: 3B Randy César (MiLB FA; Corpus) signed with the Twins
11-15: RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (Fresno/Corpus) released; contract purchased by the SK Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization

LOST TO FREE AGENCY/CURRENTLY UNSIGNED

11-2: C Eduardo de Oleo (MiLB FA; Corpus)
10-29: C Evan Gattis (MLB FA)
10-29: LHP Dallas Keuchel (MLB FA)

SELECTED IN RULE 5 DRAFT

RHP Riley Ferrell - selected by Marlins in major league phase
OF Drew Ferguson - selected by Giants in major league phase (Returned to Astros 3/22)
RHP Ryan Thompson - selected by Rays in minor league phase

Getting to Know Astros RHP J.B. Bukauskas

Astros RHP J.B. Bukauskas, currently ranked the #8 prospect in the Astros system by MLB Pipeline, is definitely on the quiet side. When I talked with him last week by phone, he answered the questions I posed politely, but was not terribly expansive on any given topic. So I reached out to one of his many pitching coaches for the 2018 season to get his take on the Astros 2017 first round pick.

J.B. Bukauskas - September 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

2018 Buies Creek Pitching Coach Drew French agreed that it is a little tough to get Bukauskas to open up, but found him to be very insightful and well-spoken when he did. "J.B. is an incredibly humble individual which I think bodes well for his makeup and mentality especially when it comes to development. He possesses a lot of the intangible things where it’s easy to see his track to the big leagues. Obviously we love his arm and fastball velocity as well as his slider. He has a really good changeup that he is working on utilizing more, which has shown to be a great weapon vs both bat sides. Because of his stint on the DL during the 2018 season we had a lot of ground to make up in a short amount of time and he was a great student/soldier to get him up to speed. Most of the work with him was solidifying his cutter and then working command to hitter weakness more frequently to get him ready for AA/Fall League. It’s not a surprise that he had the success he had in during the 2018 campaign and is showing very well against some of the best prospects in the game right now in Arizona," said French.

As noted by French, Bukauskas spent significant time on the DL in 2018. After making two starts for the Low A Quad Cities team in April, Bukauskas was shelved for two months. Although the Astros front office wasn't forthcoming regarding his status at the time, it eventually came out that Bukauskas was involved in an automobile accident during Spring Training, but was thought to be healthy enough to start the season on time. However, an initially undiscovered disk problem which mimicked an oblique injury derailed him until late June.

After making quick work of a rehab stint and two additional starts for Quad Cities, Bukauskas moved on to High A Buies Creek where he compiled a 1.61 ERA and a 0.929 WHIP over five starts (13 BB:31 K in 28 IP) and was rewarded with a promotion to AA Corpus Christi to close out the season, collecting one final regular season start and one postseason start. Although Bukauskas got a late start to his season, his participation in the Arizona Fall League should ultimately enable him to log over 90 innings (including that postseason start) before he shuts things down for the offseason.

And Bukauskas has had a very successful Arizona Fall League campaign thus far, going 1-1 with a 2.61 ERA and a 1.355 WHIP in 5 starts (9 BB:20 K in 20.2 IP) with one additional start anticipated before the AFL season ends next Thursday. I spoke with Bukauskas the day after his fourth start of the fall season and he was particularly pleased with his fastball velocity and its swing-and-miss potential during that start. His slider was sharp as well, but he allowed his only run (unearned) of that appearance thanks to an errant cutter "that caught too much of the middle of the plate" and resulted in an RBI triple.

Bukauskas's prospect rankings hinge largely on his mid to high 90's fastball and his excellent slider, but he has been working hard these past few months to incorporate his changeup more effectively and to fine-tune the cutter which is a fairly new pitch for him. Although Bukauskas has had mixed success with the cutter so far, he can see it as a potential weapon. "I do like using it a lot. It's kind of like a new toy. I'm starting to see how it works, when to use it, when not to use it. There's growing pains, but I really like it a lot. I think it's going to end up benefiting me down the road," said Bukauskas. Despite the delayed start to his season, Bukauskas is happy with the progress that he has made with his pitch arsenal and cites that as the biggest accomplishment of his 2018 campaign.

MLB Pipeline calls both his fastball and his slider "plus-plus" pitches, but notes that Bukauskas "sometimes falls in love with the slider too much and loses fastball command." I asked Bukauskas about that characterization and he responded, "It's kind of a day-to-day thing. You have a day where one thing isn't working. You kind of have to lean on something else. You've got to go ahead and do it in order to have a competitive outing. I think that's something that people might not see if they don't see every outing or watch every time. Some days, in order to get through the outing, sometimes you do have to lean more on the slider, sometimes more on the fastball, sometimes more on the changeup. I wouldn't say that I always lean more on the slider. It just depends on the day. The days where you have everything going I think are the ones where you can be really dominant, but sometimes you just don't have certain things. ... I think that the fastball command has definitely improved. I'm still trying to get good pitch usage for all my pitches, a good percentage. It's definitely not like college where I threw 50% sliders; it's probably more proportionate now."

The other concern that some prospect pundits have regarding Bukauskas is what they call his "high effort delivery." Of his delivery, Bukauskas said, "It's always been kind of unique. Growing up, it's always looked like that, where I kind of have a leg swing and a kick, but it's pretty repeatable for me because I've done it for so long and it's one of the things -- I don't know if you'd say that it's deceptive or kind of makes me unique but I think that the only thing that we would really try to adjust is working on the rhythm and the tempo of it, not really changing the actual motion per se, but more of the speed or the rhythm through the delivery." Bukauskas sees that adjusted tempo as helping him, making his delivery more repeatable and improving his command.

Although it might be a bit premature to ask about 2019 goals when Bukauskas hasn't quite finished up his 2018 season yet, he humored me with an answer to the query anyway. "Just developing myself as a player is more important to me [than objective goals] because I know that if I do those things, the rest will take care of itself. Whether it's developing pitches, working on pitch sequencing, things like that I think will benefit me rather than looking at the end goal. It's very cliché, but thinking about the process to get there rather than the end goal is probably more important for me."

One of Bukauskas's intangibles is his ability to focus on the task at hand and shrug off the things that don't go right. "I don't show a lot of emotion. Stick with what you're trying to do and try not to deviate too much from it. That's just always been one of those things. I don't show a ton of emotion in general, but especially not out there," said Bukauskas. Whether he is on the field or off the field, Bukauskas projects an aura of calm and quiet that somewhat masks the focus, thoughtfulness and competitive nature that lie beneath the surface.

Astros Farm Report: 9/17

Let's catch up on all the latest happenings in the Astros system...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

Colton Shaver - July 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

9/15: RHP Forrest Whitley (21)
9/17: RHP Brady Rodgers (28)
9/18: OF/1B/DH Seth Beer (22)
9/18: 3B/1B Colton Shaver (23)
9/19: OF George Springer (29)
9/20: SS/2B Deury Carrasco (19)
9/21: C Nerio Rodriguez (19)
9/22: SS Carlos Correa (24)
9/22: SS Jeremy Pena (21)
9/23: OF Omar Diaz (17)
9/23: RHP Diosmerky Taveras (19)
9/24: RHP Matt Ramsey (29)
9/26: RHP Fredy Medina (21)
9/27: RHP Flaer Gonzalez (22)
9/28: RHP Enoli Paredes (23)
9/30: IF Jack Mayfield (28)
9/30: Trent Thornton (25)

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

9/16: OF Kyle Tucker (Fresno) recalled to Houston
9/15: OF Myles Straw (Fresno) called up to Houston
9/15: SS Antonio Nunez assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi
9/13: C Freddy Guilamo signed by the Astros (17-year old out of the Dominican Republic)
9/11: RHP Bryan Abreu assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities
9/10: 1B Taylor Jones assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi
9/10: SS Antonio Nunez assigned to Corpus Christi from Fresno
9/9: RHP Carson LaRue assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
9/7: LHP Carlos Hiraldo assigned to Corpus Christi from Quad Cities
9/5: RHP Justin Ferrell assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi
9/5: SS Antonio Nunez (Fresno) activated from the DL (had been on the DL since 8/22)
9/5: RHP Forrest Whitley (Corpus Christi) activated from the DL (had been on the DL since 8/25)
9/4: 3B J.D. Davis (Fresno) recalled to Houston
9/4: RHP Dean Deetz (Fresno) called up to Houston

ASTROS MILB DISABLED LIST

8/15: C Ruben Castro (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
8/9: RHP Jairo Solis (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
7/28: 3B Joe Perez (GCL) placed on the 60-day DL
6/13: RHP Hunter Martin (Tri-City) placed on the 60-day DL
6/1: LHP Yeremi Ceballos (DSL) placed on the 60-day DL
6/1: RHP Carlos Quintero (DSL) placed on the 60-day DL
5/4: RHP Francis Martes (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL; had TJ surgery 8/15
5/3+/-: RHP Gerardo Bojorquez had TJ surgery per Instagram post
4/5: RHP Ryan Thompson assigned to Fresno (starting the season on the 7-day DL); according to Instagram Ryan has had surgery, but I don't know whether or not it was TJ (later confirmed that it was TJ surgery)
4/5: RHP Matt Ruppenthal assigned to Quad Cities (starting the season on the 7-day DL; according to Instagram, Ruppenthal had elbow surgery to transpose the ulnar nerve in early April and started to throw mid-June; sent on rehab assignment to Quad Cities in mid-August but never actually activated from the DL during the season)
4/5: RHP Ángel Heredia (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL (Instagram post in early August showed him as having had surgery)
4/5: RHP Nick Hernandez (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL (Tommy John)

ASTROS MILB RESTRICTED LIST

8/24: OF Carlos Diaz placed on the restricted list (suspended 56 games for testing positive for a PED)
Note that a 56 game suspension in short season ball will effectively wipe out Diaz's 2019 season. I would not be surprised to see the 14th round 2017 pick released by the Astros this offseason.
6/22: RHP Yoanys Quiala placed on the restricted list (80 game suspension for performance-enhancing substance); Quiala won't be eligible to play again until approximately mid-April of 2019.

I will continue to keep track of all the minor league releases, retirements, trades and signings for the 2018 season here until the major league season is over at which time I will start an offseason transaction post.

FINAL ASTROS MILB STANDINGS

FRESNO (Pacific Coast League) - Won the PCL Pacific Northern Division

1st 82-57 .590 -.-GB W1

POSTSEASON
Won the Pacific Conference Championship 3-2 over El Paso
Lost the Pacific Coast League Championship series to Memphis 3-1

CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League) - Won both 1st and 2nd halves in South Division

1st 82-56 .594 -.-GB W2 (overall)
1st 39-30 .565 -.-GB W2 (second half)
1st 43-26 .623 -.-GB W5 (first half division winner)

POSTSEASON
Lost the South Division Championship Series to San Antonio 3-2
San Antonio went on to lose to Tulsa in the Texas League Championship Series 3-0

BUIES CREEK (Carolina League) - Won the 2nd half in the Southern Division

2nd 80-57 .584 3.5GB W2 (overall)
1st 43-25 .632 -.-GB W2 (second half)
2nd 37-32 .536 3.5GB L1 (first half)

POSTSEASON 🏆
Won the Southern Division Championship 3-0 over Winston-Salem
Won the one-game* League Championship Series 1-0 over Potomac 1-0

*Originally to be a five game series until Hurricane Florence crashed the party.

QUAD CITIES (Midwest League) - Won the 1st half in the Western Division

1st 81-59 .579 -.-GB W5 (overall)
2nd 41-29 .586 4.0GB W5 (second half)
1st 40-30 .571 -.-GB W6 (first half division winner)

POSTSEASON
Lost the Western Division Quarterfinal 2-0 to Peoria
(Peoria went on to win the Western Division Championship series 2-0 over Cedar Rapids and is currently down 2-1 against Bowling Green in the best-of-five League Championship Series.)

TRI-CITY (New York-Penn League) - Won the Stedler Division
1st 42-33 .560 -.-GB L2

POSTSEASON 🏆
Won the Semi-Final Championship Series 2-0 over Mahoning Valley
Won the New York-Penn League Championship Series 2-0 over Hudson Valley

GCL ASTROS (Gulf Coast League)
2nd 27-28 .491 12.5 L2

DSL ASTROS (Dominican Summer League Northwest)
6th 30-41 .423 21.0GB L3

NEWS AND LINKS

Your 2018 @nypennleague champion @ValleyCats: pic.twitter.com/BrbGrzBMlB

— Mark Singelais (@MarkSingelais) September 9, 2018

Voila. @bcreekastros ... they came into existence with a win and leave with a win: pic.twitter.com/CUBiuTUv1X

— Patrick M. Obley (@PMOWriter) September 12, 2018

In case you missed it, I posted my Astros Full Season and Short Season Players, Starters, Relievers and Catchers of the Year. So much talent!!

MLB has worked very, very hard to keep minor league players from earning a fair wage. Is this the answer?

"The Dodgers run one of baseball’s most extensive minor league systems. They list about 300 organizational players in their media guide, so guaranteeing each one $25,000 this year would have cost less than they guaranteed to infielder Logan Forsythe this season."

via GIPHY

Another former Astros farmhand and Friend of the Blog gets a baseball coaching gig.

Patrick Obley of the Fayetteville Observer looks back at the Buies Creek experience as the team prepares to move to their new Fayetteville digs next season.

Why Brett Maverick Phillips continues to be one of my favorite ballplayers and one of my favorite people.

SAFE!!!

Sliding into the PCL championship like 🤪⚾️🙌🏽🎉 #FresnoGrizzlies #PCLChampionship #Growlifornia pic.twitter.com/Yd8NSnovJM

— Jackie Mayfield (@jackie930) September 12, 2018

And in case you missed any of these, here are my interviews from this season:

OF Alex McKenna (Tri-City, since promoted to Quad Cities)
RHP Peter Solomon (Quad Cities, since promoted to Buies Creek)
OF Seth Beer (Quad Cities, since promoted to Buies Creek)
RHP Jairo Solis and C Ruben Castro (Quad Cities)
RHP Corbin Martin (Corpus Christi)
3B Abraham Toro (Corpus Christi)
RHP Trent Thornton (Fresno)
OF Chas McCormick (Buies Creek, since promoted to Corpus Christi)
OF J.J. Matijevic (Buies Creek)
RHP Brandon Bielak (Buies Creek, since promoted to Corpus Christi)
LHP Brett Adcock (Buies Creek, since promoted to Corpus Christi)
SS Alex De Goti (Corpus Christi, since promoted to Fresno)
1B Taylor Jones (Corpus Christi, since promoted to Fresno)
RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (Corpus Christi, since promoted to Fresno)

STATE OF THE BLOG ADDRESS

This concludes my seventh season of traveling to see Astros minor league players in minor league ballparks from Kentucky to California to Tennessee to Oklahoma to Iowa to New York to South Carolina (Buies Creek road trip) and, of course, to Corpus Christi and Austin (Fresno road trips). I am not exactly a spring chicken anymore, but the players I have met along the way keep me much younger than my years. They make me laugh and cry and love baseball even more than I ever imagined was possible. Because, when it comes right down to it, the players are what make this game special.

And those players aren't limited to my favorite team. Players I've talked to and gotten to know are peppered throughout major and minor league baseball. The Astros will always be "my team," but I find myself pulling more and more for those players I care about regardless of the uniform the player wears. Which finally makes me a true fan of baseball after all these years, I suppose.

And that brings me to the future of WTHB?. I have always felt the need to re-invent myself every few years. I get restless with the status quo. But I can't imagine my life without minor league baseball in it. But, then again, why should I limit myself just to the Astros? Why should I deprive myself of the opportunity to get to know great people from 29 other affiliates simply because of the team they're on?

Readership is way down since the team is good again; people aren't hungry to know about the next wave of Astros players like they were when I started, and there are players from other MLB affiliates that I would love to get to know a little better. I have a ton of contacts in the Astros organization, but I've gained many contacts outside the organization as players, managers and coaches move around.

Secondarily, I've gotten away from what got me started on this blog in the first place ... writing about things that interest me personally, talking not only to players, but to people in all walks of baseball life, and going down the occasional rabbit hole. So, after much thought and deliberation about the future of WTHB?, I've come to the conclusion that, although the blog will still be mostly Astros-centric, I won't limit myself to just the Astros. I have been working behind the scenes on some long-read and series work that will look at prospects throughout the minors, the 2018 draft, minor league pay and women in baseball. And that's just for starters! I plan to keep interviewing Astros prospects and then start branching out to other teams next season during my travels. As a result, I may retire some of the content I've provided in years past. The blog may look a little different in 2019, but don't worry, the Astros will always be my first love and will take priority.

In the meantime, other than my annual Rule 5 draft post which will come out this week or next, I plan to take a little time off from posting regularly while I work on some of these larger projects and do some housekeeping on the blog. (And with the postseason rapidly approaching, Astros fans are likely to be too preoccupied to read much of what I'd put out there right now anyway!)

As a final note, I hope that Dustin will continue to contribute to the blog next season. He has really come into his own as a writer and has been an invaluable voice for WTHB?. He has an open invitation to write as much or as little as he wishes, about whatever he wishes, for as long as he wishes. It will be my absolute pleasure to have him continue to be my partner in crime.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for your encouragement as I strive to make the minor league life a fun and interesting part of your lives.

2018 WTHB Players of the Year

Now that the minor league season is in the rearview mirror, the ring chasing is done and the players have scattered to all corners of the United States and Latin America, it's time to take a look at those players who really stepped up to the plate (or toed the mound) in a big way in 2018. System leaders in various categories have been highlighted in blue. Players are considered full season players or short season players based on where they started their seasons. A key to the levels (FNO, CC, BC, etc.) is at the end of this post.

[Note: it is my arbitrary rule that I do not consider players for these awards who have made their major league debuts. There will be one notable exception plus I will include notes on a few more of those players throughout this post in order to give a fuller picture of how some of their performances compare to my winners.]

FULL SEASON STARTERS OF THE YEAR

RHP Corbin Martin - September 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

LHP Ryan Hartman - September 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

This was an incredibly difficult task because, despite my best efforts, I could not pick just one of these pitchers as the Full Season Starter of the Year. LHP Ryan Hartman and RHP Corbin Martin threw roughly equivalent numbers of innings. All but four of Martin's outings were in AA and all of Hartman's were at AA so they faced the same level of competition. Hartman had the edge on wins, walk rate and strikeout rate. Martin had the edge on ERA, WHIP and hits allowed per nine innings. In the postseason, Martin had a 0.00 ERA and a 0.353 WHIP in 5.2 innings while Hartman had a 0.00 ERA and a 0.391 WHIP in 7.2 innings. If you throw out the worst outing of the season by each pitcher, you have Hartman with a 2.21 ERA and 1.008 WHIP and Martin with a 2.18 ERA and 0.978 WHIP. That is just too close for me to single out one over the other. Both Hartman and Martin had extremely good, extremely consistent seasons and Astros fans should be excited to see these two pitchers make their way closer to Houston.

As a side note, this could easily have been a 3-way tie with Tyler Ivey as the third wheel, but ultimately since Ivey threw fewer innings for the season and was not quite as dominant in the postseason, I went with Martin and Hartman.

RHP Corbin Martin (BC/CC): 9-2 with 1 save in 25 G/21 GS, 2.51 ERA, 1.008 WHIP, 35 BB:122 K in 122 IP

LHP Ryan Hartman (CC): 11-4 in 25 G/18 GS, 2.69 ERA, 1.077 WHIP, 26 BB:143 K in 120.2 IP

Honorable Mention (sorted by WHIP)

RHP Enoli Paredes (QC/BC): 6-4 with 2 saves in 24 G/5 GS, 1.43 ERA, 0.913 WHIP, 29 BB:90 K in 69 IP

RHP Tyler Ivey (QC/BC): 4-6 with 3 saves in 24 G/18 GS, 2.97 ERA, 1.027 WHIP, 29 BB:135 K in 112 IP

RHP Peter Solomon (QC/BC): 9-1 in 24 G/13 GS, 2.32 ERA, 1.093 WHIP, 32 BB:114 K in 100.2 IP

RHP Cristian Javier (QC/BC): 7-6 with 1 save in 25 G/18 GS, 2.70 ERA, 1.109 WHIP, 50 BB:146 K in 110 IP

RHP J.B. Bukauskas (QC/GCL/TC/QC/BC/CC): 4-2 in 14 GS, 2.14 ERA, 1.119 WHIP, 24 BB:71 K in 59 IP

RHP Brandon Bielak (BC/CC): 7-8 with 2 saves in 25 G/17 GS, 2.23 ERA, 1.154 WHIP, 39 BB:131 K in 117 IP

RHP Brandon Bailey (BC/CC): 6-8 with 1 save in 25 G/17 GS, 2.80 ERA, 1.161 WHIP, 52 BB:136 K in 122.1 IP

RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (CC/FNO/CC/FNO): 9-4 in 25 G/21 GS, 3.97 ERA, 1.165 WHIP, 39 BB:125 K in 127 IP

LHP Brett Adcock (BC/CC): 9-5 with 1 save in 25 G/14 GS, 2.89 ERA, 1.170 WHIP, 58 BB:95 K in 106 IP

LHP Parker Mushinski (QC): 4-2 with 2 saves in 27 G/12 GS, 2.33 ERA, 1.202 WHIP, 45 BB:114 K in 89 IP

RHP Luis Garcia (QC/TC/QC): 7-2 in 24 G/13 GS, 2.00 ERA, 1.242 WHIP, 41 BB:98 K in 85.1 IP

RHP Cy Sneed (3.83 ERA/1.362 WHIP) was tied with Brock Dykxhoorn for the most innings pitched in the Astros minors in the regular season with 127 innings. RHP Josh James (3.23 ERA/1.120 WHIP) led the Astros minors with 171 strikeouts in 114.1 innings prior to being called up to Houston.

FULL SEASON RELIEVER OF THE YEAR

Justin Ferrell - July 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Relievers aren't as clear cut as starters and I considered everything from total saves to converted save opportunities to inherited runners stranded to batting line allowed to innings pitched and number of appearances to postseason success to consistency. I strongly considered saves leader Brendan McCurry and Willy Collado (who had an excellent season but pitched fewer innings), but in the end I felt that Justin Ferrell had the best overall season. Had Ferrell not had a simply awful final game of the regular season (6 runs in 1.1 innings), I would have found this decision much easier. Backing out that appearance, Ferrell had a dominant 2.13 ERA, a 1.010 WHIP and allowed a .179/.264/.278 batting line. He converted 4 of 5 save opportunities and stranded 77% of inherited runners. Ferrell was promoted to Fresno for the postseason and pitched 3.2 scoreless innings in two games with a 0.818 WHIP.

RHP Justin Ferrell (BC/CC): 7-3 with 4 saves in 34 G, 2.92 ERA, 1.082 WHIP, 25 BB:82 K in 64.2 IP, .193/.276/.313 line allowed

Honorable Mention (sorted by WHIP)

RHP Willy Collado (QC): 1-4 with 6 saves in 23 G, 2.23 ERA, 0.942 WHIP, 10 BB:55 K in 40.1 IP

RHP Tanner Duncan (QC/BC/QC): 4-3 with 6 saves in 31 G, 2.82 ERA, 1.049 WHIP, 30 BB:67 K in 54.1 IP

RHP Matt Ramsey (FNO): 3-2 in 38 G, 2.04 ERA, 1.113 WHIP, 16 BB:63 K in 53 IP

RHP Humberto Castellanos (QC/TC/QC): 3-2 with 5 saves in 23 G, 2.00 ERA, 1.156 WHIP, 11 BB:50 K in 45 IP

LHP Kit Scheetz (BC/CC): 2-1 with 7 saves in 38 G, 2.24 ERA, 1.171 WHIP, 17 BB:87 K in 38 IP

RHP Ronel Blanco (BC/CC): 7-1 with 5 saves in 32 games, 3.65 ERA, 1.235 WHIP, 29 BB:71 K in 56.2

Blanco inherited the most runners during the season. Of the 37 runners he inherited, he stranded all but eight, including stranding inherited bases loaded on three separate occasions.

RHP Brendan McCurry (FNO): 6-7 with 14 saves in 46 G, 3.69 ERA, 1.279 WHIP, 17 BB:73 K in 63.1 IP

RHP Brendan Feldmann (FNO/CC/QC/BC): 2-2 with 8 saves in 33 G, 2.91 ERA, 1.338 WHIP, 20 BB:57 K in 46.1 IP

RHP Dean Deetz had a 0.89 ERA and a 1.230 WHIP in his 27 bullpen appearances with Fresno prior to being called up to Houston.

FULL SEASON POSITION PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

Myles Straw - June 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

J.J. Matijevic - May 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Once again, my arbitrary rule that MLB debuts cancel out eligibility* for WTHB awards leaves 3B Tyler White (70 G, .333/.444/.569/.1.013),  OF Kyle Tucker (100 G, .332/.400/.590/.989),  3B J.D. Davis (85 G, .342/.406/.583/.988) and 1B A.J. Reed (123 G, .255/.344/.506/.851) out in the cold, but they all had excellent seasons. Reed led the Astros minor league affiliates with 28 home runs and 108 RBI. [*Since I had already written the following prior to Myles Straw's MLB debut last night, and since he has yet to collect his first MLB at-bat, I'm making an exception to my own rule. I don't think Matijevic will mind too much!]

I looked long and hard at the remaining candidates and, once again, I felt compelled to declare a tie because the two players who stood out most for me are such different types of players. J.J. Matijevic displayed elite power. His 52 extra base hits lagged behind only Reed (56) and Tucker (54) in the Astros system. And his OPS trailed only Tucker for players who had played in a minimum of 100 games for the season. On the other hand, although he collected 13 stolen bases, he was also caught stealing 13 times and he ranked in the top 10 in the system in strikeouts. Myles Straw's game was of a different variety. He led the system in runs scored, stolen bases and walks, and had the third highest average and second highest on base percentage for players appearing in 100 or more games in the system (with Tucker leading in both of those categories). Straw doesn't provide the power of someone like Matijevic, but he is a defensive web gem waiting to happen, collecting a system-leading 17 outfield assists for the season. Both of these players have bright futures ahead of them.

OF Myles Straw (CC/FNO): 131 G, .291/.381/.353/.734, 17 2B, 6 3B, HR, 31 RBI, 95 R, 70 SB:9 CS, 73 BB:102 K, 17 outfield assists

OF J.J. Matijevic (QC/BC): 101 G, .277/.350/.538/.887, 26 2B, 4 3B, 22 HR, 62 RBI, 66 R, 13 SB:13 CS, 44 BB:113 K

Honorable Mention (sorted by OPS)

OF Yordan Alvarez (CC/FNO): 88 G, .293/.369/.534/.904, 21 2B, 20 HR, 74 RBI, 6 SB:2 CS, 42 BB:92 K (spent 6 weeks +/- on DL; had he remained healthy all season, he would likely have been a top candidate for POTY)

OF Drew Ferguson (FNO): 71 G, .304/.432/.443/.874, 14 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 6 SB:6CS, 49 BB:68 K

1B Taylor Jones (CC/FNO/CC): 123 G, .281/.374/.480/.854, 32 2B, 2 3B, 18 HR, 80 RBI, 2 SB:0 CS, 61 BB:124 K

OF Carmen Benedetti (CC): 80 G, .277/.365/.443/.808, 17 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 49 RBI, 11 SB:5 CS, 39 BB:82 K

OF Jake Meyers (QC/BC): 121 G, .278/.363/.423/.786, 31 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 46 RBI, 16 SB:14 CS, 51 BB:83 K

IF Jack Mayfield (FNO): 113 G, .270/.324/.457/.782, 31 2B, 3B, 16 HR, 66 RBI, 5 SB:4 CS, 33 BB:92 K

3B Abraham Toro (BC/CC): 133 G, .247/.345/.435/.779, 35 2B, 3 3B, 16 HR, 78 RBI, 8 SB:4 CS, 62 BB:108 K

3B Randy Cesar (CC): 116 G, .296/.348/.428/.777, 25 2B, 2 3B, 10 HR, 62 RBI, 3 SB:4 CS, 36 BB:112 K (put together a 42-game hitting streak from May 5th to June 28th in which he hit .391/.428/.627/1.055)

SS Alex De Goti (CC/FNO): 125 G, .283/.335/.440/.775, 29 2B, 3 3B, 12 HR, 62 RBI, 8 SB:7 CS, 28 BB:80 K

3B Nick Tanielu (CC/FNO): 105 G, .288/.336/.418/.755, 22 2B, 3B, 9 HR, 59 RBI, 3 SB:2 CS, 28 BB:50 K

OF Bryan de la Cruz (QC/BC): 119 G, .289/.367/.375/.742, 22 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 62 RBI, 10 SB:7 CS, 51 BB:97 K

I had to cut this off somewhere, but shout out to a few guys whose speed on the bases really helped out their respective teams: IF/OF Josh Rojas (130 G, 84 R, 34 2B, 6 3B, 38 SB), OF Corey Julks (125 G, 79 R, 30 2B, 4 3B, 30 SB), OF Stephen Wrenn (121 G, 79 R, 23 2B, 4 3B, 44 SB) and OF Ronnie Dawson (119 G, 69 R, 24 2B, 2 3B, 35 RBI). IF/OF Osvaldo Duarte (BC) and SS Jonathan Arauz (QC/BC) led the Astros affiliates with nine triples each.

FULL SEASON CATCHER OF THE YEAR

Garrett Stubbs - June 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Finally, an easy one!! I like to single out a catcher who shines both offensively and defensively in a season and this one was a no-brainer. Stubbs struggled with injury issues in 2017; subsequently, although he was still solid defensively, his season at the plate was somewhat lackluster. And, although Stubbs was shelved for 12 days in May on the DL this year, he appears to have put the injury and durability questions behind him by season's end as he caught up to the AAA level in a big way both offensively and defensively.

C Garrett Stubbs (FNO): 84 G, .310/.382/.455/.836, 19 2B, 6 3B, 4 HR, 38 RBI, 6 SB:0 CS, 35 BB:53 K, 45% CS rate (19 of 42)

Honorable Mention (sorted by OPS)

C Lorenzo Quintana (CC): 70 G, .254/.316/.484/.799, 19 2B, 2 3B, 11 HR, 42 RBI, 7 SB:4 CS, 15 BB:47 K, 30% CS rate (17 of 56)

C Jamie Ritchie (CC/FNO): 70 G, .293/.390/.405/.795, 16 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 3 SB:1 CS, 31 BB:57 K, 32% CS rate (20 of 62)

C Ruben Castro (QC): 38 G, .299/.395/.381/.776, 7 2B, 2 3B, 10 RBI, 1 SB:4 CS, 19 BB:27 K, 43% CS rate (17 of 40)

SHORT SEASON STARTER OF THE YEAR

There were so many great performances among those who started their seasons with short season clubs, but no one was quite so dominant as Ernesto Jaquez ... well, at least until he got to Tri-City! Jaquez started his season with the Dominican Summer League (4-0 in 9 G/4 GS, 0.25 ERA, 0.528 WHIP), then was promoted to the Gulf Coast League on August 1st (0-0 in 5G/1 GS, 1.06 ERA, 0.824 WHIP), and ended his season with two games for Tri-City (the second of which he would likely try to take back - 8 ER in 0.1 IP). Take out that final appearance and Jaquez had an astonishing 0.48 ERA and a 0.621 WHIP in 15 of his 16 games. The 19-year old Jaquez signed in July 2017 out of the Dominican Republic for $95,000. Serious consideration was also given to Chad Donato (see below). He was certainly equally deserving, but I was trying to avoid another tie.

RHP Ernesto Jaquez (DSL/GCL/TC): 5-1 in 16 G/6 GS, 1.75 ERA, 0.741 WHIP, 17 BB:74 K in 56.2 IP, .129 BA

Honorable Mention (sorted by WHIP)

RHP Heitor Tokar (DSL): 0-1 in 13 G/8 GS, 1.66 ERA, 0.762 WHIP, 6 BB:35 K in 43.1 IP

RHP Franny Cobos (DSL): 1-2 with 1 save in 14 G/5 GS, 0.60 ERA, 0.800 WHIP, 7 BB:39 K in 45 IP

RHP Brett Daniels (TC): 3-0 in 11 G/2 GS, 1.62 ERA, 0.840 WHIP, 7 BB:36 K in 33.1 IP

RHP Alfredi Jimenez (DSL/GCL): 1-3 with 2 saves in 14 G/5 GS, 1.63 ERA, 0.867 WHIP, 13 BB:63 K in 55.1 IP

RHP Valente Bellozo (DSL): 2-1 with 1 save in 14 G/8 GS, 1.74 ERA, 0.871 WHIP, 16 BB:42 K in 51.2 IP

RHP Chad Donato (TC/QC): 9-0 with 2 saves in 15 G/12 GS, 1.62 ERA, 0.876 WHIP, 22 BB:98 K in 77.2 IP

RHP Austin Hansen (TC): 2-3 with 2 saves in 14 G/2 GS, 1.76 ERA, 0.880 WHIP, 13 BB:45 K in 30.2 IP

RHP Bryan Abreu (TC/QC): 6-1 with 3 saves in 14 G/7 GS, 1.49 ERA, 1.031 WHIP, 23 BB:90 K in 54.1 IP

RHP Nivaldo Rodriguez (TC): 4-1 with 1 save in 14 G/7 GS, 2.91 ERA, 1.042 WHIP, 13 BB:50 K in 55.2 IP

RHP Jojanse Torres (DSL): 1-2 with 1 save in 13 G/8 GS, 2.20 ERA, 1.073 WHIP, 8 BB:48 K in 41 IP

RHP Brett Conine (TC): 1-1 in 11 G/3 GS, 1.99 ERA, 1.074 WHIP, 11 BB:37 K in 31.2 IP

RHP R.J. Freure (TC): 3-0 in 11 G/3 GS, 0.98 ERA, 1.084 WHIP, 13 BB:29 K in 27.2 IP

RHP Fredy Medina (GCL): 1-1 in 9 G/3 GS, 2.25 ERA, 1.107 WHIP, 14 BB:34 K in 28 IP

RHP Wender Oberto (DSL): 4-3 with 1 save in 15 G/6 GS, 1.91 ERA, 1.112 WHIP, 18 BB:39 K in 56.2 IP

RHP Jose Luis Herndandez (TC/BC): 2-2 in 13 G/11 GS, 2.35 ERA, 1.134 WHIP, 10 BB:48 K in 57.1 IP

RHP Jose Antonio Hernandez (DSL): 4-4 in 15 G/7 GS, 1.90 ERA, 1.246 WHIP, 18 BB:41 K in 47.1 IP

SHORT SEASON RELIEVER OF THE YEAR

Tim Hardy - July 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

I originally had Joey Gonzalez in the top spot in large part due to his very impressive batting line allowed (see below), but ultimately, Tim Hardy was more effective in a couple of areas, converting all of his save opportunities and allowing only one inherited runner to score on his watch. And he appeared in three more games and 11 more innings than Gonzalez, also finishing the season at a higher level. The one qualm I had with Hardy was his somewhat high walk rate, but when I dug down and saw that four of those free passes came in just one outing (in which he presumably had a case of the yips), I decided to give him his own free pass. He appeared in just one game in the postseason, allowing only one hit and striking out two in his 1.1 innings.

LHP Tim Hardy (TC/QC): 2-2 with 4 saves in 18 G, 2.05 ERA, 1.304 WHIP, 15 BB:49 K in 30.2 IP

Honorable Mention (sorted by WHIP)

RHP Joey Gonzalez (GCL/TC): 4-2 with 3 saves in 15 G, 1.37 ERA, 0.864 WHIP, 4 BB:25 K in 19.2 IP, .176/.222/.230 batting line allowed

RHP J. P. France (TC/QC): 2-0 with 2 saves in 10 G, 0.50 ERA, 0.889 WHIP, 6 BB:28 K in 18 IP

RHP Hansel Paulino (TC/QC): 2-2 with 2 saves in 18 G, 3.57 ERA/1.041 WHIP, 11 BB:45 K in 40.1 IP

SHORT SEASON POSITION PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Seth Beer - July 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

The first round draft pick came as advertised, shooting up through three levels of the system in his first professional season. And, although his numbers at the highest level weren't quite as gaudy as they were at the two lower levels, he was still very productive. Beer isn't known for his defensive prowess, but he certainly didn't embarrass himself in that regard as he got some great experience under his belt at both first base and the corner outfield positions. But it is Beer's bat that got him drafted and he truly excelled in hitting for average and getting on base. And I think we'll only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his developing power. Seth Beer would have been my pick for this award even if I hadn't had the chance to see him in person, but I really enjoyed seeing what a consummate professional he is and how dedicated he is to becoming the best player he is capable of being. Alex McKenna was also extremely impressive, but since he played in 23 fewer games than Beer, it made my decision easier.

OF/1B/DH Seth Beer (TC/QC/BC): 67 G, .304/.389/.496/.885, 14 2B, 12 HR, 42 RBI, 1 SB:1 CS, 25 BB:49 K

Honorable Mention (sorted by OPS)

OF Alex McKenna (TC/QC): 44 G, .311/.394/.512/.906, 8 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 6 SB:5 CS, 14 BB:40 K

SS Freudis Nova (GCL): 41 G, .308/.331/.466/.797, 3 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 28 RBI, 9 SB:5 CS, 6 BB:21 K

OF Andy Pineda (TC/CC/TC): 46 G, .288/.362/.423/.785, 6 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 12 SB:6 CS, 14 BB:43 K

OF Carlos Machado (TC): 52 G, .304/.346/.412/.758, 10 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 5 SB:2 CS, 14 BB:26 K

SHORT SEASON CATCHER OF THE YEAR

Another catcher no-brainer! Jose Alvarez, who signed with the Astros in July 2016 out of Venezuela for $195,000 played his second season in the DSL in 2018. Alvarez repeated the 50% caught stealing rate from his first season while substantially lowering the number of passed balls he allowed. But it was his offense that the 18-year old improved on most. In 2017, Alvarez started out strong but faded badly down the stretch, but in 2018, he was able to sustain his success throughout the season. Look for Alvarez to make his U.S. debut in 2019. He will be 19 years old next June.

C Jose Alvarez (DSL): 44 G, .359/.434/.420/.854, 8 2B, 15 RBI, 5 SB:2 CS, 17 BB:27 K, 50% CS rate (26 of 52)

Honorable Mention

Although there are several other extremely good defensive catchers in the lower levels of the system, no one really stood out when looking at defense and offense combined. Many of these younger catchers have shown flashes of offensive potential, but most are works in progress.

FNO = Fresno (AAA)
CC = Corpus Christi (AA)
BC = Buies Creek (High A)
QC = Quad Cities (Low A)
TC = Tri-City (Short Season A)
GCL = Gulf Coast League (Domestic Rookie League)
DSL = Dominican Summer League (Dominican Rookie League)