Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Quiet night.

Omaha 9, Round Rock 2

W- Jake Kalish (7-5)
L- Framber Valdez (1-2)

RR home runs: Jack Mayfield (17, solo in 6th)

The Storm Chasers rumbled to a 5-0 lead after 3.5 innings and the E-Train were never really in this one.

Taylor Jones ripped an RBI double in the 4th and Jack Mayfield launched a solo homer in the 6th. Josh Rojas went 2-4 with a stolen base (29) and a run scored; Alex De Goti also had two hits on the evening.

Framber Valdez pitched 3.2 innings and allowed five runs (three earned) on three hits, walked five, and struck out six. Akeem Bostick was the first man out of the bullpen and he allowed three runs on five hits (solo homer), walked two, and struck out four. Kit Scheetz got the last two innings and he allowed two hits, one of which was a solo homer, and struck out four.

Kent Emanuel takes on Eric Skoglund at 7:05.

Corpus Christi was off

The Hooks are in Springdale, Arkansas, where they'll begin a series with Northwest Arkansas at 7:05.

Fayetteville and Lynchburg was postponed

Due to rain. A doubleheader is scheduled for tonight with game one starting at 6:00 Eastern. Jojanse Torres will get the start in game one and Forrest Whitley is scheduled to start the second game.

Quad Cities was off

The River Bandits will kick off a three-game set with Peoria tonight at 6:35.

Tri-City 4, Brooklyn 1 (5 innings)

W- Christian Mejías (1-1)
L- Corey Gaconi (1-1)

TC home runs: None.

This game was called due to rain with one out in the 6th.

Ronel Blanco began his rehab and he allowed an RBI single, walked one, and struck out two in the 1st. Christian Mejías allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out three in four innings of work.

Juan Paulino opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st. Juan Ramirez led off the 5th with a double and scored on an error following a single from Yeuris Ramirez. Yeuris moved up to second and scored on a base hit from E.P. Reese. Reese stole second and scored on Luis Guerrero's single. Juan Ramirez finished 2-2. Reese (5) and Guerrero (2) both stole a base.

The ValleyCats and Cyclones will continue this series at 7:00 Eastern.

DSL Royals1 7, DSL Astros 1

W- Luis Cepeda (4-1)
L- Carlos Calderón (3-2)

DSL home runs: None.

Not a good last couple of days for the Dominican 'Stros as they were outscored 18-2 by the Royals. They had nine hits in this one but only got one run for their troubles.

Omar Díaz hit an RBI single in the 6th. Ricardo Toro went 3-3. Jairo José, who is normally an outfielder, struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th inning.

Hopefully they'll have better luck when they take on the Rays 1 at 11:30 AM Atlantic.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise. Light slate, slim pickings.

Ricardo Toro, C, DSL Astros: 3-3

Juan Ramirez's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

E.P. Reese (left in top pic), OF, Luis Guerrero (center), OF, and Juan Ramirez, OF, Tri-City

Reese: 1-3, RBI, R, SB (5)

Guerrero: RBI single, 2 BB, SB (2)

Ramirez: 2-2, 2B, R

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Christian Mejías, RHP, Tri-City

W (1-1), 4 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K

Kit Scheetz, LHP, Round Rock

2 IP, 2 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 4 K

Josh Rojas, UTIL, Round Rock

2-4, R, SB (29)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, August 2, 2018

Nashville 2, Fresno 1

W- Liam Hendriks (3-0)
L- Brendan McCurry (5-6)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Sounds walked off with the win by scoring a run in each of the last two innings.

Fresno had the bases loaded to start the 4th but all they got was one run when Yordan Alvarez grounded out, which allowed Kyle Tucker to score. Jack Mayfield went 2-4 with a double.

Rogelio Armenteros allowed four hits, walked four, and struck out six over five shutout innings. Dean Deetz didn't allow a hit in his two innings; he walked one and struck out four. Reymin Guduan came on for the 8th but only got one out via the strikeout. He allowed a hit and had an inherited runner charged to him when Brendan McCurry induced a pop fly that turned into a force out. McCurry allowed the winning run on three hits, walked one, and struck out two in 1.1 innings.

Brady Rodgers will get the start as the Grizzlies look to avoid a sweep. He'll take on Frankie Montas at 7:05.

Frisco 4, Corpus Christi 1

W- Jonathan Hernandez (3-4)
L- Brock Dykxhoorn (2-1, 7-3 season)
S- Tyler Davis (2)

CC home runs: None.

Tough to win when only three guys get hits...

Brock Dykxhoorn went 4.1 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits, walked two, and struck out three. Akeem Bostick got the last 3.2 innings and allowed an unearned run on three hits while fanning three.

Abraham Toro put Corpus on the board when he ripped an RBI double in the 2nd inning. Chas McCormick and Alex De Goti both finished with two hits on the night. Carlos Correa went 0-3 with a couple of strikeouts in the first game of his rehab assignment. Well, at least he's progessed to playing games.

Brandon Bielak will get the start in game two. First pitch is at 7:05.

Buies Creek 4, Wilmington 3

W- Enoli Paredes (1-1, 3-4 season)
L- Tyler Zuber (1-1)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros walked off with the win and got a little payback by taking this series from the Blue Rocks after dropping the series in Wilmington last weekend.

Jake Meyers drew a leadoff walk in the 6th but was caught stealing. Corey Julks got on with a single; he fared a little better in his attempt to steal second and scored Buies Creek's first run on a single from Bryan de la Cruz. De La Cruz led off the bottom of the 9th with a single. Seth Beer followed with a base hit of his own and Cody Bohanek drew a walk to load the bases. Carlos Canelón went down on strikes but Jonathan Arauz was the hero as he ripped the double that brought everyone in and sent the crowd at Campbell University home happy. Julks, de la Cruz, and Beer all went 2-4 on the evening. Julks' stolen base gives him 13 in the Carolina League and 27 on the season.

In his Carolina League debut, J.B. Bukauskas went five innings and allowed two runs on four hits, walked two, and struck out five. Jose Luis Hernandez was the first man out of the Buies Creek bullpen and he allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and fanned three in his three innings. Enoli Paredes allowed a hit and struck out the side in a scoreless 9th.

The Carolina Stros will begin a three-game weekend series with Lynchburg at 6:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 4, Clinton 2

W- Chad Donato (1-0, 4-0 season)
L- Scott Boches (2-3)
S- Bryan Abreu (3)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos opened things up a bit with a three-run 4th inning. Meanwhile on the mound, Chad Donato turned in yet another nice start and Bryan Abreu continues to carve up the Midwest League.

Donato allowed two runs on five hits, walked one, and struck out six in six innings. Abreu shut things down over the last three innings; he allowed just one hit and struck out six.

Miguelangel Sierra singled to lead off the 3rd and scored the first run of the game on an errant pickoff throw that somehow made it all the way to the right-field corner. Well then. Ruben Castro singled to start the 4th, advanced on a sac bunt, and scored on Colton Shaver's single. Shaver advanced on a wild pitch and came around to score on a Mike Papierski double. Sierra followed by bringing Papierski in with a single. Sierra went 2-3 and was the only Quad Cities player to finish with a multi-hit game.

Luis Garcia will start the series finale and he'll take on Randy Bell at 6:35.

Lowell 5, Tri-City 3

W- Eduard Bazardo (5-3)
L- Alex House (0-2)
S- Kris Jackson (3)

TC home runs: Andy Piñeda (1, 3 season; solo in 6th), Trey Dawson (1, solo in 6th)

Andy Piñeda and Trey Dawson went back-to-back in the 6th to pull the ValleyCats to within a run... but the Spinners got the runs back in the 7th.

César Salazar got plunked to lead off the 7th and ended up scoring on a passed ball. Alex McKenna went 2-2 with a double, but unfortunately, he got hurt trying to get back to first base on a pickoff attempt. Michael Wielansky went 3-4 with a double and Oscar Campos finished 2-4 with a double. Piñeda also went 2-4; the homer was his third of the season, which sets a new career high for him in that statistic. He hit two in his second game with Corpus Christi back on July 1.

The one run that Alex House allowed in his two innings came on a home run. House also allowed two other hits and struck out two. Devin Conn was the first man out of the ValleyCats bullpen and threw 1.2 innings, allowing two unearned runs and walking three. Brett Conine allowed two runs on three hits, walked two, and struck out one in 3.1 innings. Luis de Paula and Jacob Billingsley both turned in scoreless innings; de Paula walked one in the 8th, while Billingsley allowed a hit and struck out the side in the 9th.

Tri-City leads Lowell by 1.5 games in the New York-Penn League's Stedler Division; in fact, all four teams are separated by just 3.5 games. Brett Daniels will take on Brian Brown in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 5, GCL Mets 3

W- Joey Gonzalez (4-1)
L- Malky Mena (2-1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros saw a 3-0 lead vanish in the top of the 8th but they were able to quickly regain control with a couple of runs in the bottom of the 8th.

Francis Martes worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 1st, striking out one. Jose Alberto Rivera tagged in for four innings, allowing a hit and striking out two. Manny Ramirez cruised through two innings but hit the wall in the 8th; he allowed all three of the Mets' runs (one inherited runner charged to him) on three hits, walked two, and struck out six in 2.1 innings. Joey Gonzalez struck out two over the last 1.2 innings.

The GCL squad turned a bases-loaded situation to lead off the 5th into three runs as Juan Ramirez and Freúdis Nova had RBI singles, while Sean Mendoza drew a bases-loaded walk. Ramirez smacked a two-run double in the 8th that turned out to be the game-winning hit. Ramirez and Freúdis both finished with two hits on the afternoon.

DSL Red Sox1 3, DSL Astros 2 in 10 innings

W- Osvaldo de la Rosa (1-2)
L- Jeremy Molero (0-3)

DSL home runs: None.

The Academy walked off with a loss.

Their only scoring play was a two-run single in the 3rd from Yimmi Cortabarria. Victor Mascai went 3-4 and drew a walk.

Jairo Lopez and Diosmerky Taveras both threw three scoreless innings. Lopez allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out four, while Taveras had the same line; he did not issue a walk, however. Ricardo León came on for the 7th but failed to record an out. He walked the bases loaded and allowed two runs (one earned), both of which were inherited runners that were charged to him. Flaer Gonzalez allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out one over three innings. Jeremy Molero got one out in the 10th and allowed the winning run on a wild pitch.

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jairo Lopez, RHP, DSL Astros: 3 IP, H, BB, 4 K
Diosmerky Taveras, RHP, DSL Astros: 3 IP, H, 4 K

Photo by Bryan Green. Jose Alberto Rivera not pictured.

Juan Ramirez, OF, and Jose Alberto Rivera, RHP, GCL Astros

Ramirez: 2-5, 2B, 3 RBI

Rivera: 4 IP, H, 2 K

Jonathan Arauz, IF, Buies Creek

Walk-off 3-RBI 2B in 9th

Andy Piñeda, OF, Tri-City

2-4, solo HR (1, 3 season)

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 4-2 vs. Clinton

9 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, BB, 12 K

Chad Donato: W (1-0, 4-0 season), 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 6 K

Bryan Abreu: Save (3), 3 IP, H, 6 K

Dean Deetz, RHP, Fresno

2 IP, BB, 4 K

Akeem Bostick, RHP, Corpus Christi

3.2 IP, 3 H, unearned run, 3 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, July 23, 2018

Fresno was off

The Grizzlies will do business as the Fresno Tacos as they start a three-game series with Iowa at 7:05 Pacific. Josh James is listed as the probable starter.

San Antonio 2, Corpus Christi 1

W- Jacob Nix (2-2)
L- Brandon Bielak (2-2, 7-5 season)
S- Andrés Muñoz (4)

CC home runs: None.

The Missions took the opener of this series by scoring in more innings than the Hooks.

Both teams scored in the 2nd; Josh Rojas led things off with a double and scored Corpus Christi's only run when Chas McCormick took his place at second by whacking a double of his own. They both finished 2-3; both of Rojas' hits were doubles.

Brandon Bielak went 4.1 innings and allowed two runs on six hits, walked two, and struck out three. Kit Scheetz allowed a hit over 2.2 scoreless and Ralph Garza Jr. worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out one.

Brett Adcock will make his first Texas League start at 7:05 and he'll face Logan Allen.

Down East 8, Buies Creek 4

W- Steven Bruce (4-6)
L- Gabriel Valdez (5-4)
S- Jairo Beras (3)

BC home runs: J.J. Matijevic 2 (10, 13 season; 2-run in 3rd, solo in 9th)

J.J. Matijevic's huge afternoon was not enough for the Carolina Stros as they were foiled in their bid to sweep the series, which also would have clinched the Lone Star Series in North Carolina in their favor.

Matijevic finished 3-4 and was responsible for driving in three of the four Buies Creek runs in this game; he whacked a two-run homer in the 3rd to put them on the board and then led off the 9th with a homer. Osvaldo Duarte drew a walk and scored when Jake Adams ripped a double. Adams finished 2-4 on the afternoon. Buies Creek had a chance to really make things interesting in the bottom of the 9th, but they couldn't capitalize on a bases-loaded situation.

Gabriel Valdez pitched five innings and allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits (solo homer) while striking out one. Carlos Sanabria and Jesús Balaguer both threw two innings. Sanabria allowed two runs on two hits, walked three, and struck out one, while Balaguer allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and fanned two.

The Carolina Stros will head north for a roadtrip. They'll start a three-game set in Potomac at 7:05 Eastern.

Quad Cities 7, West Michigan 4

W- Peter Solomon (8-1)
L- Wilkel Hernandez (0-4)
S- Brendan Feldmann (5, 6 season)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos took control of this one by erupting for six runs in the 3rd inning.

Peter Solomon wasn't at his best, but fortunately, the offense, Parker Mushinski, and Brendan Feldmann picked him up. Solomon allowed four runs on six hits (solo homer) and struck out three in five innings of work. Mushinski allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out three over three scoreless frames and Feldmann worked around a hit and a walk to close out the game.

Six different players drove in a run for Quad Cities and only one of their seven runs on the afternoon was the result of a hit. David Hensley put the Banditos on the board with an RBI single with the bases loaded in the 3rd. Chandler Taylor, Mike Papierski, and Scott Schreiber all walked in runs, while Jonathan Lacroix got plunked to bring in another run. Logan Mattix capped off the big 3rd with a sac fly, and Seth Beer scored on a wild pitch in the 4th. Hensley finished 2-3 on the day.

After an off day, the Banditos will travel to Burlington for a three-game series starting Wednesday.

Tri-City was off

The ValleyCats will start a three-game series with Auburn at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 3, GCL Mets 2

W- Layne Henderson (2-0)
L- Jender de Jesús (0-1)
S- Joey Gonzalez (1)

GCL home runs: Freudis Nova (3, solo in 4th)

The Mets made things interesting in the 9th when they cut the Palm Beach Stros' lead to one run, but Joey Gonzalez kept his cool and secured the win.

In his first professional start, Jayson Schroeder walked one and struck out three over two scoreless innings. Matt Ramsey struck out the side in order in the 3rd inning. Miguel Figueroa was next, and he had a run charged to him when an inherited runner scored. Figueroa allowed a double, walked two, and struck out five in 2.1 innings. Layne Henderson went 2.2 innings and allowed three hits while striking out one. Freylin Garcia came on for the 9th and got an out, but he also issued a couple of walks and had a run charged to him when an inherited runner scored. Joey Gonzalez got the last two outs of the game, although he allowed an RBI single to the first man he faced, which resulted in one of Garcia's runners scoring. He struck out the next batter and then got the final out by catching the other runner he inherited from Garcia trying to steal home.

Freudis Nova opened the scoring with a solo shot in the 3rd inning. Nerio Rodriguez smacked a double to lead off the 8th and Hector Martinez came on to run for him. Martinez advanced to third on a sac bunt and trotted home when Juan Ramirez smacked a triple. Carlos Diaz brought Ramirez in with a single. Ramirez and Freudis both finished with two hits.

The DSL Astros' game with the Royals was suspended at the end of the 5th with the game tied 0-0. Alfredi Jimenez pitched all five innings and allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out five.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Alfredi Jimenez, RHP, DSL Astros: 5 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K (game suspended; he's probably not going to pitch again in this game)

J.J. Matijevic, LF, Buies Creek

3-4, 2 HR (10, 13 season), 3 RBI

Quad Cities River Bandits bullpen

4 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K

Parker Mushinski: 3 IP, H, BB, 3 K

Brendan Feldmann: Save (5, 6 season), IP, H, BB

David Hensley, SS, Quad Cities

2-3, RBI, R

Josh Rojas (not facing camera), UTIL, and Chas McCormick, OF, Corpus Christi

Rojas: 2-3, 2 2B, R

McCormick: 2-3, 2B, RBI

#Astros second-rounder Jayson Schroeder made his second pro appearance today. Here's what it looked like: pic.twitter.com/6ip95AO6OC

— Josh Norris (@jnorris427) July 23, 2018

Video by Josh Norris

Jayson Schroeder, RHP, GCL Astros

2 IP, BB, 3 K in first pro start

Freudis Nova single. pic.twitter.com/9wP4YuofUb

— Josh Norris (@jnorris427) July 23, 2018

 Freudis Nova video by Josh Norris.

Juan Ramirez's photo taken by Bryan Green.

Freudis Nova, SS, and Juan Ramirez, OF, GCL Astros

Nova: 2-4, solo HR (3)
Ramirez: 2-3, 3B, RBI, R

Beyond the Top 30: Center Field

As the old year fades away and the new season approaches, it's time to start looking at those players of interest who are beyond the Top 30. These players may not ever make a Top 30 list (or they may), but a combination of projections, actual results, incremental improvements and intangibles keep them in the mix as interesting players to watch. I am not including any players in these posts who have already made their major league debuts since, presumably, anyone reading my blog is already very familiar with those players.

Note: Many of the 2018 player rankings haven't been released yet so I will be using the MLB Pipeline postseason list, the Baseball Prospectus Top 10+ list and Baseball America's Top 10 list to denote those players who are currently considered Top 30 type players in the Astros system. Once FanGraphs weighs in, Baseball America publishes their Top 30 and MLB Pipeline posts their 2018 pre-season list, I will post a consensus top prospect list.

[UPDATES TO FINAL 2018 PRE-SEASON RANKINGS SHOWN IN RED.

BA= BASEBALL AMERICA, BP = BASEBALL PROSPECTUS,

FG=FANGRAPHS, MLB = MLB PIPELINE]

CENTERFIELDERS IN THE TOP 30 (in alphabetical order)

Myles Straw - August 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Gilberto Celestino (R/L) - BP #7, FG #10, BA #20, MLB #23
Much has already been written about Celestino, who is ranked #15 in the MLB Pipeline 2017 postseason list and #7 by Baseball Prospectus. He will also likely be ranked in the upcoming Baseball America Prospect Handbook as he was ranked #19 by that publication last year. Celestino was signed out of the Dominican Republic in July 2015 for a $2.25 million bonus (plus a $275,000 college fund) and will turn 19 on February 13th. Celestino appeared in 59 games with rookie level Greeneville in 2017, hitting .268/.331/.379 with 10 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 10 stolen bases (two caught stealing) and eight outfield assists (seven of those in center field). He walked 22 times to 59 strikeouts. To summarize what has been written about Celestino, he lacks any one plus-plus tool, but his baseball IQ, aptitude, work ethic and instincts make all of his projected average to above-average tools play way up.

Drew Ferguson (R/R) - MLB #17
I'm including Ferguson as a centerfielder since he played more at that position than right or left in 2017, but MLB Pipeline which has him ranked at #26 finds his range at center to be "fringy" and feels that he would be better suited to right or left. A 19th round draft pick out of Belmont University in 2015, I see the 25-year old as a solid utility outfielder. Ferguson spent the first 84 games of his season with AA Corpus Christi, hitting .292/.390/.426. He was promoted to Fresno on August 1st where he slashed a less robust .223/.304/.320 in his final 29 games of the season. Overall, he collected 25 doubles, nine home runs, 41 RBI, 66 runs scored, 18 stolen bases (six caught stealing) and seven outfield assists (five of those from left field and two from center); he walked 57 times to 98 strikeouts. Much like Celestino, Ferguson's tools play up because of his great baseball IQ, with his hit tool being his strongest asset.

Myles Straw (R/R) - BP #11+, BA #17, MLB #21, FG #28+
Straw is currently ranked #20 on the MLB 2017 postseason list and in the "Next 10" by Baseball Prospectus. I fully expect him to debut in the 2018 Baseball America Prospect Handbook as well (ahem, I'm still waiting for my copy BA!). Straw was a 12th round pick in 2015 out of St. Johns River Community College (FL); he just turned 23 in October. Straw spent all but 13 games of his season with High A Buies Creek, hitting .295/.412/.373 at the level prior to a late season promotion to AA Corpus Christi. The speedy outfielder collected 38 stolen bases (nine caught stealing), 17 doubles, seven triples and one home run in his 127 games. He also walked (94 times) more than he struck out (79 times). Straw's speed is plus-plus and is enough to overcome an, at best, average arm and lack of home run power. He makes good contact with excellent plate discipline.

Kyle Tucker (L/R) - BA #2, BP #2, FG #2, MLB #2
Tucker tops the list with a #15 and #17 overall top prospect designation from Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, respectively, and has been ranked #2 in the Astros system behind Forrest Whitley by Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus. Tucker, who turned 21 last month, split his 2017 season between High A Buies Creek (48 games) and AA Corpus Christi (72 games), hitting a combined .274/.346/.528 with 33 doubles, five triples, 25 home runs, 90 RBI and 21 stolen bases (nine caught stealing); he walked 46 times to 109 strikeouts. Drafted in the first round in 2017 out of H.B. Plant High School (Florida), scouts loved his swing from the start and expected him to develop more power. That power output was evident when Tucker went from hitting nine home runs in 2016 to hitting 25 home runs in 2017 in a roughly equivalent number of games. Rodney Linares, the 2017 Manager of the Corpus Christi team noted that, although Tucker has a somewhat unorthodox swing and approach (BP calls Tucker somewhat stiff and passive-aggressive at the plate), he has very good bat-to-ball skills and power. Defensively, Linares lauded Tucker's arm, but held that his accuracy was sometimes questionable. And, although Tucker has been a good base stealer thus far, that is expected to diminish at the higher levels, particularly as he fills out his frame, and that already appears to be the case. Tucker played in 110 games in the outfield in 2017 - 54 (CF), 37 (RF) and 19 (LF); he may very well spend more time in right field in the future and I personally like him better there than in center.

CENTERFIELDERS BEYOND THE TOP 30 (in alphabetical order)

Wilyer Abreu (L/L)

In his first season after signing out of Venezuela for $300,000 in July 2017, Abreu hit a healthy .286/.377/.345 in 34 games in the Dominican Summer League (and a robust .440/.533/.560 with two outs and runners in scoring position!). According to Oz Ocampo, Astros Special Assistant to the GM, Abreu shows an advanced approach at the plate as well as defensively in center field. Abreu is also said to be a plus runner (seven stolen bases to four caught stealing in his 34 games) with a good arm and nice intangibles. He will be 19 on 6/24.
Keys: In a crowded field of talented outfielders, Abreu will need to work hard to stand out both defensively and offensively. Listed at 6'0" 180#, I would expect Abreu to generate more power as he develops. At a minimum, with his reported speed, he should be able to collect more extra base hits than the five doubles and one triple he had in 2017.

Jake Meyers (R/L)
Meyers batting line for his 42 games with short season A Tri-City was a lackluster .207/.289/.304, but he was definitely heating up toward the end of the season, hitting .313/.377/.513 over his final 15 games, including three of his four doubles and all three of his season home runs. Drafted in the 13th round in 2017 out of the University of Nebraska where he was a two-way player, Meyers is said to be a plus runner (11 stolen bases and two caught stealing) whose speed and above average arm translate well in center field. Meyers will be 22 on 6/18.
Key: Show that he can catch up with and master pitching at the professional level.

Juan Ramirez (L/L)
Ramirez originally signed with the Tigers out of the Dominican Republic in 2015 for $185,000 and came to the Astros after the 2017 season as the PTBNL in the Justin Verlander trade. In his second professional season for the Gulf Coast League Tigers in 2017, Ramirez hit .301/.385/.362 in 42 games. He walked 20 times to only 14 strikeouts and stole 11 bases (seven caught stealing). On the smaller side (Baseball-Reference has him at 5'9" 160#), Ramirez is known more for contact than for power (six doubles and two triples in 2017), but at the time of his signing Baseball America thought he would grow into more power. They also noted that his above average arm could land him in right field. Ramirez will be 19 in April.
Keys: Ramirez is said to have good baseball instincts and he will need to use those to help him get the most out of his average speed and below average power.

Ramiro Rodriguez (L/L)
I am definitely a fan of Rodriguez (at least on paper since I've never actually seen him play), so much so that I named him my Short Season Player of the Year for 2017. Rodriguez was absolutely dominant at the plate while also providing solid defense. Rodriguez spent the vast majority of his season with the Dominican Summer League with a mid-August promotion to the Gulf Coast League. In 58 games, Rodriguez hit .335/.440/.500 with 11 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 24 RBI, 37 runs scored and eight stolen bases (seven caught stealing). He walked 30 times to only 23 strikeouts. Rodriguez signed with the Astros in October 2015 out of Panama.
Key: Rodriguez will be 20 in February and, as good as he was in the DSL, I would like to have seen him play in more than nine games in the States at this point. He should be challenged to higher levels of competition in order to see what he can really do.

Others to Watch:

Yefri Carrillo
Signed during the July 2nd international signing period in July 2017 out of Venezuela for $300,000, I haven't found much information about Carrillo yet, even his age [UPDATE: Carrillo turned 17 in January.], but since he didn't play in 2017, he will likely be 17 going into the 2018 season. Oz Ocampo called Carrillo a legitimate five-tool player with a "great frame and plus athleticism," citing a 70 arm, plus speed and fielding, and a solid bat with power.

Yimmi Cortabarria and Franklin Pinto
I know even less about these two players, both of whom signed in July 2017 for $300,000 out of Venezuela and neither of whom have yet played, but I will be watching them both in the new season. [UPDATE: Cortabarria was 17 in January and Pinto will be 17 in late April.]

Andy Pineda (L/R)
2017 was mostly a season of regression at the plate for Pineda, but he still showed enough promise to be included as a New York-Penn League Mid-Season All Star. Based on his past performance, I can still see him as a solid 4-tool player (lacking power), but going into his fifth season, he will need to catch up to higher levels of pitching and do so much more quickly. Pineda turned 21 in November.

Previous Posts:
Shortstop
Second Base
First Base

Third Base