Four of Astros 10 Prospects Invited To Spring Training

Brice Matthews

Brice Matthews is the only player in the mix that got a taste of what the MLB is all about. In his debut last year, he played 13 games, with a .167 AVG in 42 at bats. He registered just seven hits, but four of them left the yard. In two seasons at AAA Sugar Land, the 23-year old posted totals of 124 games with 17 homers and 69 RBIs sporting a .249 AVG and a .795 OPS. Although Matthews has significant pop in his bat, his plate discipline is a concern, striking out 158 times.

Securing a spot on the MLB roster will be challenging for him, as the Astros infield is rather crowded. Matthews will need to improve on working counts, and finding his pitch.

Walker Janek

Like Matthews, Janek is also a Texas native. Selected at the 28th pick of the first round in the MLB June Amateur draft, Janek is a 23-year old catcher out of Sam Houston State University, about an hour and a half from Houston. The amateur prospect spent 2025 out in A+ Ashville affiliate with a slash line of .263/.333/.766 with 12 homers and 21 doubles.

Although a catcher, the Sam Houston prospect is known for his speed, swiping 30 bags this past season. At the backstop, Janek displayed defensive prowess, with a 30.8% caught stealing rate on 103 attempts.

Following minor league ball, Janek spent time playing in the Arizona Fall League. One notable game included a shutout with battery mate Anderson Brito. Not only did Janek catch a shutout, but he was also a hitting machine, scoring seven RBIs including a grand slam.

Janek ranks third on the prospect totem pole. The Astros front office is excited to see a month's worth of sample size of his defense behind the plate, including a display of raw power.

Miguel Ullola

Ullola's invitation to spring training was expected. The 23-year old is from the Dominican Republic and signed with the Astros organization during the annual international signings in 2021 for $75,000. He has since worked his way up the minor leagues and spent 2025 in AAA Sugar Land. A righty with some heat, Ullola's 2025 pitching stats in AAA consisted of a 3.88 ERA going 113 innings with 131 strikeouts.

The DR native has pure talent, with every single season in the minors sporting at least a 10 K/9. Unfortunately, he has control issues, leading to frequent base on balls, translating to a 1.35 WHIP.

Houston has faith in their young righty, adding him to the 40-man roster in November 2025 to prevent teams from swiping him in the Rule 5 draft. MiLB believes he makes his MLB debut this upcoming season. Let's see how he fares against major league hitters in spring training.

Joseph Sullivan

The No. 5 prospect on the Astros, Joseph Sullivan is a full on left-handed outfielder out of University of South Alabama. Drafted by the Astros in the seventh round of the 2024 MLB draft, Sullivan displays a cautious approach to the plate by drawing walks. He has the potential to be a slightly above average bat with decent power.

However, when he finds his pitch, the challenge becomes having the know-how of handling it. MiLB states his pull-heavy approach, which is common for lefties. The hurdle Sullivan must overcome is pitch selection, often hitting ground balls to the right side. When he does reach, he becomes a threat on the basepaths. His last season was spent in AA Corpus Christi and A+ Asheville, logging a .220 AVG with 17 homers and a .798 OPS in 106 games.

At 23 years old, Sullivan is expected to make the big leagues in 2027, best case scenario. Hopefully he makes a statement in his spring training invitation.

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