Houston Astros Latest Top Prospect List Boasts Future Offensive Firepower

Baseball America recently updated their Top 30 prospect lists for each team, and for the Houston Astros, their top five prospects were all in the field.

That included one they traded for recently — third baseman Cam Smith.

Smith, formerly of the Chicago Cubs’ organization, came to Houston in the Kyle Tucker trade. Not only does the publication consider him the Astros’ top prospect he was in its Top 100 overall prospects at No. 55.

The Cubs selected him in the first round of last year’s MLB draft and in 32 minor-league games the Florida State product slashed .313/.396/.609/1.005 with seven home runs and 24 RBI. He’s a potential third baseman of the future who has already been assigned to Double-A Corpus Christi.

The remaining hitters were all drafted by the Astros, starting with outfielder Jacob Melton, who has been the franchise’s top prospect for much of the past year.

He has is a real opportunity to claim a Major League job this season, as the Astros need more depth in the outfield. He split his time between Double-A and Triple-A last year and slashed .253/.310/.426/.736 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI.

Shortstop Brice Matthews, a Houston native, was the Astros’ first-round pick in 2023. He’s progressed in two minor league seasons to Triple-A Sugar Land and has slashed .248/.378/.442/.820 with 19 home runs and 55 RBI. He was ranked No. 3.

Houston selected Dezenzo, the No. 4 prospect, in the 12th round of the 2022 MLB draft and in the minors last season he slashed .299/.385/.492/.877 with seven home runs and 31 RBI. He made his MLB debut last season after an injury to Alex Bregman. In 19 games he slashed .242/.277/.371/.648 with two home runs and nine RBI.

The No. 5 prospect was last year’s first-round pick, catcher Walker Janek. The winner of the Buster Posey award, given to college baseball’s best catcher, he lashed .175/.214/.289/.503 with one home run and 11 RBI at High-A Asheville.

The rest of the Top 10 includes four pitchers — Miguel Ullola, Ryan Forcucci, A.J. Blubach and Ethan Pecko — along with shortstop Shay Whitcomb.

Prospects Nos. 11-20 included pitcher Andreson Brito, outfielder Kevin Alvarez, outfielder Luis Baez, pitcher Ryan Gusto, pitcher Jackson Nezuh, outfielder Joseph Sullivan, pitcher Parker Smith, outfielder Zach Cole, outfielder Pedro Leon and pitcher Colton Gordon.

Prospects Nos. 21-30 included pitcher Jose Fleury, pitcher James Hicks, outfielder Kenedy Corona, pitcher Andrew Taylor, pitcher Michael Knorr, pitcher Alonzo Tredwell, shortstop Chase Jaworsky, shortstop Caden Powell, catcher Jancel Villarrroel and pitcher Cole Hertzler.