Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than 27th and landed No. 29 on this year’s preseason list.
That clearly hasn’t impacted their ability to win at the Major League level, having reached the playoffs eight straight years. And they continue to get major contributions to the big league team from relatively unheralded prospects, maximizing talents from late-round Draft picks or bargain international signees.
“One of the things that we take pride in is being able to extract everything we can from the players that we have,” said Jacob Buffa, Astros senior director of player development and performance science. “And overall, I think our group has done a pretty good job. We're not going to hit on every single player, but I think we have a pretty good process that allows us to give the Major League team players that will ultimately help them win a World Series.”
Right now, the system does lean toward bats, with the top five of the new Top 30 all position players, headlined by new acquisition -- and No. 1 prospect -- Cam Smith. It’s the best assortment of hitters the system has had in some time and four of the five (2024 first-round pick Walker Janek is the exception) have the chance to impact the big league roster during the 2025 season.
The pitchers are trying to catch up. Right-hander Miguel Ullola (No. 6), signed for $75,000 in 2021, led the Minors in average-against (.163) and raced to Triple-A in '24 -- though he left the Astros’ Spring Breakout game last Friday with shoulder discomfort. No. 7 Anderson Brito thrived in reaching full-season ball for the first time last year. Ethan Pecko (No. 10), the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year, and A.J. Blubaugh (No. 11) excelled at the upper levels while four Astros arms -- Blubaugh, Colton Gordon (No. 16), Ryan Gusto (No. 21) and Wander Suero -- were all named Triple-A Pacific Coast League All-Stars, once again giving the organization a pool of perhaps lesser-known (but ultimately big league-ready) pitchers to call upon as they try to compete in the AL West again.
“One of the strengths of our pitching development, it’s not just a broad sweeping, ‘Hey, this is something that we focused on and this is a common theme that allowed all these guys to get better,'” said Buffa, pointing to Ullola’s improved walk rates and Blubaugh’s continued velocity jumps as distinct examples. “It’s different modes of success for all of them. That’s one of the things that I’m proud of with our pitching department. It’s an individualized approach for each one of the guys.”
It’s not that the Astros don’t see things like farm system rankings and likely think they’re underranked regularly. It’s just not something they focus on, knowing that their mode of operation seems to work, even if it’s underappreciated.
“We notice it and our players notice it, but It’s not our ultimate target,” Buffa said. “We’d love for our players to get recognition for their sake, not necessarily because we want it to reflect a certain way on the program.
“These guys put in a lot of really hard work and they’re talented, and as their coaches, we believe in them, so we’d love for them to get recognition. But ultimately that’s not how we’re going to assess success or failure.”
📩 SUBSCRIBE TO THE BASEBALL TRAVELER NEWSLETTER
Camp standout: Brice Matthews
Matthews (No. 2) was the Astros’ first-round pick in 2023 after posting a 20-20 season at Nebraska in his Draft year. Hailing from suburban Houston, the local kid came home and had a very solid first full season of pro ball, making it to Triple-A despite missing a chunk of the season with back problems. He finished the year with 15 homers and 32 steals in 79 games.
Matthews’ numbers in Grapefruit League games don’t jump off the page, but the Astros have loved how much he looked like he belonged in big league camp, all while focusing on the right side of the infield more than he has previously, though he did play more there during his time in the Puerto Rican Winter League during the offseason.
“He’s looked fantastic on and off the field,” Buffa said. “He’s come in confident, he’s shown some leadership abilities. He’s playing second right now, which he didn’t play last year. And he looks great at second. He’s putting together good ABs with good quality contact.”
Breakout candidate: Jackson Nezuh
Nezuh was the club’s 14th-round pick in the 2023 Draft out of Louisiana-Lafayette -- yet another late-round find for the Astros. He didn’t throw after signing, but then was leading the Single-A Carolina League with 105 strikeouts in 81 2/3 innings before getting promoted to High-A in July of his first full season. His 30 percent strikeout rate and 3.15 K/BB rate really stood out.
“He has an electric fastball that misses a lot of bats,” Buffa said. “He has a good breaking ball. We’re very excited about him, and I think by the end of the year, a lot of people will be talking about him.”
Nezuh may have started the buzz early with his performance in the Astros’ Spring Breakout game. The right-hander, No. 15 on the Top 30, struck out four in 1 2/3 innings, including fanning the side in the sixth inning against Nationals prospects.
Something to prove: Cristian Gonzalez
Gonzalez signed with the Astros way back in July 2018 for $300,000. He had modest success early in his career, but had spent the 2022 season in High-A at age 20. Since then, he’s played just 10 games over the past two years, with a hamstring injury early in 2023 and then Tommy John surgery at the end of the season landing him on the 60-day injured list in both 2023 and 2024.
He’s healthy now and even got some time in big league Grapefruit League action. He’s still only 23 years old and will now hopefully get the chance to see if his skill set can carry him up the ladder ... if he can stay off the injured list.
“It was a really unfortunate series of injuries,” Buffa said. “He’s worked extremely hard and done a good job of coming back. He’s a tremendously talented infielder with multiple tools. I’m very intrigued to see him after having not played for almost two years.”
Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLBPipeline.com. Follow him on Facebook and @JonathanMayo, and listen to him on the weekly MLB Pipeline Podcast.
Zach Goodman Named Play-By-Play Broadcaster For 2025 Season
AMARILLO, TX. (February 27, 2025) – The Amarillo Sod Poodles, Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, today announced that Zach Goodman will return for a second year in the radio booth. Following his first season as a broadcaster for a professional baseball organization, he now steps into the primary play-by-play
Sod Poodles Announce Partners for Community Spotlight Programs
AMARILLO, TX. (February 19, 2025) – The Amarillo Sod Poodles are proud to announce that Carpet Tech will serve as the official sponsor for the “Small Business Spotlight” program for another year to showcase local Amarillo small businesses throughout the 2025 season at HODGETOWN. Additionally, Tobacco Free Amarillo has been
AMARILLO INTRODUCES “YELLOW CITY PIGWEEDS” AS NEW ALTERNATE IDENTITY
AMARILLO, TX. (February 5, 2025) – The Amarillo Sod Poodles are excited to unveil the Yellow City Pigweeds as the Club’s new alternate identity for the 2025 season. With baseball season in the panhandle quickly approaching, the introduction of a new alternate brand enriches an already jam-packed HODGETOWN summer that
Single-Game Tickets for 2025 Season On Sale Now
AMARILLO, TX. (February 4, 2025) – Single-game tickets for the 2025 Amarillo Sod Poodles season are officially on sale now. With baseball season in the Texas panhandle right around the corner, fans can now explore individual seating options to plan their summer at the ballpark. The first chance for Amarillo
Sod Poodles Release 2025 Promo Schedule
AMARILLO, TX. (January 30, 2025) – The Amarillo Sod Poodles, Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, are excited to announce the promotional schedule for the 2025 season. Following a three-game road series to open the regular season, the Sod Poodles are officially back at HODGETOWN on Tuesday, April 8th as
Sod Poodles to Host National Anthem Auditions
Performances Will be Heard on Saturday, March 8th AMARILLO, Texas (January 23, 2025) – The Amarillo Sod Poodles will be hosting public auditions for national anthem performances for the 2025 season on Saturday, March 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at HODGETOWN. Soloists, duets, and trios are invited to
Arizona Diamondbacks Announce Amarillo’s Full 2025 Field Staff
AMARILLO, Texas (January 14, 2025) – The Amarillo Sod Poodles, in partnership with the Arizona Diamondbacks, are thrilled to announce their on-field staff for the 2025 season. Javier Colina will return to Amarillo as the fourth manager in Sod Poodles franchise history. Alongside Colina is pitching coach Gaby Hernandez, hitting
Christmas in the Sky Returns with a Spectacular Twist!
AMARILLO, Texas – The OccuNet Company and Fairly Group are thrilled to invite everyone in the Amarillo community to the region's most festive Christmas extravaganza, the "Christmas In The Sky” celebration at HODGETOWN, home of the Amarillo Sod Poodles. This spectacular event is set to take place on Friday, December
Tim Tawa Named Texas League All-Star
Amarillo, Texas (September 24, 2024) – Today, Minor League Baseball announced League Awards and All-Star Teams for each of the three leagues in Double-A. Sod Poodles INF/OF Tim Tawa was named a Texas League All-Star as a utility player. He was the only Amarillo player to be voted an All-Star
Amarillo Erases Four Run Deficit to Beat Frisco
Amarillo, Texas (September 12, 2024) – The Sod Poodles took a 2-1 series lead over the Frisco RoughRiders with a 10-7 victory Thursday Night. Amarillo trailed 6-2 before scoring in their last four offensive frames to secure the comeback win. The bullpen gave up just one run in 5.1 innings
Lin Goes Eight Quality Innings in Loss to Frisco
Amarillo, Texas (September 11, 2024) – The Sod Poodles saw their final series of the year evened up at a game a piece with the Frisco RoughRiders taking a 3-1 win on Wednesday night. The Sod Poodles only run of the game came in the first inning and was unable
Giesting Spins Quality Start In Win Over Riders
Amarillo, Texas (September 10, 2024) – Amarillo earned a 5-1 win over the Frisco RoughRiders to begin the final series of the season. Los Pointy Boots de Amarillo were propelled by a Spencer Giesting quality start and a pair of home runs in the sixth inning gave the southpaw all
Eight Run Inning Lifts Sod Poodles Over Travs
Amarillo, Texas (August 28, 2024) – Trailing 5-1 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, Amarillo used an eight-run inning to complete their comeback bid on Wednesday night. They used another two runs in the eighth to fend off the Arkansas Travelers and earn an 11-6 win to even the
Vukovich Named Texas League POTW
Amarillo, Texas (August 26, 2024) – Today, Minor League Baseball announced Players and Pitchers of the Week for August 20-25 for all 11 leagues in Minor League Baseball still playing. Amarillo Outfielder A.J. Vukovich earned his second career Texas League Player of the Week award and first of the 2024
Offense Stays Hot in Route of Hooks
Amarillo, Texas (August 21, 2024) – Amarillo racked up 21 hits to match their single-game high in 2024 and muscled out four more home runs in a 13-1 win over Corpus Christi on Wednesday night. Spencer Giesting spun his third quality start with Amarillo en route to earning his third
Amarillo Slugs Their Way to Victory
Amarillo, Texas (August 20, 2024) – The Sod Poodles hit a season-high six home runs on Tuesday night to earn an 11-6 win over the Corpus Christi Hooks. Six different players got in on the action with the 2 through 7 hole hitters in the lineup all doing damage. Dylan
Yu-Min Lin Dominant in Sod Poodles Win
Amarillo, Texas (August 10, 2024) – The Amarillo Sod Poodles took a 3-2 series lead on Saturday night on the back of a stellar performance from Yu-Min Lin. The left-hander worked seven scoreless innings and the offense did just enough to earn a 2-1 win in front of a sell-out
Amarillo Lets Late Lead Slip Away
Amarillo, Texas (August 9, 2024) – Spencer Giesting's quality start and a five-run third inning were not enough for the Sod Poodles to hold off a late charge by the Naturals. Amarillo dropped the extra-inning game on Friday night 7-6, leaving the tying run on third in the bottom of
Ray's No-Hit Bid Leads the Way
Amarillo, Texas (August 8, 2024) – Dylan Ray took a no-hitter into the sixth inning as the Sod Poodles held on late for an 8-7 win Thursday night over Northwest Arkansas. Dylan Ray earned his first quality start of the season, giving up three runs across six innings. He retired
Soddies Blanked as Naturals Even Series
Amarillo, Texas (August 7, 2024) – The Sod Poodles and Naturals were locked in a pitcher's dual through the first six innings on Wednesday night. The two starting pitchers combined to allow just one run on six hits. The Naturals used a three-run top of the seventh to pull away
Roberts Plays Hero, Walks Off Naturals in Extras
Amarillo, Texas (August 6, 2024) – The Sod Poodles won a thriller on Tuesday night to take down the Naturals in the first game of the series. After trailing by two entering the bottom of the eighth, the Sod Poodles scored two over the final two innings to send the
Wind Surge Steal Christmas In July Win
Amarillo, Texas (July 26, 2024) – Amarillo and Wichita each finished with six hits for the game, but the Wind Surge made the most of theirs. Half of Wichita's hits went for extra bases, including a pair of homers to steal a 4-1 win over Amarillo on Friday night. Luke
Amarillo Holds Off Wichita for Fourth Straight Win
Amarillo, Texas (July 25, 2024) – The Amarillo Sod Poodles carried a shutout bid into the ninth inning and held off a late Wind Surge rally to win their fourth straight game. Three early runs were enough in a 3-2 win as the Sod Poodles have now taken the first
Sod Poodles Stave off Wichita Rally, Win Third Straight
Amarillo, Texas (July 24, 2024) – Seeing the game knotted up in the top of the eighth, Amarillo responded with four runs of their own to hold off a late Wichita Rally. Amarillo picked up their third straight win, taking down the Wichita Wind Surge 7-3 on Wednesday night. D-backs'
Sod Poodles Run Away From Wind Surge
Amarillo, Texas (July 23, 2024) – Amarillo put together one of their best all-around performances of the season in a 12-3 victory over the Wichita Wind Surge. Six different Sod Poodles had multi-hit games in the offensive explosion. A.J. Vukovich and Tim Tawa both finished one leg short of the