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.
Dust Devils Announce 2025 Promotional Schedule
Fan Favorites and Historic Firsts Highlight 2025 Fun at Gesa Stadium PASCO, WASH. (March 21, 2025) - Affordable family fun returns to Gesa Stadium Friday, April 4th as the Tri-City Dust Devils embark on their 2025 baseball season! Make plans now to join in all the fun during 66 home
Dust Devils Announce 2025 Coaching Staff
Dann Bilardello, longtime MiLB manager, takes the reins. PASCO, WASH. (February 14, 2025) - The Tri-City Dust Devils, proud High-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, are excited to welcome the club’s coaching staff for the 2025 season. Dann Bilardello will take over the helm as manager following previous managing
Dust Devils' Michael Angel Wins Head Groundskeeper of the Year
Today, Minor League Baseball announced that Michael Angel, longtime Head Groundskeeper of the Tri-City Dust Devils, has won the 2024 Head Groundskeeper of the Year Award for the Northwest League. Michael has served in his role with the Dust Devils since 2003, making the upcoming 2025 season his 22nd consecutive
Dust Devils Unveil 2025 Season Schedule
After another record-breaking season, your Tri-City Dust Devils cannot wait to invite friends, fans, and community members back to the ballpark next spring. In anticipation, we’re thrilled to announce our 2025 Season Schedule! Mark your calendars for Opening Day on Friday, April 4th, 2025! Kicking off the new season with
Sonny D's Grand Slam Delights Dust Devil Fans in Shutout of Emeralds
1B Sonny DiChiara's 1st inning grand slam set the tone for a terrific Tuesday night at Gesa Stadium, where four Tri-City Dust Devils (19-30 2H) pitchers combined to shut out the Eugene Emeralds (21-28 2H) by a score of 5-0 in front of 1,431 fans gathered on a Senior Night
Magnificent Seven-Run First Takes Tri-City to Blowout of Spokane
Both the Tri-City Dust Devils (16-23 2H) and the Spokane Indians (26-13 2H) had identical golden opportunities to score in their first at-bats Thursday night, and the home nine cashed in their chance with seven runs on the way to a 13-2 rout of their visitors in front of 2,077
Well, Well, Well…How the Turntables: Indians Blank Dust Devils
A night after the Tri-City Dust Devils (15-23 2H) shut out the Spokane Indians (26-12 2H), the visitors returned the favor with a 7-0 win over their hosts Wednesday night at Gesa Stadium that evened the series at a game apiece. The low-scoring nature of Tuesday’s series opener carried over
Fantastic Four: Tri-City Pitchers Shut Out Spokane
Starter Jorge Marcheco and three relievers from the Tri-City Dust Devils (15-22 2H) bullpen shut out the league-leading Spokane Indians (25-12 2H) Tuesday night, backing up a pair of midgame unearned runs for a 2-0 win at Gesa Stadium that opened a six-game series. Marcheco, innings and pitch limited since
Dust Devils Clobber Canadians for Series Split
A Tri-City Dust Devils (14-22 2H) offense shut out for 13 weekend innings erupted for 14 unanswered runs Sunday afternoon, turning another low-scoring ballgame into a 15-3 rout of the Vancouver Canadians (21-15 2H) at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium that earned the squad a series split. A two-out
Tri-City Blanked in British Columbia
Three runs in the bottom of the 8th inning helped the Vancouver Canadians (21-14 2H) to a 4-0 win over the Tri-City Dust Devils (13-22 2H) Saturday night at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium, giving Vancouver a three games to two lead in the final series between the two
Bonus Baseball Better to Dust Devils in Win over Canadians
Playing their third extra-inning game in a week and second in less than 24 hours the Tri-City Dust Devils (13-21 2H) turned the tables on the Vancouver Canadians (20-14 2H) Friday afternoon, getting their runner across in the top of the 10th inning and shutting the door in the bottom
Tri-City Forces Extras, Falls to Vancouver
On an otherwise high-scoring Thursday in the Northwest League the Tri-City Dust Devils (12-21 2H) and Vancouver Canadians (20-13 2H) played a taut, low-scoring ballgame that Vancouver took 3-2 in ten innings at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium. Tri-City gave itself chances to score throughout the night, chipping away
Dust Devils Dig In, Hold On to Beat Canadians
At a place recently inhospitable to Tri-City Dust Devils (12-20 2H) victories the visitors grabbed the lead and held off another late charge from the Vancouver Canadians (19-13 2H) Wednesday night, taking a 5-4 win at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium and bringing this week’s series all square at
Vancouver Vexes Tri-City Again
Both starter Houston Harding and the bullpen offered strong performances on the mound for the Tri-City Dust Devils (11-20 2H) Tuesday night, but the Vancouver Canadians (19-12 2H) cooled off bats on a muggy night to take a 2-0 win in the series opener of a six-game start Tuesday night
Rooster Tails Speed Past AquaSox to Split Series
A stellar bullpen performance backing up early runs powered the Tri-City Dust Devils (11-19 2H) to a 4-1 win over the Everett AquaSox (13-17 2H) Sunday night at Gesa Stadium, causing a third split between the two teams in as many series in the 2024 season. Held to one hit
Columbia River Offense Stays in Pits
A Tri-City Dust Devils (10-19 2H) offense experiencing one of its best stretches of the year was shut down by the visiting Everett AquaSox (13-16 2H) Saturday night, netting only one hit in a 6-0 loss to the visitors at Gesa Stadium. Playing as the Columbia River Rooster Tails on
Werner’s Walk-Off: Rooster Tails Rally in Extras to Beat AquaSox
A tightly played game in the first nine innings gave way to a wild finish Friday night at Gesa Stadium, where Werner Blakely’s walk-off two-out double in the bottom of the 11th inning gave the Tri-City Dust Devils (10-18 2H) a 5-4 win over the Everett AquaSox (12-16 2H) to
Bah, Humbug: Tri-City Builds Big Lead but Falls Short
The Tri-City Dust Devils (9-18 2H) hung six early stockings by the chimney with care on a Christmas in July Thursday night, but the Everett AquaSox (12-15 2H) filled them with lumps of coal as they sleighed past the home nine for a 9-6 win at Gesa Stadium. With both
Crazy Eighth Dooms Dust Devils
Six outs away from a third straight win the Tri-City Dust Devils (9-17 2H) had an 8th inning go sideways on them, with errors and walks assisting the Everett AquaSox (11-15 2H) to six runs on the way to a 9-4 win at Gesa Stadium that evened the teams’ six-game
First Inning Four-Spot Sends Tri-City Past Everett
Four hits in a row to start their night at the plate turned into four early runs Tuesday night for the Tri-City Dust Devils (9-16 2H), who led wire-to-wire in a 5-2 win over the Everett AquaSox (10-15 2H) that opened the week’s six-game series at Gesa Stadium. The visitors
Viñeros Vex Eugene, Take Three-Gamer
The Tri-City Dust Devils (8-16 2H) ratcheted up the offense and repelled a late charge from the Eugene Emeralds (11-13 2H) Sunday night, taking down the visitors 6-3 at Gesa Stadium to grab a series win coming out of the All-Star Break. Playing as Viñeros de Tri-City, the home nine
Emeralds Slug Way to Even Series with Dust Devils
Another big swing by the reigning Northwest League Player of the Week 3B Chad Stevens gave the Tri-City Dust Devils (7-16 2H) an early lead Saturday night, but Eugene Emeralds (11-12 2H) outfielder Rodolfo Nolasco’s two home runs pushed the visitors to a 5-3 win in front of 2,322 at
Tri-City Eviscerates Eugene in Post-Break Return
The suddenly roaring offense of the Tri-City Dust Devils (7-15 2H) returned from baseball’s All-Star break rested and still red-hot Friday night, bashing the ball around and out of the park in a 12-1 thrashing of the Eugene Emeralds (10-12 2H) in front of 2,165 gathered at Gesa Stadium. Trailing
Sweet Seventeen: Dust Devils Demolish Spokane
A dam holding back the offense of the Tri-City Dust Devils (2-13 2H) burst open Saturday evening, with the visitors setting season-highs in runs, hits and home runs in a 17-6 thrashing of the Spokane Indians (11-4 2H) at Avista Stadium. Tri-City’s onslaught began in the top of the 1st
Tri-City Dents Scoreboard, Falls to Indians
2B Will McGillis’s first home run of 2024 gave the Tri-City Dust Devils (1-13 2H) a glimmer of offensive hope Friday night, but the Spokane Indians (11-3 2H) used their patented 5th inning blitz to down the visitors by a score of 9-3 at Avista Stadium. McGillis, coming back recently