Quick Review of the Astros 2016 Draft
The Astros newest faces and prospects have half a season of pro baseball in the books. Jeff Luhnow and scouting director Mike Elias put together an intriguing 2016 draft class. Today we’ll look over the top picks and notable names of the latest draft class to see what type of start the ‘Stros latest prospects got to kick off their careers.
Forrest Whitley/RHP
Round: First
School: Alamo Heights HS (San Antonio, Texas)
The Astros played it safe with Whitley in his first professional season. The front office felt that he pitched enough innings in his high school season prior to getting drafted, as he was limited to only 18.2 IP over eight professional appearances. Whitley made four appearances for the GCL Astros and four more for the rookie level Greeneville Astros.
As a 2017 outlook, I would look at how the Astros handled Lance McCullers his first year and a half of pro ball. Like Whitley, McCullers was a highly thought of pitcher drafted out of high school. Also like Whitley, McCullers made eight appearances between the GCL and Greeneville Astros. McCullers spent the 2013 season with the Quad Cities River Bandits, I would look for Whitley to take the same path.
Ronnie Dawson/OF
Round: Second
School: Ohio State University
Dawson had an up-and-down first year with the Tri City ValleyCats. Dawson got lots of experience, as he played 70 games and had 244 at bats. He slashed .225/.351/.373 with 7 HR’s and 12 SB’s. Dawson definitely showed he has tools to be successful, it’s just a matter of finding some consistency. Dawson showed a pretty impressive K:BB rate his first year. He needs to cut down on strikeouts, as he punched out 66 times, but his 42 walks helped balance that. If he cuts down on K’s, his average should boost and he could get down around a 1:1 K:BB rate.
I think Dawson starts off next year in Quad Cities. He showed some tools and I think the Astros will be aggressive with him. There’s holes in the outfield, and while Dawson certainly won’t fill one in 2017, he could be ready to take over a spot in 2018.
Jake Rogers/C
Round: Third
School: Tulane University
Rogers made it to Quad Cities last year. The big knock on Rogers coming out of college was his bat, as he was considered a defensive specialist behind the plate. Rogers slashed .233/.341/.377 between Quad Cities and Tri City. He certainly showed off his defensive potential, as he threw out 13 of 36 base stealers for a 36% clip. That would place him in the top 12 if he continued that clip at the major league level.
Similar to the outfielders, the Astros are relatively weak at the catcher position. Jason Castro could depart in free agency, which would leave Evan Gattis and Max Stassi as the immediate options at the catcher position. Catcher might be the Astros weakest position in the minors as well. Since Rogers isn’t roadblocked by anybody and defense doesn’t need development like offense does, Rogers could move quickly. Look for Rogers to start off in high A ball and finish 2017 pushing for AAA.
Other Notables
Sixth round pick Stephen Wrenn hit 12 HR’s between Tri City and Quad Cities over 289 AB’s. He struggled a lot more at the plate after being called up to Quad Cities. The power numbers are intriguing, and he’s a player to keep an eye on.
Texas A&M product Ryne Birk picked up right where he left off with the Aggies and slashed .293/.385/.455 between Tri City and Quad Cities. Kirk’s been overlooked his entire career but continues to produce no matter where he’s at. Look for the lefty hitting second baseman to keep up the production and force his way on to top prospect boards.
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**Photo Credit: Jayne Hansen**
