On Wednesday and Thursday of this week, I was able to take in a couple games of the Asheville Tourists in person. Asheville is the High-A affiliate for the Astros organization and due to not having a TV feed yet, seeing the players in person was already a plus. Here are a three prospect takeaways from my time in Asheville.
James Hicks is Legit
James Hicks got the start on Wednesday night, and while the overall line didn’t look dominant, he pitched really well. The right-hander generated 6 strikeouts in 3 innings, running his fastball up to 94 MPH. He was able to locate his curveball for strikes and also got some swings and misses with it too. The changeup looked good too. Overall he had 9 swings and misses. He didn’t allow much to be hit hard, but the defense was a little shaky behind him. Listed at 6’2″ and 190 lbs, Hicks has an athletic build and never really looked labored on the mound. Overall, he showed why he is a legit pitching prospect and could be a fast-riser in the system.
Derek True Has a Live Arm
Derek True also pitched in Wednesday’s game. He allowed 2 runs over 4 innings and while he allowed some hard contact, he racked with the strikeouts. The right-hander struck out 7 batters in 4 innings, giving him 49 strikeouts in 36.2 innings this season. True ran his fastball up to 97 MPH, which came in his last inning of work. He worked the fastball up in the zone and generated 11 swings and misses on the night. He commanded everything he threw and outside of a few hard hit balls, he was dominant. He and Hicks were both college relievers who have made the transition to starter very well so far this year. Here is some more information on True.
Luis Baez’s Potential is Clear
Luis Baez was signed by the Astros in 2022 for $1.3 million out of the Dominica Republic. Just based on the bonus, you know the Astros saw the potential. Baez is only 20-years-old playing in High-A Asheville but has had a strong start to the season. In the two games I saw him, Baez was able to connect on an RBI single and then rocket a double off the right-center field wall. Easily an exit velocity of over 100 MPH. He also made a nice sliding catch in the outfield. Baez is hitting .285 with 10 doubles, 6 homers and 24 runs batted in over 41 games this season. He is already well-built but still has room to add more power as he matures. Baez should get some top 100 consideration come mid-season.
While the two games I saw weren’t great for Asheville, they still had some prospects that really stood out.
Be sure to follow on Twitter, @AstrosFuture, follow me on Instagram, @AstrosFuture and like my Facebook page, facebook.com/AstrosFuture.
