On Friday, the Astros revealed their 2025 Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year award winners. In recent years, these honors have highlighted some standout talent, with Shay Whitcomb, Joey Loperfido, and Yainer Díaz earning Player of the Year, and Ethan Pecko, Spencer Arrighetti, and Hunter Brown recognized as Pitcher of the Year. This year’s selections are listed below:
Player of the Year – Zach Cole
Drafted in the 10th round of the 2022 draft, Cole has steadily produced in the minors, with 2025 standing out as his best season yet. After a slow April in which he managed just a .649 OPS, he found his rhythm posting a .779 OPS in May before breaking out in June. From June 1 through his final Double-A game on August 24, Cole hit .282 with 13 doubles, 6 triples, 11 home runs, and a .940 OPS over 53 games. His performance earned a promotion to Triple-A, where he was even better, hitting .353 with 5 home runs in just 15 games. That surge led to a call-up to Houston, where he made Astros history with 4 RBIs in his Major League debut. Across 97 games between Double-A and Triple-A, Cole finished the year with 22 doubles, 7 triples, 19 homers, 65 RBIs, and a .917 OPS. Read more on Cole here.
Pitcher of the Year – Bryce Mayer
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the Astros uncover a late-round gem on the mound. Mayer, drafted in the 16th round of the 2024 draft out of the University of Missouri, quickly made his presence felt in his first full season. He opened the year in Fayetteville, striking out 30 batters in just 17.2 innings before earning a promotion to High-A Asheville. There, he continued to dominate, posting a 2.85 ERA with 45 strikeouts against just 9 walks over 41 innings. Another step up to Double-A followed, where he logged 37 strikeouts in 29 innings. And while his ERA sat at 5.90, his 3.90 FIP showed much better underlying performance. By season’s end, Mayer had piled up 112 strikeouts in 87.2 innings, with a 30.2 K% and 22.9 K-BB%, both the best marks among Astros pitchers who threw at least 80 innings in 2025.
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