As we inch closer to the 2026 season, I am going to give top three prospects at each position. This will be based on where they currently play and also where they may end up. This will culminate with my newly updated top 30 prospects before the season starts. This week, we are looking at right-handed pitchers
Previous Top Three:
1. Ethan Pecko
Pecko was selected by the Astros in the sixth round of the 2023 draft. Despite logging just 59.2 innings in college, the organization saw potential and so far, they’ve been proven right. Pecko had a breakout 2024 season where he posted a 3.47 ERA across three levels. In total, Pecko tallied 125 strikeouts over 96 innings, earning the title of Astros Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2024. He features a mid-90s fastball and complements it with a deep arsenal that includes a slider, cutter, curveball, and changeup. After starting the 2025 season on the injured list, Pecko returned to form, posting a 1.75 ERA in July. Pecko had some injuries early in 2025 but after getting healthy, the 2024 minor league pitcher of the year got back to his normal self. He had a 4.40 ERA in Double-A but that included a 1.75 ERA over his final six outings in Double-A. He got a promotion to Triple-A where he finished with a 3.09 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 35 innings. He should be in Houston in 2026. Read more on Pecko here.
2. Bryce Mayer
Mayer was selected by the Astros in the 16th round of the 2024 draft and has quickly emerged as one of the biggest steals of the class. He began the season in Fayetteville, striking out 30 batters over 17.1 innings, which earned him a promotion to High-A. In Asheville, the right-hander continued to impress, posting a 2.85 ERA with 45 strikeouts across 41 innings. He was later bumped up to Double-A, where he’s held his own striking out 37 over in 29 innings. Mayer features a mid-90s fastball that plays up thanks to above-average vertical movement, paired with a strong curveball and a quality slider. He was also named the Astros minor league pitcher of the year for 2025, following some other top performers like Hunter Brown, Spencer Arrighetti and Ethan Pecko.
3. AJ Blubaugh
Blubaugh was a 7th round pick back in the 2022 draft out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The Astros aggressively moved him up the ranks as they found another pitching diamond in the draft. In 2024, he had a big year 3.71 ERA with 133 K in 128.2 innings as he made his way to Triple-A. Blubaugh was up and down a bit in 2025 but when he got a chance with the Astros, he showed off posting a 1.69 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 32 innings. Blubaugh has a mid to high 90s fastball and a good changeup and sweeper. The 2025 season showed that Blubaugh belongs with the big league club and should get some good long looks this season. Read more on his 2025 season here.
Because the pitchers are deep.. I wanted to give a few more!
4. Miguel Ullola
Ullola is another pitcher in the long line of international arms developed by the Astros. The 23-year-old features a plus fastball that sits mid-90s and generates a ton of swings and missed. While he has some command issues, he has overpowered the hitters with the fastball/slider combination. Ullola appears to have the stuff to be an elite bullpen arm, though the Astros have committed to keeping him a starter for now. The fastball and slider are his two best pitches, but he does throw a curveball as well. Ullola had a big 2024 season and followed that up with some strong numbers in Triple-A in 2025 striking out 131 batters over 113.2 innings.
5. Ryan Forcucci
Forcucci is a right-handed pitcher listed at 6’3″ and 205 lbs that the Astros selected in the third round of the 2024 draft. The 22-year-old only made five starts in 2024, but was dominant posting a 2.16 ERA with 37 K in 25 innings. He has a mid 90s fastball that tops at 97 and a wipeout slider in the 80s. The only question is durability, but when he is on the field he has pitched well. He was seen as a potential first rounder early in the season but Tommy John surgery caused him to slide. He’s back healthy now and has been pitching in West Palm Beach this off-season. He has above average command and knowing the Astros system, his pitching repertoire will look different than it did back in 2024. He has the makings to be an above-average starter and could show it in 2026.
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