While breakout seasons grab headlines, player development is rarely a straight line. Injuries, adjustments, and growing pains can stall momentum, but they don’t eliminate potential. Here are a few prospects primed for a rebound in 2026 after a tough 2025 season.
Nehomar Ochoa
Ochoa was drafted by the Astros in the 11th round of the Galena Park High School in Houston, and signed for $300,000 double the slot for the 11th round. Ochoa had a solid first full season in 2024 hitting 10 home runs as an 18-year-old. In March 2025, Ochoa was involved in a freak accident which derailed the start of his season. Once healthy he played a bit in Florida and then went to Fayetteville but only hit .158 in 29 games with just one home run. The upside is still there for Ochoa and with a successful off-season, hopefully he will get back on track. Read more on him here.
Luis Baez
The Astros signed Luis Baez for $1.3 million during the 2022 international signing period and quickly became one of the Astros top prospects. After a solid season in High-A in 2024, the expectations were high for 2025. Unfortunately Baez really struggled in Double-A, including a drop in his power which saw his home run count go from 21 in 2024 down to just 2 in 2025. He finished the season a bit better hitting .337 over his final 22 games. A few stats point to positive things for him, like his swinging strike percentage (14.6%) being lower than it was in 2024. His contact rate was higher in 2025, but he swung at less pitches. Hopefully he will get it turned around in 2026.
Kenni Gomez
Gomez was signed by the Astros out of Cuba for $775,000 in 2022. He made his full-season debut in 2024 and performed well posting a .737 OPS with 37 extra base hits and 20 stolen bases across 107 games in Single-A and High-A. The left-handed hitter appeared to be geared for a breakout 2025 season but struggled in High-A as he hit just .232 with only 6 home runs. He had a good May where he hit .282 with a .840 OPS over 21 games, showing the upside that is still there. Only 20 years old, he should start again in High-A and have a chance to find his stride again.
James Hicks
Hicks was a 13th round pick by the Astros in 2023 and has flew through the system initially with a breakout 2023 where he posted a 3.82 ERA with 115 strikeouts over 106 innings across three different levels. Hicks had some injuries in 2025 and struggled for the most part posting a 5.59 ERA in 46.2 innings in Double-A. He did finishthe year on a high note striking out 23 to just 4 walks over his final 14.2 innings and then carried that into a dominate Arizona Fall League showing posting a 0.00 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 14 innings. He should be in Triple-A in 2026. Read more on Hicks here.
Michael Knorr
The Astros drafted Knorr in the 3rd round of the 2022 draft. Knorr has a fastball that reaches 98 MPH and a good changeup. In 2023 he struck out 78 on 58.1 innings between Single-A and High-A, though he missed some time with an injury and those injuries continued in 2024. In 2025 the Astros used him strictly in relief and he posted a 5.03 ERA over 53.2 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. He has some good stuff but just hasn’t translated to success yet, but he got an invite to big league camp and has a chance to carve out a role in the bullpen.
Also be sure to follow on X, @AstrosFuture, follow me on Instagram, @AstrosFuture and like my Facebook page, facebook.com/AstrosFuture.
