Yesterday, Astros prospects took on the Marlins in the Spring Breakout game, and rather than provide a traditional recap, the focus here is on the positives and the players who stood out. The Astros came away with a 7-6 win in an entertaining matchup.
Hicks got the start for the Astros and, coming off a breakout showing in the Arizona Fall League, turned in a strong performance on Thursday. The right-hander tossed two innings without allowing an earned run while striking out four. Defensive miscues led to three errors behind him, resulting in two unearned runs, but overall it was an encouraging outing. He topped out at 94.8 MPH with his sinker and generated three whiffs with his changeup.
Hertzler, a fifth-round pick by the Astros in the 2024 draft, has just 21 professional innings under his belt, but the upside is already evident. The right-hander ran his fastball up to 95.5 MPH, though his curveball and slider were the true weapons in this outing. He threw nine curveballs and three sliders, generating six whiffs, and finished the day with five strikeouts over three scoreless innings.
Rosario is a 22-year-old reliever in the system who spent last season in Single-A, where he showed electric stuff but struggled with command, issuing 40 walks in 49 innings. On Thursday, though, he was sharp. In one inning of work, Rosario generated five whiffs and struck out the side. His fastball was dominant, topping out at 100.2 MPH and averaging 99.7, showcasing the high-end velocity that makes him such an intriguing arm.
Santa has been pitching with the Astros quite a bit this Spring Training and he pitched the final innings of the game yesterday. Ice went just one innings but didn’t allow a run and struck out 2 batters hitting 96.8 MPH with his fastball and generating 2 whiffs on the sweeper.
This was time we actually got to see the Astros first round pick from 2025, Xavier Neyens, play in a game in the Astros system. While he had some miscues early defensively, he did draw three walks in five plate appearances, and keep in mind he is just 19 years old.
Call, the Astros’ 16th-round pick in the 2025 draft, made the most of his limited opportunities on Thursday. Despite just two plate appearances, he showed off his impact. In his first trip to the plate, he ripped a 108.6 MPH single—the hardest-hit ball of the game for either team. He followed that up with a disciplined six-pitch walk in his second appearance, showcasing both his bat speed and approach.
Sullivan had a nice 2025 season showing some power/speed and in yesterday’s game, he pretty much replicated some of his 2025 performance. While he didn’t record a hit, he ended up drawing two walks and stealing three bases. He stole 42 bases last year.
Spence was a breakout prospect last year going from undrafted to Double-A. He received three plate appearances and went o-for-1 with 2 walks. But his one batted ball was the second hardest hit ball of the game on a 106.2 MPH groundout. He also added a stolen base.
Flores has kind of flown under the radar but after some decent numbers in 2025 making it to Single-A at 19, he found himself on the Spring Breakout Roster. He only had one at-bat but made the most of it connecting on a 101.0 MPH 2 run double to help cut the lead to just one run.
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