Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be previewing Astros prospects heading into Spring Training. Up first is one of the highest-ceiling players in the system, Zach Cole.
Zach Cole was selected by the Astros in the 10th round of the 2022 draft after hitting .361 as a junior at Ball State. He signed for just $97,500, but the upside was clear. An elite athlete, the left-handed hitter and thrower brings plus power and speed. These are tools that impact the game both on the bases and in center field.
In his first full professional season, Cole hit .258 with 20 doubles, 19 home runs, 37 stolen bases, and an .869 OPS across two levels. The production jumped off the page, though swing-and-miss concerns were there as he had a 31.8% strikeout rate. The 2024 season proved more challenging, as injuries and Double-A adjustments led to noticeable growing pains.
2025, however, told a different story. After a slow start, Cole caught fire in Double-A, posting 19 doubles, 14 home runs, and an .868 OPS over 82 games. He earned a promotion to Triple-A and kept rolling, hitting .353 with five home runs in just 15 games before receiving a call-up to Houston. In 15 games with the Astros, he posted an .880 OPS with four home runs. Overall, he totaled 22 doubles, seven triples, 19 home runs, and a system-leading 151 wRC+ across 97 minor league games.
Cole’s strikeout rate was still high in 2025, but when he made contact he really did some damage. Hopefully he can start to get that number turned around. Read more on Cole here.
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