Astros Spring Training Prospect Standouts Part 1

Baseball season is back, and spring training is in full swing. With that, there has been opportunities for prospects to play with the Major League club and show what they can do. While it’s still early, below are a few prospects that have stood out so far in Spring Training.

Hitter – Walker Janek

Janek was seen as the best defensive catcher in the 2024 draft, showing up a plus arm and a quick release. In 2025 the 23-year-old hit .263 with 21 doubles, 2 triples and 12 home runs over 92 games for High-A Asheville. He also added a surprising 30 stolen bases. Even more important though, he threw out 31% of base stealers, a really strong number for a catcher.

So far this spring he has played in four games and is 3-for-6 with a double, 2 runs batted in and 3 walks. He has also added four stolen bases. His first professional season was solid, though a little underwhelming for a first round pick. Getting off to a nice start in 2026 would be huge for Janek.

Hitter – Brice Matthews

Matthews was the Astros first-round pick in 2023, and Dana Brown’s first first-round selection. Matthews is a great athlete though he does have some swing and missing in his game. Matthews backed up the scouting reports in 2025, hitting .283 with 10 home runs and 25 stolen bases over 73 games at Triple-A, earning a call-up to Houston.

Matthews came into Spring Training with a chance to seize a spot on the big league roster as an outfielder, or maybe a utility type player. So far this spring he has performed well hitting 4-for-10 with a double, 3 runs batted in and a stolen bases. We know the potential is there, he just has to translate it on the field.

Honorable Mention: Zach Daudet

Pitcher – AJ Blubaugh

Blubaugh was a 7th round pick back in the 2022 draft out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. 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. The 2025 season showed that Blubaugh belongs with the big league club and should get some good long looks this season.

So far this spring training, Blubaugh has been strong. The right-hander has pitched in two games totaling 3 innings. He has allowed 1 run while striking out 3, and running his fastball up to 97 MPH. While his role for 2026 isn’t clear yet, I think it is clear that he needs to be on the Opening Day roster either in the rotation or the bullpen.

Pitcher – Hudson Leach

Leach was signed as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 draft. He was dominant at times in 2025, but his command would get away from him and he ended up with a 5.54 ERA overall, though he had a 3.51 FIP. He did finish with 63 strikeouts in 39 innings, including some run in Triple-A. The Astros sent Leach to the Arizona Fall League where he struck out 13 in 6.2 innings allowing 3 runs showing off a high 90s fastball.

So far this spring, Leach has pitched in two games and tossed two scoreless innings while racking up two strikeouts. His cutter has been great, including generating 3 whiffs on 4 thrown in his last outing. As mentioned before, he has a big league fastball that he’s ran up to 97.1 MPH. He is a dark horse candidate to be in the pen this year.

Honorable Mention: Alimber Santa