Earlier this week, the Astros announced their minor league rosters for 2026. With a few prospects starting with the big league club like Brice Matthews and A.J. Blubaugh, the Triple-A roster will look a lot different than last year. Let’s take a look at some notables.
PROSPECTS:
The top prospect on the roster is outfielder Zach Cole. From the battle in Spring Training, we know he was close to making the roster. Cole, originally a 10th round selection in 2022, had a big year in 2025. The 25-year-old made it up to Triple-A and finished his minor league line hitting .279 with 19 home runs including a 1.204 OPS in Triple-A. He earned a call-up to Houston where he was solid posting a .880 OPS in 15 games. The Astros said they want him to work on his in-zone contact and if that improves, he will be up again in no time.
On the pitching side, there are some intriguing arms. Miguel Ullola is the highest ranked arm and he starts back there after posting a 3.88 ERA with 131 strikeouts in 113.2 innings in Triple-A in 2025. He had a tough spring and the walks, which have been an issue for him, didn’t help as he put 6 on via walk in 5.1 innings. The upside is still there and he is only 23 years old. Next up is right-hander Jose Fleury. Fleury is a solid prospect with one of the best pitches in the system, his changeup. He dominated Double-A in last year but his promotion to Triple-A he had some struggles posting a 6.95 ERA in 45.1 innings.
Sugar Land will have a couple really good bullpen prospects. First up is right-hander Alimber Santa. Santa has been in the system a while but made the transition to full time relief last year. Like Fleury, he was great in Double-A posting a 1.26 ERA but struggled in Triple-A with a 6.92 ERA in 13 innings. The Astros gave him some run this spring and he allowed 2 runs over 5 innings with 6 strikeouts, though he did walk 6. The other bullpen arm to watch is Hudson Leach. The right-hander was signed as an undrafted free agent and while his numbers in the minors haven’t been stellar, he has the raw stuff to be elite. He runs the fastball up to 99 MPH and was great in the Arizona Fall League (13 K in 6.2 IP) and in Spring Training tossing 3 scoreless innings.
CONTRIBUTING ARMS:
After the prospects, Sugar Land has a lot of arms who will be contributors in 2026, just like they were in 2025. The top arm is Spencer Arrighetti. He won’t be in Triple-A long and should come up when the Astros go to a six man rotation in a couple of weeks. Colton Gordon starts the season in Triple-A after logging 86 innings last year with the Astros, the third most on the team. He had a solid spring and only a matter of time before he gets another chance. Another spot starter who pitched in Houston last year is Jason Alexander. He pitched 71 innings in Houston but had a tough spring. Like Gordon, injuries will probably get him another shot at the bigs at some point in 2026. J.P. France is healthy now and will also be starting in Sugar Land.
Out of the bullpen, Sugar Land will employ a few more pitchers who have big league time. Logan VanWey is back in Triple-A as well as some new comers to the team like Tom Cosgrove, Sam Carlson and Anthony Maldonado. They will also have a few others with big league experience like Cody Bolton and Amos Willingham.
INFIELDERS:
Sugar Land will have a very experienced infield. Shay Whitcomb is the long home grown and he will be back in Triple-A after posting a .869 OPS there last year. The other four infielders are all new to the system. Jax Biggers comes over from the Rangers system. Riley Unroe comes over from the Tigers system. Jack Winkler comes from Miami and lastly is Cavan Biggio, who has racked up 561 games at the MLB level.
OUTFIELDERS:
Outside of Cole, Sugar Land will have more big league experienced players. CJ Alexander joins Sugar Land after being in the Athletics system last year. Taylor Trammell returns to Triple-A after spending time with Houston and Sugar Land last year. Lastly is Kellen Strahm who comes over from the Rangers system after hitting .242 in 108 games last year in Triple-A.
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
Sugar Land’s roster blends a handful of legitimate prospects with a group of experienced newcomers to the system. It might not jump off the page as “stacked,” but there’s proven minor league production here and several players who could step in and handle at-bats if the Astros deal with injuries. Overall, it’s a group that should be competitive out of the gate in the PCL.
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