Another busy week down on the farm saw several Astros prospects continue strong starts to the season, while a few under-the-radar names are beginning to emerge at multiple levels. Here’s a look at some of the biggest developments across the system with this week’s Pipeline Report.
System Spotlight
The Pitching Depth Continues to Impress
One of the biggest early themes in the Astros system has been the amount of quality pitching performances throughout the organization. Several starters have performed really well and once again, the Astros have been able to find some very intriguing arms in the draft without using their top picks.
Ryan Verdugo from the 2024 draft has a 1.29 ERA over five appearances this season. Cole Hertzler has been dominant. Bryce Mayer is up to 31 K in 18.2 innings in Double-A. The early returns from Nick Potter, Gabel Pentecost and Kellan Oakes, from the 2025 draft, have been solid as well. Higher up the list we have seen starters like Ethan Pecko and James Hicks turn in some strong outings recently too.
Keep An Eye On
Justin Thomas – OF – Asheville
Thomas, who was selected by the Astros in the 11th round of the 2025 MLB Draft, has gotten off to an impressive start with Asheville this season. The 22-year-old is hitting .304 with a .952 OPS through 23 games.
He’s shown a solid mix of power and speed early on, collecting three doubles, three home runs, and 13 stolen bases. Thomas has also displayed a strong approach at the plate, posting an 18.3% walk rate to begin the year. Overall, he’s been one of the more productive bats in Asheville’s lineup so far this season.
Under-the-Radar Performer
Nehomar Ochoa – OF – Fayetteville
Ochoa is off to a really strong start this season. After putting together a solid 2024 campaign, he never truly got going in 2025 following a freak car accident. Now healthy, he appears to be swinging the bat as well as he has at any point in his career.
Through 23 games, Ochoa is hitting .308 with an .893 OPS, adding three doubles, four home runs, 14 RBIs, and a sneaky 14 stolen bases. Despite being drafted in 2023, Ochoa is still just 20 years old, and if he continues producing at this pace, he likely won’t be in Fayetteville much longer.
One Promotion This Week
Max Holy – INF – Corpus Christi
Infielder Max Holy earned a promotion to Double-A this week after an impressive start to the season. The 23-year-old signed with the Astros as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 draft and built on a solid 2025 campaign with a strong showing in High-A to begin this year.
In 20 games with Asheville, Holy posted a .774 OPS while swiping 15 bases. Since arriving in Double-A, he’s continued to produce, hitting .455 with two stolen bases through his first three games. Holy brings plenty of value defensively and pairs it with above-average speed on the bases, making him an intriguing player to keep an eye on moving forward.
Promotion Watch
Who Could Be Next?
Strictly looking at promotions to Houston, the most logical next choice would be right-hander Ethan Pecko. After starting the year on the injured list, he made a few rehab starts in Fayetteville and now two starts in Sugar Land. He hasn’t gone deep in those two games, but he pitches tonight and it could be a huge outing for him at home. He is the Astros top pitching prospect.
Quick Hits
- The Woodpeckers (Single-A) lead the Astros system in stolen bases with 104.
- FCL season has started featuring 2025 draftees like Jase Mitchell and Landon Arroyos.
- The Hooks’ (Double-A) pitching staff has struck out 321 batters in 260 innings (11.1 K/9).
- Xavier Neyens made Baseball America’s updated top 100 prospects.
- Walker Janek landed on the IL with a hamstring injury.
Final Thoughts
The Astros farm system continues to trend in the right direction thanks to several strong draft classes in recent years, combined with some impactful international signings. Prospects like Xavier Neyens and Kevin Alvarez are both trending toward Top 100 prospect status in the near future, on multiple lists.
While the system may not have the same overall depth it once did, there’s still plenty of intriguing talent throughout the organization. That outlook could improve even more this summer once the Astros add another draft class in July.
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