Another busy week down on the farm as the season continues to roll on. Here’s a look at some of the biggest developments across the system with this week’s Pipeline Report.
System Spotlight
Fayetteville Woodpeckers
Rather than focus on one player for this week’s System Spotlight, I figured we could look at the best team in the Astros system right now. The Fayetteville Woodpeckers just swept their first playoff series and are moving on to the Carolina League Championship Series, adding to what has already been an impressive 2026 season.
Minor league seasons are split into halves, with a first-half and second-half winner in each division. Fayetteville finished the first half just 32-33, sitting 13.5 games out of first place. The second half, however, was a completely different story. The Woodpeckers received some reinforcements from the 2026 draft class, put together a 13-game winning streak and finished the second half 39-25 to claim first place and earn a spot in the postseason.
In their first postseason series since 2019, Fayetteville took care of business against the Fredericksburg Nationals. The Woodpeckers won Game 1, 4-2, before cruising to an 8-1 victory in Game 2 to complete the sweep and advance to the Carolina League Championship Series.
Fayetteville will find out its championship opponent tonight, with Charleston and Hickory tied 1-1 in their series. The Championship Series begins Sunday as the Woodpeckers look to cap off a tremendous second half by bringing home their first Carolina League championship.
Under-the-Radar Performer
Ryan Verdugo – RHP – Fayetteville
Verdugo, who I had in this spot last year, was selected by the Astros in the 2024 draft. He pitched just 7.2 innings in 2025 due to injury but is back healthy this season and has put together some impressive outings. While there have been some bumps along the way, Verdugo’s best starts have really stood out.
Verdugo has also been extremely difficult to hit this season, allowing just 62 hits over 88.2 innings, good for a .203 batting average against. He has also racked up 97 strikeouts over that span. In his most recent outing, the right-hander closed out game two of the playoffs striking out 6 over 4.1 scoreless innings allowing just one hit. The Astros are currently using Verdugo as a starter, but there are some intriguing traits that could translate well to a bullpen role down the road.
One Transaction This Week
Jason Schiavone – C – Sugar Land
Schiavone has experienced one of the biggest rises we’ve seen in the Astros system in a long time. Drafted in the 11th round of the 2024 draft, Schiavone struggled during his first full season in the system, hitting just .180 with six home runs over 78 games. In 2026, though, Schiavone has transformed into a completely different player.
He started the year with Asheville and hit .289 with 17 home runs in just 35 games. That performance earned him a promotion to Corpus Christi, where he continued to produce, collecting 13 doubles, 14 home runs and a .784 OPS over 79 games. His breakout season earned him another promotion this week, this time to Triple-A Sugar Land.
Overall, the 23-year-old catcher has 31 home runs and 29 stolen bases this season, showing an impressive combination of power and athleticism at a premium position. After entering the year as somewhat of an afterthought in the system, Schiavone has turned himself into a legitimate top prospect in 2026.
Quick Hits
- The Woodpeckers lead the system in stolen bases this season with 303.
- Jason Schiavone is one stolen base away from being the first Astros prospect since Kyle Tucker (2019) to post a 30/30 season.
- Justin Thomas is one home run away from joining the 20 HR, 40 SB club.
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