Astros Top Prospect Tosses Dominant Outing, Complicates Trade Deadline Strategy

The Houston Astros do not get the credit when it comes to their farm system as a top to bottom group which is anywhere near the best in baseball.

Though there are of course some impressive names there, the depth just does not exist at quite the same level as the top of the line systems, and as a result it makes the trade deadline here in 10 days a bit complicated.

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Houston has shown flashes of being strong enough to win right now, however selling the farm may not be in the best long-term interest of the team as they try to rebuild their group of prospects.

One option who has established himself as a potential internal reinforcement that they would obviously not have to give up assets to get is the Astros' top pitching prospect in 23-year-old Miguel Ullola.

The right-hander tossed another dominant Triple-A outing on Sunday in which he threw 5.1 hitless innings with 11 strikeouts and generated 22 swings and misses.

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🧑‍🚀 5 1/3 no-hit IP
🤠 11 K's (season high)
🚀 22 swings-and-misses@astros No. 4 prospect Miguel Ullola works around five walks in a dominant start for the Triple-A @SLSpaceCowboys. pic.twitter.com/UCF6MqUKYA
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 21, 2025

Ullola has now made 17 starts on the year for Sugar Land and pitched to a 3.50 ERA and 1.442 WHIP with 89 strikeouts in just 69.1 innings as well as a record of 5-2.

The only reason he is not in the big leagues already is command, an issue which was on full display even in yesterday's domination. Though the right-hander did not allow a run, he did give up five walks which now gives him a staggering 50 on the season.

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As Houston is in desperate need of starting pitching during a campaign filled with bad injury luck there, they have been linked to just about every available starter at the deadline.

This is understandable given the hot first half they had even with guys out, however the performance of Ullola is making it look like he can contribute this season, which would drastically alter the list of needs in a trade.

Ullola very clearly has big league stuff right now, but the Astros cannot simply throw him out there and let him learn on the job if he is going to give up a ton of walks.

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He will likely get one more start before Houston has to make any sort of final deadline decisions, and if he can demonstrate that his command is at least starting to improve, perhaps the urgency to trade for a starter decreases a bit.

Regardless though, seeing Ullola start to carve up opposing hitters is exciting both for right now and the future.

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