Houston Astros Emerging Prospect Could be Fastest Player in Their Pipeline

With the Houston Astros looking to develop and build up their pipeline, they may have their next speedster in last year's draft.

Apr 21, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Houston Astros hat and glove / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros are attempting to get their season back on track after a horrific start saw alarm bells go up around them as they looked nothing like the team who had been to seven straight American League Championship Series.

They've started to settle into the long year, however, entering Saturday's action on a six-game winning streak.

And while the Astros are certainly trying to maximize the championship window they're currently in, general manager Dana Brown was hired in large part to start rebuilding their farm system that is perennially considered one of, if not the worst, in all of Major League Baseball.

Houston promoted one of their top prospects, Joey Loperfido, to their MLB roster after he was tearing it up at Triple-A. He was able to hit his first career home run as well, showcasing what he might do for this franchise going forward.

But with the focus on overall development in their pipeline, there are plenty of other players who should be monitored.

One who has turned heads so far is 23-year-old Jeron Williams who is putting together a great season at the plate with a slash line of .326/.386/.551, four homers, and 19 RBI through 24 games at High Single-A.

While the hitting numbers are impressive, it might be his speed that ultimately earns him a call up down the line.

"I think we have three guys that are basically tied in terms of on-field speed … [Jacob] Melton, [Pedro] Leon and [Zach] Cole. Jeron is up there, if not a tick faster than that," senior director of player development and performance science Jacob Buffa told Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

That's certainly impressive.

Williams has nine stolen bases on the year. He also stole an NCAA-leading 49 bags during his final season at Toledo, which was a major reason why the Astros took him in the ninth round of the 2023 draft.

"Jeron was an uber athlete and performer out of college. We liked the profile. He's the fastest guy on the team that makes a lot of contact in the middle infield spot. He's gotten here to Asheville and shown that he's exactly what he is," Buffa added.

The speedster isn't currently ranked within Houston's Top 30 prospects, but that could change soon as he continues to impress with his speed and bat.