Houston Astros Farm System Ranked Near Bottom in Latest List
Most major publications do not rate the Houston Astros farm system highly. The Astros have just one top-100 prospect in Hunter Brown and if everything goes right then they will none by the end of the 2023 MLB season.
It's a testament to their system that they are able to identify, develop, and the utilize prospects at the Major League level. It has kept the window for contention wide open and has helped mitigate the loss of star players such as Carlos Correa, George Springer, and now Justin Verlander, to name a few.
But their current lack of upper tier talent in the farm system means that window could shut closed in just a few years. That is why The Athletic's Keith Law has listed Houston's system #26 in his latest rankings.
"Not to be a broken record, but the Astros drafted without scouts for years, and it showed in the results, which were also hurt when the team was drafting at the end of the first round rather than the top. They also almost completely punted on international free agency after 2016, only signing three players for seven figures or more between then and 2022, two of them Cuban defectors (Pedro León and the since-released Elián Rodriguez). They did also lose their first two picks in 2021 to penalties for the sign-stealing scandal, but had a strong 2022 draft that mixed some high-floor and medium-ceiling college players, which at least should provide more tradeable players to keep the big-league club going."
Law highlights the flaws within the system as well as the issues the Astros have had to bear the last five years following the fallout of the sign-stealing mess.
The hiring of Dana Brown as their general manager made it very clear that the farm system and the manner of evaluating and acquiring players is a priority.
Brown's arrival should help mitigate some of these concerns that Law touches on and could even prop their window of contention open that much longer.
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