Houston Astros Have Best Power-Hitting Prospect Move Through Minors Quickly

The Houston Astros have a recent international free agent signing who will be their future home run leader.

Mar 9, 2021; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; A general view of the Houston Astros logo statue outside of The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches prior to the spring training game between the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals. | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

When the Houston Astros decided to trade right fielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs, it created a massive void in their lineup.

Heading into the winter, the outfield was already an area of weakness for the franchise even with the All-Star in the mix.

Without him, they are in the running for the least intimidating outfield group in the Majors.

It will certainly be interesting to see how veteran second baseman Jose Altuve adjusts to being out there as the Astros are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to finding answers in the grass.

Top prospects Cam Smith and Jacob Melton could factor into the mix eventually as well. They may not make the Opening Day roster, but both should be helping out at the Major League level at some point in 2025, with Smith potentially taking until 2026.

Not only is Houston short on outfielders, removing Tucker from the lineup also results in a massive loss of power.

He has hit at least 23 homers in four consecutive campaigns, and his 4.9% home run rate is well above the league average of 3.2%.

Replacing his production, along with the pop that third baseman Alex Bregman provided, will be a tall task for the franchise.

There is optimism that Isaac Paredes, a third baseman acquired in the return package from the Cubs, can help in that department.

Down the road, the Astros could kill two birds with one stone in the form of prospect Luis Baez.

An international free agent signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, he signed for $1.3 million, which was the most any player received from the franchise that year.

Baez is already standing out for his immense power potential, as he reached Double-A Corpus Christi in 2024 at only 20 years old. He hit 21 home runs in 431 at-bats between Corpus Christi and High-A Asheville.

That display cemented his status as the team’s best power-hitting prospect in the opinion of Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra of MLB.com.

“His bat speed, strength and exit velocities also stand out for his age, and he has no problem launching pitches in the air to his pull side,” they wrote.

Baez’s development is certainly something to keep an eye on in 2025 and beyond.

He is receiving invaluable experience in spring training this year, and given the needs in the outfield, is someone who could have their path through the minor leagues expedited.