3 Biggest MLB Draft Busts in Houston Astros History

As with every team in Major League Baseball, the draft is key to shaping the organization and especially the future of the club.

Hall of Famers Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, along with stars like Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa and Lance Berkman, were all draft picks who went on to shape the organization. That’s just a few of the many we could list here.

Then there is the opposite side of the coin, the ones the franchise wishes they could have “do-overs” on.

Whether the cause was injuries, stalled development, or truly unmet expectations, these are three of the players that represent the biggest draft busts in Astros history.

1. Mark Appel (1st Round, 1st Overall, 2013)

Houston Astros pitcher Mark Appel | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The very first pick. The coveted spot. The one everyone holds their breath for. In 2013, that spot belonged to the Houston Astros and Mark Appel. What followed was something the Astros surely wanted to take back.

He came out of Stanford and was expected to be the next ace of the rotation for the organization. Houston was in the midst of a rebuild, and this was who they were betting on for the future.

He had all the right things: size, power, and polish. He looked like the perfect franchise pitcher.

That never came to fruition.

Appel struggled to find consistency in the minor leagues and ultimately, he never even appeared in a major league game for the Astros.

In 2015, the Astros decided to move on, and Appel became a part of a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies as part of a deal that brought Ken Giles in return.

In 2018, Appel even stepped away from baseball. Nine years after being drafted and four years after stepping away, Appel finally made his way to the majors, where he debuted with the Phillies in 2022.

For a No. 1 pick, this was a huge disappointment.

2. Jio Mier (1st Round, 21st Overall, 2009)

Toronto Blue Jays infielder Jio Mier during spring training. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Houston was looking for a middle infielder, and with the draft pick in 2009, they thought they had found their future player in Jio Mier.

Sure, he was a high school player at the time, but he was an exceptional shortstop. Injuries and inconsistent offensive production kept Mier in the minors. So much so that he never even made the majors.

He spent a total of eight seasons in professional baseball, but he topped out at Triple-A, never earning a call-up.

This selection hurts more in retrospect given who was still on the board when he was selected. Just four picks after the Astros settled on Mier, Mike Trout was taken at No. 25.

Of course, hindsight is 20/20 and history shows us that Trout went on to be one of the greatest players in his generation. That makes the Mier pick burn even more.

3. Phil Nevin (1st Round, 1st Overall, 1992)

San Francisco Giants third base coach Phil Nevin | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

You might be surprised to see Nevin on the list given that he ended up having a productive major league career. The problem with that story is that it never happened in Houston.

As is true with every first-round, first-selection pick, there were high expectations. The Astros thought they were getting a franchise piece, but it wasn’t meant to be.

He appeared in only 18 games for Houston. The third baseman saw 60 at-bats, in which he got seven hits. In that time, he hit one double, got one RBI, walked seven times, and struck out 13. He left the team with a slash line of .117/.221/.133 and an OPS of .354.

He was traded to the Detroit Tigers midseason of 1995.

In the end, Nevin went on to hit 208 career home runs over his 12-year major league career, but all of that success came with different organizations.

His story is also familiar in that it hurts more because of who was still available when he was selected. Derek Jeter. That’s right, the Astros chose Nevin over....Derek Jeter.

Oh, what could have been.

Looking back, this is one of the biggest missed opportunities in Astros draft history.

Drafting Is Houston Strength

With the 2026 MLB Draft just days away, you can bet Houston has done its homework and will come out successful. They have a history of finding “greats” within the draft, even if they have failed a few times.

The Astros will be busy right from the start of the 2026 MLB Draft as they have two first-round draft picks at Nos. 17 and 28.

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