Astros Prospect Anthony Huezo’s Hit Tool Must Progress to Reach Majors

Houston Astros prospect Anthony Huezo has plenty of potential, but his bat is holding him back.

A Houston Astros hat sits on top of a glove in a dugout during a game. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Last year Anthony Huezo spent two games at the Houston Astros’ Triple-A team at Sugar Land. It wasn’t a promotion. It was an emergency.

The Astros needed coverage there due to injuries and he was able to fill that void. He had one at-bat and managed a hit. That is not indicative of his career to this point.

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In 127 minor league games the 20-year-old has a career slash of .214/.332/.383 with 14 home runs and 57 RBI. The former prep star out of Etiwanda, Calif., hasn’t played meaningful time above Class-A Fayetteville.

Yet, he’s considered a Top 30 prospect by Baseball America (subscription required), as he’s ranked No. 15. The site also considers him a breakout candidate for 2026. So, what gives?

Anthony Huezo’s MLB Path

General view inside the Houston Astros' Daikin Park from behind home plate before a game. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Without looking deep into scouting reports, he looks like a glove-first outfielder that could make the Majors one day as a fourth or fifth outfielder. But Top 30 prospects are not typically seen that way. As Huezo is 20 years old and never played college baseball, he has a longer runway to produce — and a steeper learning curve.

His scouting grades on 20-80 scale are tantalizing. The left-handed hitter grades at 60 on power, along with 50s for running, fielding and arm strength. Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes explained those high scores based on the potential scouts see in Huezo’s make-up.

“Huezo has a well-balanced and fluid lefthanded swing that’s geared for loft and hard struck fly balls,” he wrote.

He sounds like the type of hitter that would thrive at Daikin Park. But players are graded on five tools and it’s the fifth that is holding Huezo back. He grades at 30 on his hit tool.

There is only one impressive stretch of his minor league career, but it’s representative of the hitter he could be with the right adjustments. Last year at Class-A Fayetteville he slashed .301/.3563/.410 with two home runs and 12 RBI. Project those numbers for a full season and they’re All-Star level numbers in the Carolina League.

Swing and miss is his problem right now. Huezo has struck out 156 times in 402 career at-bats, which is nearly 39% of the time. It’s a rate that won’t get him to the Majors anytime soon. It also minimizes any power he might bring to a lineup.

For Huezo to progress, he needs to start showing consistency at that plate. For a hitter his age, it means minimizing chase, making better contact with off-speed pitches and obliterating every fastball in the zone. It also means building on his short success at Fayetteville, along with his play in the Australian Baseball League this offseason. Do those things, and the Astros just might have a breakout prospect on their hands.