Houston Astros Rising Star Considered Their Best 2023 Draft Pick

The Houston Astros seem to have a few potentially special players from their 2023 draft class, but it seems like this one could be their best.

A detailed view of the hat and glove of Houston Astros | Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

It's been a long time since the Houston Astros had a pipeline that was considered one of the best in Major League Baseball.

After undergoing a rebuild that was one of the most intense teardowns in the sport's history, it allowed them to get a crop of players inside their organization who propelled them to heights never seen before by this franchise.

With the Astros trying to keep their championship window open for as long as possible, they started trading away many of their top prospects to bring in MLB players who could immediately help them win.

Fast forward to now, and it looks like the organization is trying to give the development of their minor leaguers much more attention, especially after the hiring of former scout Dana Brown to be their general manager.

The 2023 draft class looks like they might have replenished some of that lost talent as three of their picks are already ranked within the Top 15 of their farm system.

Headlined by first round pick Brice Matthews, who is listed as their No. 3 overall prospect, it's actually their third rounder, Jake Bloss, who MLB Pipeline considers to be their best draft pick in this cycle.

The right-handed pitcher has been extremely impressive so far in his career, owning a 2.18 ERA across 18 appearances and 17 starts. He's struck out 77 batters across 74.1 innings, while only giving up 30 walks and allowing an opponent's batting average of .179.

He's already reached the Double-A level in his second professional season and has been even better following his promotion with a 1.88 ERA in seven starts this year.

Bloss has made a rapid climb at 22, something that could be precursor of things to come regarding the murky situation surrounding Houston's starters moving forward when considering the age of Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez's contract situation, and some the injuries they've accrued.

Keep an eye out for the right-hander as he continues to climb his way up the Astros' pipeline.