Key Statistic Behind Astros Rookie Zach Cole’s Rise to Major Leagues

Houston Astros outfielder Zach Cole made his MLB debut this season and this key statistic reveals part of the reason why.

Houston Astros outfielder Zach Cole (16) celebrates with teammates after hitting a two run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning at Angel Stadium. | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Zach Cole’s Major League debut with the Houston Astros was a solid one, even if it didn’t help push the franchise back to the playoffs for a ninth straight season.

In 15 games he slashed .255/.327/.553 with an .880 OPS. He hit four home runs, drove in 11 and scored nine times. He also doubled twice. When it comes to the future, Cole is now a part of the Astros’ plan for 2026.

The 10th round pick in 2022 out of Ball State has been winding his way through the minor league system the past few years. So, his promotion and audition are validation of that progress and his breakthrough in a key analytic that baseball insiders track.

Zach Cole’s Key Improvement

Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Baseball America (subscription required) tracks prospects throughout the game and in a recent story it highlighted prospects that have had improvement in exit velocity year over year. In this case, it tracked the Top 25 players with a big exit velocity gain in the 90th percentile, which helps guide scouts and talent evaluators to players that hit for power at the Major League level.

The site points out that exit velocity gains are more prominent in the minor leagues, and these boosts are usually seen in younger players that are playing in rookie leagues or complex leagues who are making significant adjustments in their games. Cole made his gains from Double-A Corpus Christi in 2024 to Triple-A Sugar Land in 2025.

For instance, the top player on the list is Boston Red Sox prospect Enddy Azocar, an 18-year-old prospect whose exit velocity went from 98 mph in 2024 to 105.4 mph in 2025. That was a 7.4 mph gain.

Cole already had a terrific exit velocity. In 2024, he was averaging 105.2 mph. Among the 25 players on the list, his 2024 exit velocity was the highest on the list. From there, in 2025 he had an average exit velo of 109.9, a change of 4.7 mph. That was also the highest exit velocity among the 25 listed.

Per Baseball America, that means Cole’s “contact quality went to another level.” He’s a rare power prospect in the eyes of the site as he grades out at 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale.

That translates well to his Baseball Savant page in limited duty in the Majors. He had an average exit velocity of 90.1 mph with a top exit velo of 114.3 mph. He didn’t finish among qualifying hitters, but his average exit velo would have put him just outside the 90th percentile among MLB players.

In other words, Cole may just be getting started.