Top Homegrown Astros Talent to Watch Entering Spring Training, Season

There have been a ton of homegrown players that have led the Houston Astros to success in the past, but here's one who's one to watch for 2026's campaign.

Aug 6, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Houston Astros manager Joe Espada (19) walks back from the pitcher's mound against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros became one of the MLB's most feared teams during the latter half of the 2010s into the early 2020s. Winning two World Series championships in that time span, the Astros sat on top of the world, mainly with their homegrown players taking them to the promised land.

Now a few years removed from its last World Series championship, Houston still has several familiar faces who've grown through the system and at the Major League level. While Jose Altuve stands out as the more obvious homegrown player to watch in 2026, the future could be now in Houston with this homegrown player instead.

All Eyes On Hunter Brown

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While Altuve stood out as the face of the franchise during its championship window, the new age of Astros baseball has another homegrown face of the organization in Hunter Brown. Taking a huge leap in 2025, finishing third in AL Cy Young Award voting, Brown has the poise to bring Houston back to the playoffs.

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter listed Brown as the top homegrown candidate to shine for the Astros this season, purely on the back of his wonderful 2025 campaign.

"Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa are franchise legends, while Jeremy Peña is coming off a 5-WAR season, but Brown has firmly established himself as one of baseball's top-tier starting pitchers," Reuter wrote.

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While Altuve, Correa, and Peña are all respectable options to represent the Astros in this area, Brown seems to be tapping into a whole different part of his game that he had yet to see at the big league level before.

Striking out 206 batters last season, Brown ranked 10th in the MLB in K/9 with 10.004, ranked eighth in the MLB in total strikeouts, third in the AL, and third in ERA behind the two Cy Young Award winners for each league (Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers and Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates).

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Should Brown have repeat success from 2025 in 2026, he will once again be a top name when it comes to the Cy Young Award finalists conversation, perhaps taking the extra step forward in becoming the prime option.

Going into his age 27-28 season, Houston looks to prove why it's a homegrown championship-winning machine once again with Brown leading the pitching staff along the way. After an 87-75 record in 2025, it's not like the Astros have taken a step back in competition this offseason either.

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