Young Shortstop Recently Named Astros Best Power-Hitting Prospect

The Houston Astros are known to have one of the weakest, if not the worst, farm systems in Major League Baseball.

Their system grew more concerning when they lost Jacob Melton in a three-team trade back in December—it was a massive blow to the ballclub. It's not that the Astros don't have potential or talent in this department, but rather, they don't have much compared to other franchises.

This isn't new for them, though; their farm system has been sitting toward the bottom of the rankings for quite some time. To date, most of their top prospects are primarily position players.

Having said that, they are equipped with some powerful hitting prospects, but one stands out more than the others. According to Sam Dykstra, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, this title goes to Xavier Neyens, who was ranked Houston's No. 2 prospect in 2025. Neyens has limited experience, but that just makes his power even more impressive.

Neyens Power at the Plate

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At just 19 years old, Neyens had enough pure skill to attract his franchise early on. The Astros picked him 21st overall in the first round of the 2025 MLB draft, so the ballclub knew they were bringing on raw power from the start. With this in mind, he was recently named their best power-hitting prospect right now.

As written by Dykstra, Callis and Mayo, "... He already has at least plus-plus raw power and can launch balls in the air regularly. He does come with some questions about his hitting ability, but the Astros have helped him make some mechanical adjustments to get his bat on time more often."

The young shortstop helped lead Mount Vernon High School to the Washington 3-A state championship. He comes with elite athleticism when compared to players his size, which Houston could reap benefits from down the road.

Neyens is certainly an intriguing prospect who is expected to draw a significant amount of attention in the years to come, and at this rate, it may not be long before such attention comes his way. But that doesn't mean he won't require any work.

The Astros need to emphasize developing younger talent. Bottom line, Houston will have to unlock Neyens' fullest potential if they want him to thrive at the plate. He's young, but it's clear that he has immense potential that's waiting to break out in the big leagues.