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Inside the Astros

This Pair of Teenage Astros Prospects Impress in Fayetteville’s 12–8 Win

In a strong offensive performance as a unit, these two teenage prospects stepped up for Low-A Fayetteville.
Tobey Schulman|
Sep 10, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A detail view of a Houston Astros hat and ball glove in the dug out during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Sep 10, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A detail view of a Houston Astros hat and ball glove in the dug out during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

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Houston Astros

The Houston Astros Low-A affiliate had a loud day at the plate yesterday. Taking on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, the Faytteville Woodpeckers collected 15 hits and a 12-8 win on Wednesday. What stood out the most in the win however, was the two teenage prospects at the top of the batting order.

18-year-old Kevin Alvarez and 19-year-old Xavier Neyens combined for four hits, three runs batted in, and two extra base hits. Those extra base hits were courtesy of a historic day at the plate from Alvarez.

Batting out of the leadoff spot, Alvarez went two-for-five, with two triples. According to MLB Pipeline, he's just the third player from the Astros at any level to record a multi-triple game since 2023. Quite the statline from the organization's top prospect.

Wednesday's multi-hit performance was the second straight two-hit game for Alvarez. It was his fifth multi-hit effort of the season, and it comes in the most encouraging stretch of his 2026 campaign so far.

Alvarez is now batting with a .267 average, and .690 OPS. He's showing plenty of slug, with a .400 SLG, but the on-base percentage is likely something Houston will want to see improve over time.

However, jumping from the DSL straight into Low-A is no easy task, and a multi-triple game is certainly a promising signs of things to come.

Following Alvarez in the batting order was the Astros 2025 first round draft pick: Xavier Neyens. The shortstop would go two-for-four with a pair of singles, two runs batted in, and two runs scored.

It was Neyens' second game in a row with a hit, and his fourth two-hit performance of his 2026 campaign. It was also the second game in a row where he's recorded an RBI. Something he's managed to do twice now this season.

For a prospect known for his power-upside, it's good to see Neyens help contribute with his pair of singles. He now has a .226 batting average in 66 plate appearances, with a .756 OPS. His RBI total after Wednesday sits at 10.

Looking ahead, both Alvarez and Neyens are starting to look more comforatable at the Low-A level. It's after all, very early in the season to be reacting poorly to any slashline from a prospect under 20 years old playing affiliated baseball.

The future looks bright for Houston's top two prospects. If they continue to get reps at the top of that Fayetteville batting order, they could very well continue to take steps forward during their 2026 seasons.

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Tobey Schulman
TOBEY SCHULMAN

Tobey Schulman is a freelance writer currently covering baseball in the South Florida area, independently on X and SubStack. Prior to freelancing, Tobey was a writer for The Skippers View, covering both Major and Minor League Baseball. Over the past year, he has grown a following of almost 10,000 on X, while covering all things across the sport, both professional and amateur. In his free time he produces and live streams a podcast ‘Inside The Diamond’, where he co-hosts player interviews, breakdowns, and game watch parties.

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