Astros Farm Report: Who Played Well in April, Who Didn’t
Here are some players at each level of the Astros' system who elevated their game during April, and some who got off to a rough start in 2026.
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The Houston Astros have one of the worst minor league systems in baseball, and it’s been that way for a few years now. They have no Top 100 prospects and very few players who look to be potential MLB pieces.
One of the best parts about baseball is that things are always fluid, and players can elevate themselves and their games. That includes some of the prospects and minor leagues in a below-average Astros system.
Here are some players at each level who elevated their game during April, and some who got off to a rough start in 2026.
All stats are for the month of April only
Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys
Who’s Hot
Collin Price, C
The 26-year-old catcher hit .254 with an .811 OPS in April with five doubles, two home runs, six RBIs and 13 walks to 25 strikeouts in 20 games. Price debuted in 2022 and owns a .745 OPS in the minors. The career 32% strikeout rate is a bit concerning, but a catcher with a decent bat in the upper minors will always be somewhat useful.
Alimber Santa, RHP
Santa, listed as a name to watch in the Astros’ system, threw to a 0.82 ERA with 14 strikeouts and seven baserunners allowed in 11 innings. He’s a small guy with some high-octane stuff when it’s landing for strikes, and that’s been happening so far. With the way the Astros are struggling to get 27 outs per night, Santa could be in Houston sooner than later.
Who’s Not
Miguel Ullola, RHP
Houston’s No. 8 prospect got off to rough start in 2026, mainly because of some spotty-at-best control. Ullola walked 16 batters in 18.2 innings, leading to a 5.79 ERA and 1.66 WHIP despite 26 strikeouts. Command will likely determine whether the 23-year-old righty is a starter, reliever or Triple-A flameout, and this is a tough start in that department.
Jose Fleury, RHP
For a guy who doesn’t throw particularly hard, 15 walks to eight strikeouts in 10.2 frames for Fleury is a bad recipe. He’s mostly avoided serious danger to this point, sporting a 4.22 ERA despite the 2.34 WHIP. Fleury’s done that by allowing 10 hits and one home run, limiting the hard contact with his junkball approach.
Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks
Who’s Hot
Joseph Sullivan, OF
The No. 7 prospect in the Astros’ system is off to a hot start thanks to five home runs, two doubles, a triple, 16 walks and nine stolen bases. Sullivan is hitting just .215 with a .817 OPS, but the power/speed combination will play at the plate for now. If he plays good enough defense and can continue that kind of output throughout the season, the lack of contact can be overlooked.
Will Bush, C
Bush continues a trend of less-heralded catchers starting 2026 strong. The 22-year-old backstop slugged four home runs for an .884 OPS in 64 at bats, while also drawing eight walks. Building off a strong 2025, the left-handed hitting catcher can make a serious play to bump up a level with a bit of improvement behind the dish.
Jackson Nezuh, RHP
While not the best month ever, Nezuh was both healthy and effective with a 3.78 ERA, 17 strikeouts to six walks and one home run allowed in 16.2 innings. Nezuh might just be another month or two of reliability away from a call to Triple-A. In a shallow system with lots of injuries plaguing the major league team, that means he could be close to a spot start in the bigs.
Who’s Not
Walker Janek, C
Janek made strides with the bat in 2025, but those didn’t seem to roll over into 2026. The former first rounder posted a .374 OPS in 73 April at bats, putting one ball in the seats while striking out 28 times. He always had big-league upside as a glove-first catcher, but a sub-.400 OPS is alarming and unusable at Double-A, let alone the MLB.
Luis Baez, OF
Baez remains a prospect because of his past pedigree and the lack of upside in Houston’s system, but more months like April will continue to send him plummeting down rankings. Double-A appears to be Baez’s limit, as he posted a .422 OPS in April after a .644 mark at the level each of the last two years. The 22-year-old did limit the whiff (13 strikeouts in 68 at bats), but the .206 slugging percentage shows that came at the cost of all his juice.
Ramsey David, RHP
Despite being 26 and not a true prospect, David makes the list for a truly awful April. He tossed 9.2 innings, allowing 15 hits and 12 walks to an 11.17 ERA and 2.79 WHIP. Opponents his .341 off of him. It’s not a very notable development outside of how jarring the numbers look on the stat sheet.
James Hicks, RHP
Hicks does have upside for the Astros, but is off to a bad start in the ERA department despite none of the other numbers looking too awful. He threw the most innings in Corpus Christi in April (23.2), gave up three long balls in five starts, rocked a 19:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio and gave up about a hit per inning. Hicks should be fine as long as there’s no regression in other departments, but this is worth keeping an eye on.
High-A Asheville Tourists
Who’s Hot
Yet another catcher who’s mashing, Schiavone posted a nine-home run, 23-RBI month that resulted in a 1.050 OPS. The 2024 11th rounder countered his 32 strikeouts (33.7% rate) with 22 walks (23.1%), taking advantage of less seasoned pitching. The ability to get into power was really impressive, and he reached double-digit home runs in early May.
Justin Thomas Jr., OF
Thomas is a burner who’s drawn 15 walks and gone a perfect 12-for-12 stealing bases, while also getting into just enough juice with three home runs and two doubles. He’s just 22 with a career .808 OPS in the minors, and another solid month or two can put the Arkansas product on the prospect radar.
Cole Hertzler, RHP
Hertzler is a big body with less than 50 professional innings despite this being his third season. He’s already set career highs for games (five) and innings (21.2) in a season, and they’ve come at a 1.25 ERA with 31 strikeouts to 13 walks. Health permitting, the 23-year-old can be a rocket ship through this system.
Who’s Not
Ethan Frey, OF
Frey was a productive college bat at LSU whose flaws saw him drop to the fourth round, and the lack of production to start 2026 is slightly concerning. Frey had a .641 OPS despite walking 15 times due to his four extra base hits. You already have to be willing to look the other way defensively to see a major future for Frey, and this sub-.700 OPS isn’t helping that.
Parker Smith, RHP
Smith’s worst fears were realized in April, as he gave up four home runs while generating below-average whiff. As a groundball pitcher without a true out pitch, that many balls in the air is concerning. He allowed 18 runs, 14 earned, in 20 frames, while opponents hit .321 off of him. That number should normalize some, but it’s still not a great look for the 23-year-old.
Low-A Fayetteville Woodpeckers
Who’s Hot
Xavier Neyens, INF
Houston’s top pick in the 2025 draft has gotten off to a white-hot start to his professional career. He’s striking out like was expected (30 in 67 at-bats), but he’s walked 15 times, clubbed three home runs and stolen seven bases in 11 tries. The OPS sat at .831 and he hit .254, and there might be even more in the tank in the power department.
Anthony Huezo, OF
Huezo has looked slightly better than top prospect Kevin Alvarez in their Low-A debuts, even though Huezo is two years older (20 vs. 18). He has 10 extra base hits on four doubles, three triples and three home runs, and has stolen 10 bases in 11 attempts. The whiff is certainly there (30 strikeouts and nine walks in 75 at bats), but the 2023 13th rounder has made a mark early in 2026.
Javier Perez, RHP
Perez may be 22, but he’s off to a great start at Low-A. He’s thrown 23.2 innings to a 2.66 ERA with 29 strikeouts to six walks. The swing-and-miss stuff has been extremely impressive in the early going, especially given how consistently Perez has been in the zone. The one thing to look out for is the four home runs he’s surrendered.
Who’s Not
Ryan Forcucci, RHP
Forcucci may have had the most catastrophic April for any Houston prospect. The No. 6 prospect tossed just 4.2 innings to a 19.29 ERA and 3.21 WHIP, giving up 10 earned runs on four hits, five hit batters and 11 walks. These were his first professional innings after missing most of 2024 and all of 2025 due to Tommy John surgery.
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