Houston Astros Top 10 Prospects For 2025 Fantasy Baseball

Format = Position Player | Age on 4/1/2025 | Highest Level Played | Estimated Time of Arrival 

1. 3B Cam Smith | 22 | AA | 2025

The 14th overall pick by the Cubs in this summer’s draft, Smith skipped blissfully through the A-levels in just 27 games, blasting six home runs in 15 Low-A games and slashing .333/.421/.500 in 12 High-A games before rounding out the season with five games with Double-A Tennessee. Houston saw enough to target the 6’3” 224 lb righty in the Kyle Tucker trade. Smith gives the club a ready-soon third-base prospect in the wake of Alex Bregman’s departure, though with Isaac Paredes also in town, Smith may have to try some outfield.  

2. RHP Miguel Ullola | 22 | AAA | 2025

Ullola allowed just 72 hits in 127.1 Double-A innings but recorded a 4.24 ERA because he allowed 73 walks. The 1.14 WHIP he was left with is pretty kind on the eyes, but you can see the path to better outcomes. He leans on a double-plus fastball, and guys like to lay off a lot of pitches because he’s all over the place, but his mix of slider, curve and change could work alongside that fastball if he could just command two of those consistently and show the others, by which I mean the stuff is nasty, he’s got good balance and athleticism throughout his delivery, so I’m betting the non-fastball offerings will improve across time as he’s exposed to higher-level coaching.

3. OF Jacob Melton | 24 | AAA | 2025

A left-handed batter at 6’2” 208 lbs, Melton hit well at Oregon State and hit well with wooden bats in the Western Canadian League as a 19-year-old and feels like a pretty safe bet to keep hitting. He’s also a plus runner in an era when 30 steals is just a state of mind. He went 15/30 in 105 games across two levels in 2024 and would be a threat for 20/30 as a big leaguer if he can lock down a job.

4. SS Brice Matthews | 23 | AAA | 2025

A first-round pick in 2023, Matthews flew through the system in 2024, playing at four levels in just 79 games and slashing .265/.384/.481 with 15 home runs and 32 stolen bases. He ran out of gas in Triple-A and batted just .143 in 12 games there, but I can’t hold that against a guy at the end of an excellent season. At 5’10” 190 lbs with easy pull power from the right side, he’s tailor made for Minute Maid.

5. 1B Zach Dezenzo | 24 | MLB | 2024

A right-handed hitter at 6’5” 220 lbs, Dezenzo was a four-year starter at Ohio State who slugged .701 as a senior after slugging .732 with wooden bats in the MLB Draft League. This is a theme for Houston, who likes to see a little success sans aluminum and has reaped some middle-round rewards in the process. Dezenzo was a 12th round pick in 2022 and has already sipped 19 games worth of big-league coffee after slashing .323/.425/.573 with five home runs and the steals in 25 Triple-A games. Houston blocked Dezenzo by signing Christian Walker for three years, but it would make sense for them to give this guy a chance in 2025.

6. OF Pedro Leon | 26 | MLB | 2024

Leon will turn 27 on May 28, so it’s kind of an understatement to say 2025 feels like now or never for a guy who has played THREE FULL SEASONS in Triple-A. That’s not the craziest outcome in the world, but it would’ve been pretty unthinkable when the team signed Leon out of Cuba for $4 million. In 118 games there this season, Leon slashed .299/.372/.514 with 24 home runs and 29 stolen bases while the Astros struggled to find outfield production on the big league club. Evidence suggests that the past is prologue, and that Leon won’t get much of a look this year either, but he’d be interesting for our game if he ever got on the field.

7. OF Luis Baez | 21 | AA | 2026

A right-handed hitter with a big swing at 6’1” 225 lbs, Baez has shown an aggressive approach that produces good power but a weak on-base percentage. He slashed .258/.301/.462 with 21 home runs and 11 stolen bases in 106 games across two levels where he was among the younger players. That’s pretty good, and Baez appeared to be experimenting with patience at season’s end, walking at a 13.1 percent clip in his 14 games at Double-A. He’ll turn 21 this week on January 11th. Happy birthday, Luis!

8. 3B Shay Whitcomb | 26 | MLB | 2024

A 5th round pick out of UC San Diego in 2020 who signed for $56,000, Whitcomb has never been the highest probability prospect, but he’s posted good outcomes throughout his pro career, and 2024 was his best season yet. In 108 Triple-A games, he slashed .293/.378/.530 with 25 home runs, 26 stolen bases and a 19.8 percent strikeout rate: an 11.3 percent improvement from 2023. This earned him a 20-game stint with Houston, but he only got 46 sporadic plate appearances there and didn’t thrive, slashing .220/.304/.293 despite striking out just 17.4 percent of the time.

9. OF Zach Cole | 24 | AA | 2026

A plus defensive center fielder with lefty power and plus speed, Cole won’t have to max out in the batter’s box to become a functional major leaguer. 2024 was a down year tough. He slashed .214/.302/.408 with ten home runs and 14 stolen bases in 70 Double-A games, but that’s probably enough to wave him along to Triple-A given the defensive value. He’s probably a free-agent level dynasty player until he puts together a loud stretch.

10. C Walker Janek | 22 | A+ | 2027

The 28th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Janek is a defense-first catcher who hit just .175 in 25 High-A games as a professional. Safe to say he should’ve started his career in Low-A coming out of Sam Houston, but that’s water under the bridge now. At his best, Janek brings plus power with the kind of defense that opens doors for him.

Thanks for reading!