Rising stars who could shape Astros' future

This story was excerpted from Brian McTaggart's Astros Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

HOUSTON -- The Astros wouldn’t have made the playoffs eight seasons in a row had they not had strong contributions from their Minor League system. Houston had a Top 5 finisher in American League Rookie of the Year voting in nine of the previous 10 seasons (2014-23), despite a farm system that slipped to 30th in the rankings in 2024.

The club remains bullish on its up-and-coming talent, many of whom made their mark in 2024. Here’s a look at some Astros prospects that you could be hearing from soon:

3 players who forced their way onto the radar

RHP Ethan Pecko (Astros’ No. 18 prospect)
Pecko, a sixth-round Draft pick in 2023 out of Towson University, was named the Astros’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2024 after posting a 3.47 ERA in 26 games (15 starts) between Single-A Fayetteville, High-A Asheville and Double-A Corpus Christi. He struck out 125 batters in 96 innings, with a 1.21 WHIP and a .219 opponents’ batting average. The 22-year-old ranked second in strikeouts per nine innings (11.72) and fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.38) in Houston’s Minor League system.

RHP Anderson Brito (Astros' No. 8 prospect)
Signed for $10,000 out of Venezuela in November 2023, Brito broke into pro ball by posting a 0.40 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League. He earned two promotions in the next two weeks and continued to thrive, finishing with 27 1/3 innings at Fayetteville (2.63 ERA, 1.24 WHIP). Brito's fastball has jumped about 5 mph since he turned pro, and he now operates in the mid-90s and reaches 99 mph with quality carry up in the zone.

RHP James Hicks (Astros' No. 15 prospect)
Hicks’ first full season in pro ball in 2024 saw him appear in 25 games (12 starts) across three levels, finishing with 12 games (five starts) for Corpus Christi. He had a combined 3.82 ERA with a 1.36 WHIP, 115 strikeouts and only 29 walks in 106 innings. Hicks pounds the strike zone with six pitches that work well together because of his ability to mix them. He can pitch to both corners while keeping hitters off-balance, though he doesn't have much margin for error.

2 breakout players to watch in 2025

CF Joseph Sullivan (not ranked)
The Astros got only a glimpse of Sullivan after taking him in the seventh round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of South Alabama. He appeared in 20 games at Fayetteville and posted a .740 OPS with 13 walks, 11 strikeouts and eight steals. In three seasons at South Alabama, he slashed .271/.436/.528 with 25 homers, 16 doubles, seven triples and 45 stolen bases -- a nice blend of power and speed from the left-hand side of the plate. He’s the grandson of 1971 Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan.

C Jancel Villarroel (Astros' No. 26 prospect)
In his first taste of full-season professional baseball in 2024, Villarroel appeared in 54 games at Fayetteville and slashed .233/.339/.321, displaying the advanced strike zone judgment he first showed in the Dominican Summer League (.435 OBP in ’23). Signed for $10,000 out of Venezuela in June 2022, Villarroel is a 5-foot-8 catcher with solid speed who also started games at first base, second, third, left field and center last season. He's an intriguing hitter who could wind up as some sort of version of Isiah Kiner-Falefa with more thump, if not Gold Glove defense.

1 big prospect question for next season

Can RHP Miguel Ullola (Astros' No. 7 prospect) continue to progress by refining his control and lowering his walk totals?
Ullola should be in the rotation at Triple-A Sugar Land next season after striking out 166 batters in 127 1/3 innings with a 4.24 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 27 games (23 starts) at Corpus Christi in '24. Ullola, who signed for $75,000 out of the Dominican Republic at 18 1/2 years old, possesses one of the biggest arms in the system and has averaged 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings in the Minor Leagues, but he’s also averaged 6.1 walks per nine innings -- something he’ll have to improve to fulfill his potential.