Astros announce Minor League Players of the Year
HOUSTON, TX - The Houston Astros player development department has named RHP Spencer Arrighetti as the 2023 Astros Minor League Pitcher of the Year and IF/OF Joey Loperfido as the 2023 Astros Minor League Player of the Year. The Astros also named RHP Sandy Mejia the Astros Complex Pitcher of the Year and ** IF Waner Luciano** the Astros Complex Player of the Year.
Arrighetti, 23, went 9-7 with a 4.40 ERA (61ER/124.2IP) in 28 appearances, including 21 starts between Double A Corpus Christi and Triple A Sugar Land this season. The right-handed pitcher also recorded 141 strikeouts, a 1.25 WHIP and a .217 opponent batting average. Arrighetti ranked third in strikeouts and fourth in opponent batting average in the Astros minor league system this season.
Arrighetti is rated as the Astros number three overall prospect by MLB.com. He was originally selected in the sixth round of the 2021 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Louisiana-Lafayette and signed by Astros scout Landon Townsley.
Loperfido, 24, batted .278 (130x467) with 79 runs, 27 doubles, three triples, 25 home runs, 78 RBI, 65 walks, 27 stolen bases and a .880 OPS (.370 OBP / .510 SLG) in 124 games between High A Asheville, Double A Corpus Christi and Triple A Sugar Land. Loperfido was also a Postseason All-Star in the Texas League. During his time in the Texas League from April 20th-August 12th, he ranked second in total bases (172), second in extra-base hits (40), third in slugging percentage (.548), third in home runs (19), fourth OPS (.940) and sixth in hits (93).
Loperfido was selected in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Duke University and signed by Astros scout Andrew Johnson. Loperfido is rated as the Astros number six overall prospect by MLB.com.
Mejia, 19, went 2-1 with a 3.03 ERA (10ER/29.2IP) in 13 appearances, including two starts between the Rookie Level FCL Astros and Low A Fayetteville. The right-handed pitcher also recorded 44 strikeouts, two saves,13 walks, a 0.98 WHIP and a .155 opponent batting average. Mejia was signed as a non-drafted free agent on January 15, 2022 from Monte Plata, Dominican Republic by Astros scout Leocadio Guevara.
Luciano, 18, batted .247 (41x166) with 33 runs, eight doubles, 10 home runs, 29 RBI, 22 walks, five stolen bases and a .821 OPS (.383 OBP / .424 SLG) in 45 games with the Rookie Level FCL Astros this season. In the FCL, he ranked tied for second in home runs, tied for fifth in total bases (79), seventh in extra-base hits (18) and 10th in slugging percentage. Luciano was signed as a non-drafted free agent on January 15, 2022 from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic by Astros scout Hassan Wessin.