Astros stock up on CFs, RHPs on Day 2
Brian McTaggart
@brianmctaggartDay 2 of the 2019 Draft is in the books. Our Draft Tracker has every pick through Round 10, including player information, scouting video, sortable data and more.
The Astros focused on center fielders and right-handed pitchers on the second day of the MLB Draft, taking four center fielders and three righties, along with a catcher in Rounds 3-10 on Tuesday. The Astros selected six players from four-year universities, one JUCO player and one high school player.
The Draft concludes Wednesday, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 11-40 on MLB.com beginning at 11 a.m. CT.
Here’s a glimpse of the Astros’ picks on Day 2 of the Draft.
Third round (106 overall): Jordan Brewer, CF, 21, Michigan
Brewer planned to walk on and play football for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, but a dislocated shoulder changed his fate. With no Division I offers to play baseball, he competed at Lincoln Trail (Ill.) Community College for two years before getting about 25 offers and eventually transferring to Michigan, where he was the Big Ten Player of the Year in 2019. He hit .352 with a .412 on-base percentage, 12 homers, 52 RBIs and 19 steals in 50 games heading into the Super Regionals.
Fourth round (136 overall): Colin Barber, CF, 18, Pleasant Valley High School (Calif.)
Called “coachable” and a “great teammate” by his high school coach, Barber attracted a slew of scouts to Northern California this spring with this combination of speed and power. He played most of the season in center field and was named his conference's Most Valuable Player after hitting .492 with 10 home runs, 42 RBIs and a 1.647 OPS in 27 games.
“I’m excited to see how he does and how his game transfers to the next level,” Pleasant Valley coach Jon Macalutas said. “He’s extremely coachable and he’s a cage rat. He’s a great kid who had a special season.”
Barber committed to play at the University of Oregon as a freshman and says he has two good options to choose from.
“I can’t go wrong," he said. “From what I hear, I have good bat speed, and good hand speed, pretty good running speed. I feel like my bat speed could play well hopefully in the pros and see where it takes me. Hopefully I can further advance my tools and become a complete five-tool player.”
Fifth round (166 overall): Hunter Brown, RHP, 20, Wayne State
When he was growing up in suburban Detroit, Brown had posters of Justin Verlander on his wall. So you can only imagine Brown’s excitement when the Astros drafted him and gave him an opportunity to be in the same organization as the one-time Most Valuable Player and Cy Young winner with the Detroit Tigers.
“It’s really hard to try and do everything Justin Verlander does,” Brown said. “In high school, I would stand in the mirror and do a windup just like he did. Obviously, it would be great to throw 100 mph in the eighth inning of a game. Other than that, you take what you can watching his game. I’ve been doing that for as long as I can remember and trying to add my own repertoire.”
Brown went 9-0 with a 2.21 ERA in 14 starts for Wayne State this year, striking out 114 batters and walking 39 in 85 1/3 innings. Those are Verlander-like numbers.
“We are definitely big Verlander people,” he said. “It was sad to see him go [to Houston]. There’s a possibility maybe in a couple of years, who knows, I could be a teammate of his. That would be awesome.”
Sixth round (196 overall): Matthew Barefoot, CF, 21, Campbell University
Barefoot was a two-way player when he came to college, but he found himself doing more damage during his redshirt freshman with his bat than on the mound.
“I never looked back,” he said.
Barefoot started 57 games this year and batted .311 with nine homers, 48 RBIs and 25 steals.
“Hearing my named called was the best feeling ever,” said Barefoot, who plans to sign with the Astros and begin his professional career.
Barefoot really put himself on the map at the Cape Cod League following the 2018 season by slashing 392/.486/.550 en route to being named the Most Valuable Player of the wooden bat league.
“I had a few free-agent deals come out of there and I decided to go back to school one more year and I knew what that did was huge for me,” Barefoot said.
Seventh round (226 overall): Blair Henley, RHP, 22, Texas
A native of Fort Worth, Texas, he started 13 games for the Longhorns and went 6-4 with a 3.54 ERA in 73 2/3 innings pitched. He struck out 62 batters, which was second on Texas, which finished last in the Big 12 this year. He was named Big 12 Honorable Mention.
He’s started 39 games in his Texas career and is 16-16 with a 3.65 ERA, 173 strikeouts and 96 walks.
Eighth round (256 overall): Luis Guerrero, CF, 20, Miami Dade College
After a monster freshman season in which he hit .348, Guerrero entered his sophomore year with high hopes when it came to his team and his Draft potential. He injured his hand in the first game of the season when he was hit by a pitch and didn’t return until April. That limited him to 24 games this year, hitting .266.
“It was tough,” said Guerrero, who’s from Mamaroneck, N.Y. “I knew this was the year I was supposed to get drafted. It was obviously disappointing, but I did my rehab and did everything I could to get back on the field and when I came back I tried to make the best of the situation and help my team win.”
Miami Dade head coach Danny Price, who had six players drafted last year, said the Astros “outsmarted some people” by taking Guerrero despite his subpar sophomore season.
“We were really expecting big things out of him, but his injury set him back,” he said. “He’s a hell of a player -- plus arm, plus speed, very strong young man. When he got back he was trying to have four at-bats in one, but he’s got a really good future in front of him. It did not surprise me he got taken as high as he did.”
Ninth round (286 overall): Peyton Battenfield, RHP, 21, Oklahoma State
The 6-foot-4 right-hander appeared in 27 games for the Cowboys and was 4-3 with a 2.91 ERA and five saves. He struck out 71 batters in 58 2/3 innings with only 21 walks. His brother, Blake, pitched four years for Oklahoma State and is a member of the White Sox organization.
10th round (316 overall): C.J. Stubbs, C, 22, USC
The brother of current Astros catcher Garrett Stubbs, who also went to USC, Stubbs was a two-way player early in his college career. He was a pitcher and catcher as a freshman and didn’t do much catching his sophomore year. He pitched through a partially torn UCL and wound up getting Tommy John surgery, which cost him the 2018 season.
He focused on catching this year and hit .285 (55-for-193) with six homers and 35 RBIs in 54 games for the Trojans.
“The reason why he ended up catching is they didn’t have a catcher,” Garrett Stubbs said. “They knew he could catch, but being the gamer he is and being a very good teammmate and good leader, he wanted to be able to contribute the best way possible and ended up being a good catcher behind the plate and hitting offensively, which was fun to see.”
Garrett Stubbs was working out pregame in Seattle on Tuesday when he heard his brother’s name called as the Astros’ 10th-round pick. The brothers, who are four years apart, have never played on the same team. That could change as professionals.
“I’m pretty overwhelmed right now,” said C.J., who plans to sign with Houston. “I’m joining the same organization as my brother and it’s just awesome.”