Roto Top 10 Prospects
Houston Astros
1. Chris Burke - 2B - Age 25 - ETA: Now
.315/.396/.507, 16 HR, 52 RBI, 76/55 K/BB, 37 SB in 483 AB for AAA New Orleans
.059/.200/.059, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 3/3 K/BB, 0 SB in 17 AB for Houston
The Astros are still debating about whether to insert him into the starting
lineup at the start of this year, but Burke should be the team’s long-term
second baseman and No. 2 hitter. The 2001 first-round pick is probably more
Mark Loretta than Craig Biggio, but there’s not anything wrong with that. A
former shortstop, he shows plenty of range at second base, though he lacks
consistency at times. His basestealing ability could make him a $20 fantasy
second baseman once he gets the at-bats. The Astros are expected to let him
compete for a starting job this spring, with Biggio moving back to second
base if things don’t work out. He’ll bat at the bottom of the lineup
initially, but he should eventually switch spots with Adam Everett.
2. Fernando Nieve - RHP - Age 23 - ETA: July 2006
10-6, 2.96 ERA, 136 H, 117/40 K/BB in 149 IP for Single-A Salem
2-0, 1.56 ERA, 12 H, 17/8 K/BB in 17 1/3 IP for Double-A Round Rock
Despite a great ERA for Single-A Salem, Nieve didn’t make as much progress
as the Astros would have liked last season. That mostly had to do with his
curve and especially his changeup. Nieve relies on a low-90s sinking fastball
to generate grounders and strikeouts. His curve is a plus pitch at times. His
change isn’t, but he is working on it. Nieve has the potential to be a No. 2
starter if the changeup comes. He shouldn’t see the majors this year.
3. Ezequiel Astacio - RHP - Age 25 - ETA:July 2005
13-10, 3.89 ERA, 155 H, 185/56 K/BB in 176 IP for Double-A Round Rock
The third pitcher acquired from the Phillies in the Billy Wagner deal may now
be the most valuable property. Astacio put up fine ERAs while in the
Philadelphia farm system, but weak strikeout numbers made him look like little
more than a middle reliever. Incredibly, he fanned more batters last year than
he did the previous two years combined. He’s added velocity yet still has
plenty of movement on his fastball, giving him No. 3-starter potential. He’ll
probably be the first starter called up by the Astros this season.
4. Taylor Buchholz - RHP - Age 23 - ETA: May 2006
6-7, 5.23 ERA, 107 H, 74/29 K/BB in 98 IP for Triple-A New Orleans
Buchholz immediately became the Astros’ top prospect after being picked up in
the Wagner trade, but he had a disappointing first half for New Orleans and
he hurt his shoulder not long after it looked like he had turned things around.
He underwent offseason surgery, leaving his status unclear for the beginning
of this season. With his 91-94 mph fastball and top-notch curve, Buchholz
still has plenty of upside, and he is a full two years younger than Astacio.
It appears less likely that he’ll contribute this year, but there’s no
reason to give up on him yet.
5. Mitch Einertson - OF - Age 18 - ETA: 2009
.308/.413/.692, 24 HR, 67 RBI,70/32 K/BB, 4 SB in 227 AB for Rookie Greeneville
.143/.143/.571, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2/0 K/BB, 0 SB in 7 AB for SS Single-A Tri-City
So how did he last until the fifth round? It probably had something to do with
him being 5-foot-10. Einertson made a huge impression after being drafted last
year, leading the Appalachian League in homers by eight and slugging percent
age by more than 100 points. He did strike out a lot, but he also had a fine
walk rate, giving him an 1105 OPS. It’s likely that he’ll continue to demonst
rate 30-homer power. More questionable is whether he’ll keep his average up.
The Astros also need to find a position for him. He played center last year,
but he probably doesn’t have the range to man that position in the majors.
Since there’s no reason to stick him in a corner just yet, a move to second
base has been considered. He’s just turning 19 in April, so there’s no rush.
6. Josh Anderson - OF - Age 22 - ETA: 2007
.324/.402/.425, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 47/33 K/BB, 47 SB in 299 AB for low A Lexington
.268/.315/.379, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 53/13 K/BB, 31 SB in 280 AB for high A Salem
Anderson disappointed after his promotion to the Carolina League, but he
showed enough at Lexington to earn a place in the top 10. The 2003 fourth-round
pick did a great job of getting on base in the South Atlantic League and was
successful on 78 of his 91 steal attempts over the course of the year. I give
him the nod over Willy Taveras because he has the more power of the two. He’s
not quite as good of a center fielder, which could lead to a difficult choice
for Houston a couple of years from now. Anderson likely will return to Salem
for the start of this year, but another midseason promotion should follow.
7. Matt Albers - RHP - Age 22 - ETA: 2007
8-3, 3.31 ERA, 95 H, 140/57 K/BB in 111 1/3 IP for Single-A Lexington
A suspension by the organization cut into his season, but Albers’ stock is
climbing. A draft-and-follow signed in 2002, Albers throws 92-94 mph and has
a hard curveball. His changeup is an average third pitch. Better command will
be required as he climbs the ladder.He also needs to keep an eye on his weight.
8. Chad Qualls - RHP - Age 26 - ETA: Now
3-6, 5.57 ERA, 134 H, 72/30 K/BB in 106 2/3 IP for Triple-A New Orleans
4-0, 3.55 ERA, 34 H, 24/8 K/BB in 33 IP for Houston
Qualls was an effective reliever for the Astros over the final two months of
last year despite struggling for Triple-A New Orleans. He actually never had
an ERA better than 3.72 as a minor leaguer, but he was still regarded as a
pretty good prospect because of his sinker-slider combination. It appears that
the Astros see Qualls as a long-term setup man, which might be for the best. He
was a starter until the middle of last season and he has four pitches, but a
lack of concentration and poor stamina have been problems for him. He’ll keep
his spot in the Houston pen this year.
9. Willy Taveras - OF - Age 23 - ETA: April 2006
.335/.402/.386, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 76/38 K/BB, 55 SB in 409 AB for AA Round Rock
.000/.000/.000, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1/0 K/BB, 1 SB in 1 AB for Houston
.400/.421/.500, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2/0 K/BB, 2 SB in 18 AB for Scottsdale (AFL)
The Astros picked up Taveras in the Rule 5 draft from Cleveland last year and
then retained his rights as part of the Jeriome Robertson deal. It turned out
to be a great trade for Houston after Taveras had a breakthrough season in
Double-A. The native of the Dominican Republic can fly in center field and on
the basepaths. There are still questions about his bat, however. Since Taveras
only occasionally gets the ball out of the infield and he doesn’t walk a lot,
he’ll have to continue to hit over .300 to be a quality major league regular.
I’m not convinced it will happen, but he will receive chances, with perhaps
the first coming this year.
10. Ben Zobrist - SS - Age 23 - ETA: 2008
.339/.438/.463, 4 HR, 45 RBI, 31/43 K/BB, 15 SB in 257 AB for SS Tri-City
Even though the Astros lacked a first-round pick, the early returns suggest
they had a great 2005 draft, with Einertson and Zobrist making the top 10 and
LHP Troy Patton and OF Hunter Pence just missing. Zobrist, a sixth-round pick,
showed a nice bat and surprisingly strong skills at shortstop. He was, however,
old for the New York-Penn League. Since he turns 24 in May, the Astros need
to be aggressive with him. He can’t afford an off year.
2004 top 10: Taylor Buchholz, John Buck, Fernando Nieve, Jason Lane,
Chris Burke, Mitch Talbot, Hector Gimenez, Tommy Whiteman,
Chad Qualls, Jared Gothreaux
2003 top 10: John Buck, Jason Lane, Henri Stanley, Brad Lidge, Rodrigo Rosario
Derick Grigsby, Tommy Whiteman, Chris Burke, Jimmy Barrett,
Osvaldo Fernando
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