You have to 'tear the cleats off' this Astros outfield prospect to slow him down
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The first MLB debut from the Astros' 2024 Draft class was made by a non-drafted signee.
Lucas Spence broke into the big leagues July 17 after spending parts of his second full pro season at Triple-A Sugar Land and Double-A Corpus Christi. But the cup of coffee in the Majors for the Astros' No. 12 prospect didn't produce the most proficient ledger.
"It's a valuable experience," Astros director of player development Sam Niedorf said. "He's going to be better because of it. It was a quick rise. ... Learning at the big league level is imperative for any young player, and Lucas got that at a really ripe age of 23. We know that this experience is going to serve him well and make him even a better version of himself next year when he gets back up there."
The Southern Illinois-Edwardsville product appeared in 14 games for Houston. He recorded five hits -- one double -- and struck out 15 times while picking up three walks before being optioned to Sugar Land on Aug. 3.
But in recent weeks, the left-handed outfielder has seemingly turned over a new leaf. In the Space Cowboys' 5-0 victory over Oklahoma City on Sunday at Bricktown Ballpark, Spence extended his on-base streak to 12 games, going 2-for-5 with his second Triple-A triple and an RBI single.
Spence recorded his second multihomer game of the season Friday, and has logged three roundtrippers in his past seven games. He's also drawn at least one walk in five of his 10 starts this month. Across his past 12 games, he's slashed .308/.426/.795 with five homers, two doubles, one triple, 11 RBIs and 10 runs scored. He also has eight walks to eight strikeouts.
Entering Sunday, Spence had a 27.9 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A. The Astros want him to be stubborn with pitches in the zone, hoping that approach of not expanding and doing the pitcher any favors will cure any lingering strikeout woes.
"Sometimes he just wants to hit his way out of that slump with extra balls with the machine or tee work or flips," Niedorf said. "But we talk about the term 'being obsessed with the game' a lot, and Lucas truly is. He's the first one in the clubhouse, the last to leave, but he is not going to head home for the day if he has not accomplished his development task for that day, regardless if that takes him until midnight that night after a game. He's not afraid of the work, and I think something that makes him really special."
At 23 years old, Spence embodies an advanced athlete who is a consummate professional and leader in the outfield. He's received 60-grade tools in the arm and run departments and is still projected to be a center fielder in the big leagues, possessing inherent instincts on reads, routes and range.
"He's one of our best defenders, really throughout the system, big leagues down into the Minor Leagues," Niedorf said. "A lot of it comes down to the preparation, the care he places on defense. He's not a one-sided player who's solely offensive-oriented. He's a complete player and really takes pride in being the best center fielder that he can be."
Niedorf also credited the people within the organization for helping elevate the prospect. Spence met the coaches halfway in each new aspect of his development, wanting to be challenged and not wanting to cut corners. That encapsulates Houston's approach with all its Minor Leaguers.
"A big philosophy for us in player development is once you enter the system, regardless of round, regardless of signing bonus, regardless of age, regardless of where you came from, you're coming in an environment where our job is to make you the best version of yourself," Niedorf said.
Spence is one of three non-drafted free agents ranked on the Astros’ Top 30 prospects list. One of those other prospects is infielder Max Holy (No. 29), whom Astros Lower Midwest scouting supervisor Freddy Perez also signed in 2024. (The third is No. 27 RHP Jagger Beck.)
"You have to tear the cleats off his feet to get him to stop playing baseball," Perez said about Spence. "When it comes to those NDFAs, those are the guys I'm looking for. It's the ones who love to play, who can compete, but also can do a couple multiple different things."