Astros prospects Brito, Hicks on fire in Fall League

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- After the Scottsdale Scorpions tapped into a Fall League classic by donning Halloween costumes during batting practice, the pitching staff decided it needed to deliver a treat of its own.

Astros prospects Anderson Brito (HOU No. 7) and James Hicks (HOU No. 26) teamed up to spin six innings of one-hit, one-run ball to lead Scottsdale to an 8-3 win over Salt River at Salt River Fields on Friday afternoon. For Hicks, his three scoreless frames ups his AFL total to 14 unscored upon across four appearances.

Hicks through Oct. 31: 14 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 19 K, .130 BAA, 0.57 WHIP

Hicks has one, maybe two, regular-season AFL appearances to go. Just two pitchers – Jake Arrieta (2007) and Jared Miller (2016) – have worked at least 14 innings without giving up a run in the Fall League dating back to 2005, but both served primarily as relievers, making double-digit appearances.

But before Hicks was tabbed to enter the game, Scottsdale sent Brito to the hill. After issuing a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first, the 21-year-old was lights-out. He retired nine batters in a row and consistently ramped his fastball up into the mid-90s, averaging 97.8 mph over his 41-pitch outing.

"I can't say enough good things about that kid, just on and off the field," said Hicks. "He works hard and he's equally as good of a human. It's been fun getting to get close with him."

Through four outings, Brito ranks second in the Fall League with 22 strikeouts (trailing only Scottsdale teammate Jake Bennett, the Nationals' No. 10 prospect). Batters have hit a paltry .154 against Brito in 11 1/3 innings with his 17.5 K/9 serving as a continuation of the 12.8 mark he's delivered throughout his Minor League career.

James Wiseman, a pitching coach with Scottsdale in the Fall League, got to meet Brito in 2024 during his time as Houston's Florida Complex League pitching coach. There wasn't a ton of crossover as Brito made just one start at the level before zooming up to Single-A Fayetteville, but a five-day impression was all that Wiseman needed.

"It was pretty apparent from the start that he was something special," he said of Brito.

After Brito's overpowering and dominant stuff, Salt River was tasked with facing Hicks, a virtual 180-degree turn in terms of firepower. Or, as Hicks succinctly put it: "He throws hard. I do not."

The 24-year-old has consistently rotated through his five-pitch arsenal during his time with Scottsdale, which he did again Friday, throwing each of his offerings at least 13.9 percent of the time.

But Hicks' secret sauce this time out? Candy, fittingly. Before the game, a young fan -- presumably flush with goodies after some early trick-or-treat hunting -- offered Hicks a Tootsie Roll, his favorite.

"Brito's got big-time stuff, gassing guys up in the zone," said Wiseman. "And then we've got James Hicks out here painting corners; good stuff in his own right, but it's a little different arsenal."

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While it might seem strange to send what has been the AFL's best pitcher out in the middle of the game, the system of "piggybacking" two starters is something Houston has been at the forefront of in their Minor League system over the past handful of years. Hicks made 25 appearances in 2024 -- 12 as a starter and 13 as a reliever -- but threw at least three innings in all of his outings.

"I try to keep the same kind of mentality going into it," said Hicks. "I think it's good to get experience in all different aspects of pitching. In college, I was closing for a little, [worked in] long relief, so I had some experience with it -- it wasn't too foreign for me."

While both Brito and Hicks have pitched their way into Top 30 prospect relevance, that wasn't always the case. Brito signed at the "advanced" age of 19 out of Venezuela in November 2023 for just $10,000. (Many of the top international players often sign the year in which they turn 16.) Hicks was a 13th-round selection in the 2023 Draft who signed for the maximum allowed in his slot ($150,000) without the club having to pay against its bonus pool.

That the Astros appear to have uncovered a pair of unheralded pitching prospect gems isn't much of a surprise to anyone who has watched the big league club over the past half-decade. Framber Valdez, Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier and many others were under-the-radar signings when they put pen to paper but developed into key cogs that have helped the club already win four American League West crowns this decade.

"It just speaks to the people we have in the scouting department, the front office and also on the [player development] side, as well as the players themselves," said Wiseman. "At the end of the day, they're the ones doing the work and it's been awesome to be a part of it."