This story was excerpted from Brian McTaggart’s Astros Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Welcome to the September edition of the MLB Pipeline Rookie Hot List. As we’ve done four previous times this season, we will highlight the top-performing rookies of each month. As the calendar changes, we wipe the slate clean for every rookie, giving each newcomer an equal shot -- and the

This story was excerpted from Brian McTaggart’s Astros Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

This story was excerpted from Brian McTaggart’s Astros Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

This story was excerpted from Brian McTaggart’s Astros Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. Astros Youth Academy director Daryl Wade and manager Duane Stelly were in Seattle last week coaching players from Houston in the Commissioner’s Cup, which

HOUSTON -- James Turrubiartes will never forget the first time he laid eyes on Nehomar Ochoa Jr. The Galena Park High School baseball coach was in his press box watching a summer league game when a 13-year-old standing 6-foot-2 and his hulking father walked through the door. “They asked if

HOUSTON -- His grandfather attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. His uncle rowed while attending the Naval Academy. His great uncle played football for the Air Force Academy. Jake Bloss decided to take a different route, though still very challenging -- majoring in economics and mathematics at Lafayette

HOUSTON -- The music was pumping inside the Matthews household in suburban Houston, which may have surprised the neighbors considering it was a Sunday night. The joyful voices in the background and dancing on the floor set a scene straight out of Mardi Gras, which is no surprise when you

HOUSTON -- The early struggles of Astros’ top prospect Drew Gilbert since he was promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi having nothing to do with the left elbow discomfort that has kept him from playing the field with the Hooks for the last few weeks, general manager Dana Brown said last

HOUSTON -- Ryan Clifford is the only prospect in the top half of the Astros’ Top 30 rankings by MLB Pipeline who is still a teenager. Clifford will turn 20 years old in two months and is already playing at High-A Asheville, which give you an idea of how highly

This story was excerpted from Brian McTaggart’s Astros Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The first week of May was as good to Justin Dirden as April was bad. Houston's No. 7 prospect matched or exceeded his offensive output for the entire first month of the season in just five games last week for Triple-A Sugar Land. Dirden's prodigious output included two grand slams,

To remember a day like he had at the plate on Sunday, Korey Lee said he needs to think back "probably to Little League or high school, or something like that." When they happen at this level, they're hard to forget. "Just from a hitting standpoint, (today) was probably the

_This story was excerpted from Brian McTaggart’s Astros Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

This story was excerpted from Brian McTaggart’s Astros Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Consider it an achievement unlocked for Gillygoobear. . Who's that? Well, that's the moniker Drew Gilbert uses for his Twitter and Instagram handles, a nickname he created in 2015 when choosing a gamertag for his Xbox. The top Astros prospect has come a long way since then. On Tuesday night,

HOUSTON -- An avid hunter, High-A Asheville manager Nate Shaver brought deer jerky to the ballpark for his players to enjoy last week. Joey Loperfido, an infielder/outfielder from Philadelphia, had a couple of pieces, and that was enough. Shaver insisted Loperfido take the final piece of jerky off the plate,

HOUSTON -- You can call them the Bash Brothers, at least for one night anyway. Corey Julks and Jake Meyers -- a pair of reserve outfielders who were selected in the 2017 MLB Draft, came through the Minor Leagues together and were in the starting lineup on Monday against the

HOUSTON -- You won’t find 23-year-old left-handed pitching prospect Brayan De Paula on the Astros’ Top 30 Prospects list, but the Dominican made a statement in his first appearance of 2023 for High-A Asheville on Wednesday, when he struck out 10 batters in 4 2/3 innings at Greenville. De Paula,

This story was excerpted from Brian McTaggart’s Astros Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PITTSBURGH -- Corey Julks’ childhood dream became a reality. The Astros left fielder grew up in the Houston suburb of Friendswood, Texas, then played baseball at the University of Houston. He has always been an Astros fan. So it was no wonder that Julks nearly broke manager Dusty Baker’s hand

MINNEAPOLIS -- The role of a stopper, the starting pitcher who takes the ball and halts a losing streak, is not usually one you’d expect a 24-year-old rookie to fill. The Astros, facing a possible road sweep at the hands of the Twins on Sunday afternoon, certainly needed Hunter Brown

MINNEAPOLIS -- Pedro Leon, the Astros’ No. 8-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, is off to a quick start at Triple-A Sugar Land, batting .370 (10-for-27) through seven games played with nine singles and one double. He’s walked twice and struck out 10 times, which is something he’ll have to improve

With the Minor League season opening this week, here's where the Astros' Top 30 Prospects are projected to start:

1. Hunter Brown (MLB No. 43), RHP -- Houston (MLB)
2. Yainer Diaz, C -- Houston (MLB)
3. Drew Gilbert, OF -- Asheville (High-A)
4. Jacob Melton, OF -- Asheville (High-A)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- No team has more outfielders on our organization Top 30 Prospects lists than the Astros. Six of their top nine prospects and 13 overall patrol the outfield, scattered fairly evenly throughout the system. Houston bolstered its collection of outfield talent with the 2022 Draft, spending