Top two prospects, 2026 draftees lead Single-A Astros to championship

It was fate in Fayetteville this season as the Astros' Single-A affiliate swept its way through the playoffs to the Carolina League championship Tuesday night.

The Woodpeckers once again turned on the offense to top Charleston, 7-4, in Game 2 of the best-of-3 Finals at Segra Stadium en route to the crown.

Ben Tryon, Houston's 17th-round pick in July, powered the offense in the finale with a grand slam in the first inning, his second homer of the playoffs. Juan Fraide (HOU No. 20) spun five scoreless innings with six strikeouts, yielding only one hit and one walk.

Fayetteville got a boost from the Astros' 2026 Draft class, especially in the postseason. Alongside 17th overall pick Logan Hughes, who got his pro career off to a hot start, fourth-round pick Kam Durnin provided pop at the top of the order, slashing .571/.667/.929 with one homer, two doubles, six runs scored and five RBIs.

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"As we say in the Durnin house, winners win," Durnin's father, Bryce, said. "Pretty sure there was some 'Lakeboy magic' and a 'mouthful of lake' in the postseason."

The Woodpeckers won the North Division's second-half title behind a 39-25 record and a 13-game win streak to end August. Fayetteville -- which ranked 119th out of 120 MiLB teams after the first three weeks of the season en route to a 32-33 record in the first half -- finished with a 5.5-game lead on Fredericksburg in the second half. The Woodpeckers swept the FredNats in the semifinals.

It was the franchise's first championship since 2018, when the club won the title in its second and final season as the Buies Creek Astros.

Fayetteville took down one of the most dominant franchises in the Carolina League since the restructuring of the Minor Leagues ahead of the 2021 season. Charleston won three straight crowns following the change.

The Woodpeckers joined the Rookie-level Florida Complex League Astros as the second title winners in the organization this season.

Kevin Alvarez, OF and Xavier Neyens, 3B
A pair of Top 100 prospects and Futures Game participants, Alvarez (HOU No. 1/MLB No. 79) and Neyens (HOU No. 2/MLB No. 92), moved in unison for much of their first taste of full-season baseball. The 18-year-old Alvarez, who skipped the FCL in his second professional campaign, posted a .772 OPS with 11 homers and a team-leading 26 doubles.

Neyens -- the Astros' 2025 first-rounder -- was promoted to High-A Asheville on July 14, ending his time with the Woodpeckers with a .240/.449/.462 slash line and 14 homers, which tied for the second-most on the team, and 38 RBIs. The 19-year-old was named to the Carolina League All-Star Team on Tuesday.

Jagger Beck and Javier Perez, RHPs
Even though it was a stepping stone for many of the organization's top pitchers in 2026, Fayetteville still had two hurlers exceed 100 strikeouts this season, including 19-year-old Jagger Beck (HOU No. 27), a Carolina League All-Star. The 2024 non-drafted signee posted a 2.80 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP with 102 strikeouts in 86 2/3 innings during his first season above the complex league.

Another prospect promoted to the Tourists during the summer, Perez notched a team-best 103 strikeouts across 89 1/3 frames for the Woodpeckers. On May 14, the 22-year-old twirled an eight-inning scoreless start on 67 pitches (52 for strikes).

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Arturo Flores, C
The team leader in homers (17) and RBIs (58), Flores packed a punch behind the plate. The 20-year-old catcher slashed .253/.362/.455 across a career-high 84 contests after posting a .578 OPS last season in 19 contests at Single-A. Flores secured the championship by recording the final out on a dropped third-strike throw to first base.