Space Cowboys RHP Bryce Mayer and C Jason Schiavone have been named the 2026 Houston Astros Minor League Pitcher and Player of the Year as announced by the Astros on Tuesday.
Mayer takes home the honor for a second-consecutive season after being recognized as the Astros 2025 Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He is the first pitcher to be named the Astros Minor League Pitcher of the Year in back-to-back seasons and just the second player to take home the award twice, joining OF Kyle Tucker who was named the Astros Minor League Player of the Year in 2017 and 2018.
Between Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Sugar Land, Mayer has combined to go 6-4 with a 3.21 ERA this year in 23 outings, 20 starts, hurling 98.0 innings with 47 walks and 132 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .202 batting average against. Mayer was recognized as both the Astros Minor League Player of the Month and the Texas League Pitcher of the Month for July just before his promotion to Triple A on August 4. The righty concluded his time with the Hooks on a 19.0 inning scoreless streak and has since made six starts with the Space Cowboys, going 2-2 with a 4.66 ERA in 29.0 innings with 13 walks and 32 strikeouts.
Mayer is tied for the most strikeouts this season in the Astros’ minor league system and tied for sixth in innings pitched. Among Astros’ minor leaguers that have thrown at least 70.0 innings, Mayer has the highest K/9 rate (12.12) and the third-lowest ERA and average against. Taken in the 16th round of the 2024 draft by the Astros out of Mizzou, he is the fourth pitcher who logged time with the Space Cowboys the season they were named the Astros’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year, joining RHP Spencer Arrighetti (2023), RHP Hunter Brown (2022) and RHP Jonathan Bermúdez (2021).
Schiavone, who was named the Astros Minor League Player of the Month in April and May, has combined to slash .246/.386/.521/.907 in 118 games between High-A Ashville, Corpus and Sugar Land this year, notching 23 doubles, 31 home runs, 87 RBI, 84 runs scored, 90 walks and 29 stolen bases in 38 attempts. Schiavone leads the Astros’ farm system in home runs, RBI, slugging and total bases (220), is second in extra-base hits (54), runs scored and OPS, tied for fourth in hits (104) and fifth in doubles and walks.
Originally selected in the 11th round of the 2024 draft by the Astros out of James Madison, Schiavone was promoted to Sugar Land on September 8 and collected his first Triple-A hit and RBI in the Space Cowboys 5-0 series finale victory over Oklahoma City. This is the fifth straight season the Astros’ Minor League Player of the Year has suited up for Sugar Land, joining OF Zach Cole (2025), INF Shay Whitcomb (2024), OF Joey Loperfido (2023) and C Yainer Diaz (2022).
ABOUT THE SUGAR LAND SPACE COWBOYS:
The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros and compete in the Pacific Coast League. They began play as the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate in 2021 and began playing under the Space Cowboys brand in 2022, winning their first Triple-A title in 2024 by clinching both the Pacific Coast League Championship and Triple-A National Championship. The Space Cowboys play at Constellation Field, located at the corner of Hwy-6 and US-90 Alternate in Sugar Land, Texas. Follow the team on Twitter (@SLSpaceCowboys), Instagram (@slspacecowboys), Facebook (SLSpaceCowboys) and their official website (slspacecowboys.com). Season ticket plans for the 2027 season are available now and can be purchased at slspacecowboys.com/tickets.