HOUSTON -- The Astros went position-player heavy in this year’s MLB Draft, selecting 12, to go along with one catcher and only six pitchers among their 19 picks in the Draft, which concluded Monday. In past years, the Astros have gone pitcher-heavy in the final 10 rounds of the Draft.

HOUSTON -- Growing up on a farm about an hour north of Seattle, Xavier Neyens cheered for the Mariners and is very aware of how the Astros have dominated the American League West division in the last decade. “I know they whip the Mariners every year in the AL West,

HOUSTON -- Stephen and Edrice Matthews were scheduled to hop on an airplane Saturday morning to fly to Atlanta to watch their son, Astros No. 1 prospect Brice Matthews, compete in the All-Star Futures Game in Truist Park. Then came the phone call that changed those plans, along with the

HOUSTON -- If you need a reminder how quickly a player taken in the MLB Draft can impact a Major League club, Astros right fielder Cam Smith is a prime example. Smith, drafted No. 14 overall by the Cubs last year, has been one of the best rookies in the

HOUSTON -- The Astros called up their top prospect, Brice Matthews, from Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday. Matthews, who was set to play in Saturday's All-Star Futures Game in Atlanta, was slashing .283/.400/.476 with 10 homers, 39 RBIs and 25 steals at Triple-A.

An Astros farm system that has made something of a brand out of discovering and cultivating unheralded prospect gems has flipped the script: the club is reportedly summoning its No. 1 prospect and 2023 first-round pick Brice Matthews to the big leagues in the heat of a summer pennant chase.

The Fourth of July might be over, but there were plenty of Minor League fireworks left over. Everson Pereira checked off the milestone box, hitting for a cycle during the best overall performance of his professional career. Meanwhile, Top 100 prospect Owen Caissie cracked two more long balls, Zyhir Hope

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The holiday weekend kicked off with barbecues, fireworks and plenty of action around the Minors. Top 100 talent Bubba Chandler (Pirates), Walker Jenkins (Twins) and more lived up their lofty billing as baseball's brightest up-and-comers. However, they weren't alone in showing off on our nation's birthday, which was highlighted by

This story was excerpted from Brian McTaggart’s Astros Beat newsletter. This edition was written by Kenny Van Doren of MLB Pipeline. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The weekend kicked off in style around the Minors, with a pair of milestones at Double-A. Tink Hence returned to regular action by leading the way during a nine-inning no-no, while Hendry Mendez took a spin on the cycle thanks to a late-game double. In between, there were plenty of

HOUSTON -- Jacob Melton was making a strong first impression on Astros manager Joe Espada and his teammates in his first taste of the Major Leagues, including a single and a triple in his first two at-bats in Friday’s 10-3 win over the Twins. A day later, he’s on the

There was offense galore to kick off a weekend of Minor League action, with Top 100 prospects Jordan Lawlar, Kevin McGonigle and Co. leading the way. Burgeoning slugger Michael Arroyo continued his power surge, as did Brice Matthews, who came within one extra-base hit of cycling on consecutive days earlier

There was plenty of offense to go around with plenty of familiar names coming through at the plate, including a handful of Top 100 talent. Pirates teen sensation Konnor Griffin continued his hot-hitting ways at High-A while a pair of Big Apple youngsters flexed their muscles at Double-A. Out west,

Summer is near and with it comes some sizzling performances from the Minors' best prospects. Last year’s No. 3 overall Draft pick matched a career high at the plate. A trio of Top 100 teenagers put up big numbers at High-A -- including two who made excellent first impressions with

CLEVELAND -- Smiling from ear-to-ear, Astros left-hander Colton Gordon grabbed the game ball from his locker and proudly showed it off to reporters after picking up his first Major League win Friday night, even pointing out that the ball had an authentication sticker.

PITTSBURGH -- It turned out to be worth the wait for the Astros on Thursday night into Friday morning. And Jacob Melton wasn’t complaining about having to play past midnight. Framber Valdez pitched seven strong innings, Isaac Paredes hit two home runs and Melton keyed a four-run fourth inning with

A day that began with a tremendous pitching performance from a Top 100 prospect ventured into the offensive side of things as the night wore on. A Rangers outfielder made like a runaway train, riding it all the way to a cycle during a career-best performance while a Padres prospect

HOUSTON -- Jacob Melton's first Major League hit with the Astros is one he’ll always remember. And not just because he saw it replayed over and over on the Daikin Park video screen after the Rays issued a replay challenge, believing that he should have been called out. Melton, 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.

There must be something in the air because the ball was flying on Friday night, with top prospects homering from coast to coast. Jac Caglianone continued his demolition derby at Triple-A, while Rangers top prospect Sebastian Walcott lassoed the first multihomer game of his young pro career at Double-A. That

There were plenty of eye-opening performances during a mid-week slate, including three hits from the Royals' Jac Caglianone and a big game from Giants slugger Bryce Eldridge. Seattle's Top 100 duo of Cole Young and Harry Ford combined for eight hits -- including three extra-base knocks -- while Houston's Shay

Outstanding nights in the Minor Leagues came from a wide variety of sources and across almost every level on Wednesday. While Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter racked up a season high in strikeouts at Triple-A, a High-A prospect found the seats not once, not twice, but three times. Meanwhile out

As the second month of the baseball season nears its end, the sample sizes for prospects continue to expand. The MLB Pipeline crew is taking the opportunity to dig a little deeper to highlight players who are balling out, but might still be flying under-the-radar. On the latest MLB Pipeline