The Houston Astros made unbelievable strides as a team in 2015. Some analysts believed that they would be at least semi-competitive, but not many envisioned them making it to the playoffs. Part of this was due in large part to the midseason call-up of Carlos Correa. In 99 games, he had as much of an impact as nearly any other player in baseball and wound up winning the American League Rookie of the Year. The 2016 season looks very promising for the Astros, especially as the young talent continues to develop.

The biggest reason that the Astros were so competitive in 2015 was due to contributions from rookies like Correa, Vincent Velasquez, and Lance McCullers. Even after trading some prospects and promoting others to the majors, the Astros still boast one of the strongest farm systems in the minors.

If you are interested in more MLB prospects columns, head on over to our 2016 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. You can find the rest of my team prospect breakdowns, fantasy baseball prospect rankings, tiered positional rankings, keeper values articles, and more - all in one easy place.

 

Houston Astros Top 10 Dynasty Prospects

These are the top ten prospects for the Houston Astros in terms of fantasy production for fantasy owners in the next few seasons.

 

1. A.J. Reed (1B, AA)
Stats: 237 PA, .332/.405/.571, 11 HR, 0 SB, 11.4% BB rate, 20.7% K rate
ETA: 2016
What A.J. Reed did to Double-A pitching in 2015 was just simply not right. What he did at High-A before that was even more brutal to opposing pitchers (.346/.449/.638 with 23 home runs in 385 PA). Astros management seems almost insistent that they are going to stick with Jon Singleton for one more season and see how he does, but with the Astros competitive, it should not be too long until we have a Reed sighting at first base in Houston. He has some serious power, projects to hit for a decent average, and is hands down the best first base prospect in baseball. In keeper leagues, Reed is a must own player.

 

2. Alex Bregman (SS, A+)
Stats: 178 PA, .319/.364/.475, 3 HR, 8 SB, 6.7% BB rate, 9.6% K rate
ETA: 2017
The best part about taking players out of college is that it takes a less time to develop them than it would if they were taken out of high school. That’s why a guy like Alex Bregman can be counted on to be in the big leagues in a couple seasons. Bregman was the second pick in the 2015 draft, and he certainly warranted that high selection.

A shortstop who was thought of as one of the best bats in the draft class, Bregman can hit for power, he can steal some bases, and he possesses the bat speed and discipline at the dish to be able to hit for a high average in the majors. Though he certainly won’t be pushing Correa out of the way at any point, Bregman could eventually shift over to third to make one of the most lethal infields in all of baseball. Dynasty owners should expect him in the majors by 2017.

 

3. Kyle Tucker (OF, R)
Stats: 232 PA, .246/.294/.353, 3 HR, 18 SB, 6.4% BB rate, 11.1% K rate
ETA: 2018
The younger brother of Astros’ outfielder Preston Tucker, Kyle Tucker has the potential to be a five category contributor for fantasy owners. Tucker was taken with the fifth overall pick in the 2015 draft and was viewed by many to be the best high school bat. With a promising power/speed combination, there is a lot to like about Tucker for dynasty owners. Though he may still be a couple years away from cracking the Major League roster, Tucker could be stashed now for dynasty owners with room for him.

 

4. Daz Cameron (OF, R)
Stats: 175 PA, .251/.353/.309, 0 HR, 24 SB, 11.0% BB rate, 23.6% K rate
ETA: 2019
It was a tossup between which outfielder I would put three and which at four between Kyle Tucker and Daz Cameron. But just like the Houston Astros in the draft, I gave Tucker the edge.

Cameron has a very similar profile to Tucker: both are great contact hitters with a power/speed combo. The only difference is that Tucker is the better power hitter and Cameron is the faster base runner. Cameron should be able to hit double-digit home run totals, but it would be rare to see him surpass 15. He does have enough speed though to steal 20+ bases per season. In terms of whether or not he is worthy of stashing, Cameron fits right into the same category as Tucker where dynasty owners with patience and an open roster spot could stash him. They could afford to wait a few years too.

 

5. Michael Feliz (SP, MLB)
Stats: (from AA) 78.2 IP, 2.17 ERA, 3.11 FIP, 8.01 K/9, 2.29 BB/9, 0.57 HR/9
ETA: 2016
Michael Feliz was so dominant at Double-A that it warranted a September promotion to the majors. His time at the big league level was not quite as promising however as he struggled to the tune of a 7.88 ERA and 6.51 FIP in 8.0 IP. Dynasty owners shouldn’t be too scared though as that was a very small sample size and he has more than enough talent to do big things. He has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and a wipeout slider that serves as his primary outpitch. Feliz does possess a changeup, but that is still a work in progress. Feliz has made great strides in his command which gives him promise for dynasty owners. Stash Feliz as he has the potential to be a front of the rotation starter and could be a major sleeper to perform in 2016.

 

6. Francis Martes (SP, AA)
Stats: (from A+) 35.0 IP, 2.31 ERA, 2.81 FIP, 9.51 K/9, 2.06 BB/9, 0.26 HR/9
ETA: 2017
Francis Martes was hardly talked about prior to 2015, but improvements in his stuff have seen him gain more attention. Martes has all of the stuff to be a front of the rotation arm with a blazing fastball and one of the best curveballs in the minors. The biggest question with Martes is whether or not he will remain a starter. Most times this would be a major concern for dynasty owners, but scouts who see him moving to the bullpen envision him as a future closer. Martes is a sleeper even by prospect standards so dynasty owners need to take advantage and stash him soon before he starts to become more of a household name.

 

7. Colin Moran (3B, AA)
Stats: 417 PA, .306/.381/.459, 9 HR, 1 SB, 10.3% BB rate, 18.9% K rate
ETA: 2016
It was a tossup between Colin Moran and J.D. Davis, but in the end I had to go with Moran. Though he doesn’t have the same power as Davis, Moran has incredible discipline at the plate that should not go unrewarded by dynasty owners. Moran should also continue to develop in the power category with a ceiling of 15-20 home runs per season to go along with a .280+ batting average. Moran will likely spend a majority of 2016 at Triple-A, but could see some time in September. I fully expect him to be the Astros’ starting third baseman in 2017 so dynasty owners should consider stashing him as soon as possible.

 

8. Derek Fisher (OF, A+)
Stats: 398 PA, .262/.354/.471, 16 HR, 23 SB, 11.8% BB rate, 23.9% K rate
ETA: 2018
After being taken 37th overall in the 2014 draft, Derek Fisher quickly rose up through the minors and went all the way from Rookie League to High-A in 2015. While at High-A, Fisher flashed the potential that he has to provide some power and speed to the Houston Astros in the future. Though the strikeout numbers are a little bit concerning, scouts believe that Fisher will be able to improve on that as he continues to develop. He could still be a few years away from the majors, but Fisher could be worth stashing after this season due to his power/speed fantasy potential.

 

9. Tony Kemp (2B/OF, AAA)
Stats: 311 PA, .273/.334/.362, 3 HR, 20 SB, 6.8% BB rate, 11.9% K rate
ETA: 2016
Tony Kemp has proven at just about every level that he has the talent to perform in the majors. He has enough speed to rack up at least 20 swipes per season, the batting ability to put together a .280 average, and enough discipline to keep the strikeouts down and the walks up. Outside of power, Kemp has everything that a dynasty owner would look for in a player, especially one who plays in the infield. The only thing that Kemp doesn’t have is a direct path to playing time. His best chance to see starting action is to be dealt to another team. He should be in the majors this season as a utility player, but dynasty owners don’t need to worry about owning him until he gets traded to a team that will give him some playing time.

 

10. Joe Musgrove (SP, AA)
Stats: 45.0 IP, 2.20 ERA, 4.25 FIP, 6.60 K/9, 1.20 BB/9, 1.40 HR/9
ETA: 2017
Though he has taken some time to develop, Joe Musgrove appears to be on the cusp of the majors. Musgrove doesn’t have the highest ceiling, but he does have a relatively high floor which provides a nice cushion for fantasy owners trying to decide whether or not to eventually take the risk on him. His fastball is his best pitch by far, but after that his pitch repertoire sort of drops off. Musgrove isn’t a bad pitcher, but he can be avoided for dynasty purposes.

 

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