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Astros Promoting Shortstop Prospect Xavier Neyens to High-A
The Houston Astros are promoting top shortstop prospect Xavier Neyens to High-A Asheville at the All-Star break, a source told Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Neyens, the 21st overall pick in last year's draft out of Mount Vernon High School in Washington, gets the promotion at the halfway point after hitting .240/.449/.462 with a .911 OPS, 14 home runs, 38 RBI, 16 stolen bases, and 52 runs scored in 68 games and 305 plate appearances with Single-A Fayetteville at just 19 years old. Per MLB Pipeline, he's the Astros' second-ranked prospect. Neyens has displayed plenty of pop at the lower level of the minors, but also plenty of swing and miss, as he's sporting a 30.2% strikeout rate early on. The left-handed hitter has a big frame at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, which gives him plenty of leverage for plus-plus raw power at a premium position. Neyens is expected to eventually be moved to third base because of his fringy speed and quickness. There's a lot of upside here, but more development is needed, and he won't be a realistic option for a big-league call-up for another couple of years.
Source: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
Source: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
