System overview
The Houston farm system is still in outstanding condition, despite graduating several excellent pitchers to the majors over the last couple of seasons. This is no coincidence; the Astros have pushed hard to develop pitching over the last five years. Most teams do that, of course, but the Astros have been more successful than most, due to their creative approach. They aren't afraid to take chances on pitchers that other teams don't like due to their "lack of height." Roy Oswalt was a 23rd-round pick in part because he stands just 6-0, "too short" for many teams.
The Astros also make aggressive use of the "draft-and-follow" method, and have a thriving program in Venezuela. They've done a good job of identifying college players that other teams have overlooked.
Houston has less depth in hitters, but still have several impressive bats ready or nearly ready to help. Overall, the system has to stand with the very top rank of organizations, possibly second only to the Chicago Cubs.
2001 Minor League W-L Percentage: .598, (ranked 1st)
2001 amateur draft
The Astros focused almost entirely on college talent in the '01 draft: their first high school pick was Texan Jose DeLeon in the 18th round (he's a good prospect by the way). First-rounder Chris Burke, from the University of Tennessee, is a fair comp for Craig Biggio: he has pop, patience, runs well, and plays the middle infield very well. I think he's an excellent prospect. Second-round choice Mike Rodriguez, an outfielder from the University of Miami, hit .318 in rookie ball. He runs well and has some pop. Cal State Fullerton pitcher Kirk Saarloos, drafted in the third round, has an average fastball but a killer changeup. He could end up being a middle-relief stud.
Fifth-round outfielder Charlton Jimerson, from the University of Miami, has tremendous athletic skills, including plus power and speed potential. But he strikes out a lot, and has to be considered a project at this point. Three southpaws (Phil Bazilla, 4th round, Rice; Russ Rohlicek, 6th round, Long Beach State; Chris Little, 12th round, St. Louis CC-Forest Park) have live arms and bear watching.
Overall, I think this is a decent class. I love Burke, and though the rest of the class is college-heavy, Houston has shown they know how to identify players that other teams overlook.
Top prospects
Players in the "Will Help Soon" section could see major-league action in 2002. Players in the "Will Help Someday" section shouldn't reach the majors until '03 or later, though of course that can change. No 2001 draftees are listed.
WILL HELP SOON
Morgan Ensberg, 3B: Expected to play third for Houston in 2002. Old for a prospect at 26, but he'll be a solid player. Hit .310 with 23 homers and good strike zone judgment in Triple-A; expect him to hit .270-.280 with good power and decent defense.
Carlos Hernandez, LHP: Season ended early with shoulder injury caused by headfirst slide, but he's OK. Throws 92 mph heater and wicked curveball. Will battle Tim Redding (who pitched too much last year to qualify as a prospect for this report) for fifth-starter job.
Adam Everett, SS: Two mediocre seasons in Triple-A seem to prove that he's a good-field/no-hit type. His glove will get him a job, but his bat may make it hard for him to play every day.
Jason Lane, OF: Hit .316, 38 homers, 61 walks, 14 steals, just 98 strikeouts in Double-A. Like Ensberg, he's old for a prospect at 25, but does not appear to be a fluke. In line for an outfield job if Daryle Ward falters.
Tom Shearn, RHP: Fanned 136 in 110 innings in Double-A, with 3.85 ERA. Stuff is good enough, and he could have a decent career in middle relief.
Keith Ginter, 2B-3B: Disappointed in Triple-A because his swing got too long, but still has enough pop in his bat to be useful off the bench or to cover for Ensberg and/or Biggio.
WILL HELP SOMEDAY
John Buck, C: Outstanding young catching prospect. Hit .275 with 22 homers in Class A, with strong defensive skills. At least a year away, but one of the best catching prospects in the game.
Tony Pluta, RHP: Throws 92-94 mph, occasionally hits 98. Also has a big curve. Just 19, and control is a problem: walked 86 in 132 innings last year. Also went 12-4 with 3.20 ERA and 138 strikeouts. Terrific ceiling, but needs more polish.
Mike Nannini, RHP: Went 15-5, 2.70 in Class A, with 151/36 K/BB ratio. Does not throw as hard as Pluta, but more polished. Workloads have been heavy, but his mechanics are clean.
Chad Qualls, RHP: 15-6, 3.72, with 125/31 K/BB ratio in Class A. Strikeout rate was a bit low since he threw 162 innings. Works at 90-92 mph, with hard slider and fair changeup.
Rodrigo Rosario, RHP: Dominican, can hit 94 mph and throws strikes: 131/36 K/BB ratio in 147 innings, along with 13-4 record and 2.14 ERA for Class A Lexington. May have the best combination of stuff and command among this group of pitchers.
KEY SLEEPER
Tom Whiteman, SS: Hit .319 with 18 homers, 17 steals for Class A Lexington. Solid with the glove, could play either short or third in the Show. Main weakness is plate discipline: 34/106 BB/K ratio must improve. If it does, he'll move quickly.
Other names to know
Cory Doyne, RHP; Ramon German, 3B; Brad Lidge, RHP; Wil Rodriguez, LHP; Mike Rosamond, OF; Rob Stiehl, RHP.
John Sickels is working on the 2002 STATS Minor League Scouting Notebook. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with his wife, son, and two cats. You can send John questions or comments at JASickels@aol.com, or you can visit his homepage at hometown.aol.com/jasickels/page1.html.
