Arizona Fall League Gives Highly-Touted Astros Pitcher Next Opportunity

The Houston Astros have a pitcher who needs a chance to get in another month of action after an injury setback.

Apr 21, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Houston Astros hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the fifth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have a history of finding incredibly cheap talent.

Most notably, Jose Altuve practically had to hustle to convince the Astros to sign him as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2007 for $15,000.

That worked out.

But the Astros now have a prospect, this time out of the Dominican Republic, that they signed for even less.

Jose Fleury, a right-handed pitcher, only received $10,000 from the Astros when he signed in 2021. Now, he’s the franchise’s highest-rated prospect heading to the Arizona Fall League. Per MLB Pipeline, Fleury is No. 10 in the organization.

The 22-year-old is on the rise in the organization, one that needs pitching prospects to start filling up slots in Double-A and Triple-A after the promotion of several pitchers to the Majors this season.

Fleury could fit that bill. He spent most of his season with Double-A Corpus Christi, along with a short stint in the Florida Complex League on a rehab assignment. A promotion to Triple-A could be in the offing as soon as April.

In 19 games (11 starts) he went 1-4 with a 3.66 ERA, with 77 strikeouts and 26 walks in 71.1 innings. Opposing hitters batted just .208 against him.

He’s also been incredibly consistent as a professional. In three seasons he is 7-7 with a 3.25 ERA in 55 games (29 starts). He has struck out 276 and walked 78 in 208 innings, while allowing batters to hit just .193 against him. He also has four saves in four chances, three of which came in 2023 with Class-A Fayetteville.

Yes, that means Fleury skipped High-A Asheville entirely, a nod to how quickly the Astros believe Fleury is progressing.

Seven other prospects will join Fleury in Arizona. They include third baseman Austin Deming, outfielder Quincy Hamilton, right-handed pitcher Joey Mancini, catcher Collin Price, right-handed pitcher Alex Santos, right-handed pitcher Nick Swanson and right-handed pitcher Alejandro Torres.

AFL action starts on Oct. 7 and since it was founded in 1992 more than 3,000 players have participated and moved on to the Majors at some point.

The Fall Stars game is set for Nov. 9 at Sloan Park, with the annual home run derby set for Nov. 8.

When the season concludes on Nov. 14, there will be a play-in semifinal game between the second- and third-place finishers in the standings on Nov. 15 at Scottsdale Stadium. The championship game is held the next day at Salt River Fields.