Houston Astros Have Intriguing Pitching Prospects with Breakout Potential
The Houston Astros, as expected, reached a one-year deal with their left-handed ace, Framber Valdez, to avoid arbitration.
But, next offseason could be a different matter. Valdez can be a free agent. While the Astros will certainly approach him and his agent about an extension or new contract, he’s likely to at least test the market before making his decision.
Homegrown pitching has sometimes been a trouble spot for the Astros, which is why the minor-league breakout selections made by Baseball America is encouraging. Two of the three are pitchers.
The publication selected 2025 minor-league breakout candidates for each team. These are prospect that are outside the organization’s Top 10 prospects and aren’t expected to make an MLB debut this coming season.
The three players are right-handed pitcher Ryan Gusto, outfielder Joseph Sullivan and right-handed pitcher Cole Hertzler.
Gusto is the highest-ranked prospect of the three at No. 12 and he’s a bit of an anomaly across all of the breakout rankings in that it’s possible could make his true Major League debut this season.
One says true because the Astros selected his contract on Sept. 29, which was the end of the regular season. He didn’t play in the postseason.
The 25-year-old has gone the long way, as he made his minor league debut in 2019 after he was selected in the 11th round of the 2019 MLB draft out of Florida Southwestern State Junior College. He had Tommy John surgery in 2020 and missed all of 2021 before returning.
He has a 21-10 record with a 4.31 ERA in 83 career minor league games, 56 of which have been starts. He was at his most effective with Triple-A Sugar Land last year as he went 8-6 with a 3.70 ERA with 141 strikeouts and 53 walks in 148.1 innings.
He can throw five different pitches and Baseball America grades his best pitch as his change-up and cutter, which are both graded 55 on the 20-80 scouting scale.
Sullivan hasn’t been with the Astros long, as he was their seventh-round pick last July. He’s the grandson of 1971 Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan. He played at South Alabama, not exactly a college baseball power. But Baseball America grades his running ability at a 60 and he has a 90th percentile exit velocity as a hitter with a high of 105.1 mph, per the publication.
Hertlzer is also a 2024 draft pick, selected in the fifth round out of Liberty. He only pitched five innings at Class-A Fayetteville, but he finished with a 1.80 ERA and struck out six.
His fastball is graded by Baseball America scouts at 55 and it can 95 mph on the radar gun. More importantly, he can throw all five of his pitches for strikes.