Houston Astros Top Prospect Could Impact Outfield Decisions This Offseason

The Houston Astros could have another emerging star on their hands which might impact how they operate within their outfield going forward.

Hooks batter Jacob Melton fouls off a ball during Education Day at Whataburger Field, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas. / Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

There are questions about what the Houston Astros will do this offseason, and when factoring in some other decisions that need to be made outside of Alex Bregman's free agency, one area being analyzed is the outfield.

Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick both put together below average performances at the plate this past season, something that was magnified because of the long-term injury that Kyle Tucker sustained.

This has been something that's plagued Meyers during his Major League career. Despite being a huge asset in the field, his struggles on offense have held him back from being a true elite player at his position and on this team.

McCormick was the breakout star in 2023, but this year he couldn't replicate that after his OPS+ and wRC+ went from 130 and 133 respectively, to a measly 66 that was a staggering 34 points below the league average.

Simply put, without Tucker, this outfield tandem was not good enough for the Astros.

Because of that, there is some thought both players could become non-tender candidates after general manager Dana Brown stated they will have to be "creative" when it comes to constructing this roster.

Meyers is projected to earn a contract that's worth $2 million in his first year of arbitration, while McCormick's figure is projected to be $4.8 million. That is not a whole lot of money to be saved if Houston does move on, but that is still an amount that can be allocated elsewhere.

That becomes even more of a possibility when factoring in the development of their top prospect Jacob Melton, who reached Triple-A for the first time this past campaign and put together a good showing with a .260/.314/.405 slash line, five homers and 20 RBI across 47 games.

Considering that was only his second full season of professional baseball, the leap the 24-year-old has made while maintaining a high level of play is beyond promising.

His emergence is something Brown and his front office have to take into account when heading into next season.

If the Astros feel like Melton can become an impact player for them, whether that's on Opening Day or later in the year, there is a chance either Meyers or McCormick is not with the team.

Who that might be will be difficult to decide upon.

Meyers gives Houston more flexibility because he's not scheduled to hit free agency until 2028, but he's also had two full seasons where he has not produced at the plate, signaling he might never become a plus-player on offense.

McCormick on the other hand had a down year where he was battling injuries for the majority of the campaign, but that was the first time during his Major League career where he didn't finish with an OPS+ above the league average.

Perhaps the Astros feel like McCormick's poor season was just an outlier and they use him as the starting center fielder with Mauricio Dubon in left until Melton arrives.

There is also a good chance both players are back in 2025 with Houston extending them contracts in arbitration and running it back with the same outfield group in hopes the offense improves.

Either way, this situation will be something to monitor, especially as their top prospect Melton continues to emerge.