Inside the Astros

Pair of Talented Houston Astros Pitching Prospects Shines in Spring Breakout

Two of the Houston Astros' top pitching prospects might have made their stock rise at the 2025 Spring Breakout event.

Kyle Morton

Feb 14, 2025; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Bryan Abreu (52), starting pitcher Ronel Blanco (56) and pitcher Miguel Castro (51) workout during spring training at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.
Feb 14, 2025; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Bryan Abreu (52), starting pitcher Ronel Blanco (56) and pitcher Miguel Castro (51) workout during spring training at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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The Houston Astros don't have one of the better farm systems among MLB teams at this point.

In the 2025 preseason organizational prospect rankings from MLB Pipeline, the club ranked 29th.

In the four prior iterations of those rankings dating back to 2023, they were never listed better than 27th.

The team has continued to see some contributions from young talent, especially on the pitching side. The acquisition of Cam Smith in the deal that sent Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs gave general manager Dana Brown and the club not just a new top prospect, but one who ranks among the headlining future stars in the sport right now.

The recent Spring Breakout prospect showcase also posed an opportunity for some of their youngsters to flash their upside, and two of the Astros pitchers did exactly that.

In a 6-6 tie against the Washington Nationals on March 14 that ranked as one of the better games of the showcase, relief pitchers Jackson Nezuh and Ethan Pecko worked consecutive shutout innings where they each struck out the side.

Nezuh, a 23-year-old 14th-round pick out of the University of Louisiana in the 2023 MLB draft, showed his potential in 2024 at the High-A level with the Asheville Tourists.

There, he made nine appearances to the tune of a 2.79 ERA. He racked up 46 strikeouts in 38.2 innings pitched. He is ranked as the No. 15 prospect in Houston's organization, and his scouting report rates his changeup as a 65, with MLB Pipeline calling it "one of the best in the minors."

Nezuh was dubbed as a sleeper prospect before the event, and his showing against the Nationals proved why he is so highly regarded.

Pecko is the No. 10 prospect in the Astros' system, chosen in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB draft out of Towson University.

The 22-year-old made it all the way to Double-A Corpus Christi in his 2024 campaign, striking out 28 opponents over 26.2 innings of 2.36 ERA ball.

Across all three levels in which he pitched last season, he posted a 3.47 ERA over 96 innings with a strong 125 punchouts.

While Houston's farm system may not rank well in league-wide rankings, the Astros have long shown a penchant for overperforming such projections.

Especially with talented pitchers like Mezuh and Pecko, Houston has long had something of a magic touch for getting the most out of players like these.

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Kyle Morton
KYLE MORTON

Kyle Morton has covered various sports from amateur to professional level athletics. A graduate of Fordham University, Kyle specializes in MLB and NHL coverage while having previous bylines with SB Nation, The Hockey Writers, HighSchoolOT, and Sports World News. He spent time working the beat for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and is an avid fan of the NHL, MLB, NFL and college basketball. Enjoys the outdoors and hiking in his free time away from sports.

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