Top Prospect León Off to Hot Start Under Astros Hitting Coach Cintrón in Winter Ball

Houston Astros prospect Pedro León is playing for hitting coach Alex Cintrón's club in the Puerto Rican Winter League.

Pedro León hasn't found a consistent swing in two minor league seasons. From a finger injury in 2021 to taking a pitch off his cheek in 2022, trips to the injury list sprouted for one of the Houston Astros' top prospects.

Looking for more reps, León turned to the Puerto Rican Winter League — where he is rostered on the Cangrejeros de Santurce. There, he is managed by Astros hitting coach Alex Cintrón.

Rumors circled on whether Cintrón will take a bench coach position with other clubs, including the Boston Red Sox given former Astros coach Alex Cora is at the helm. Nonetheless, Cintrón is one of the first points of contact this offseason for a top prospect in the organization. 

Through two games, León is 4-for-10 with one double, one home run and one strikeout, seeing his plate appearances out of the lead-off spot. He's also 1-for-2 on stolen base attempts.

Pedro Leon's second game and he smashes a home run, his first of the PR Winter League season. It is also a pitcher friendly park. (📹 @henrysoyyo95) pic.twitter.com/eyDTAOA5fb

— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) November 17, 2022

León's arm will carry him defensively in the outfield, while the shortstop experiment is in the rearview mirror. For utility purposes, the 24-year-old can extend to second base beyond the outfield.

Around the Farm

The final housekeeping roster moves were made by the Astros affiliates. The Corpus Christi Hooks activated outfielder Matthew Barefoot and right-handed pitcher Willy Collado from the 60-day injured list. 

The Asheville Tourists activated shortstop Freudis Nova, right-handed pitcher Blair Henley and second baseman Kobe Kato from the 60-day IL, too. All the prospects listed, excluding Kato, are Rule 5 Draft eligible.

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