It pretty much took all of June and now part of July, but the Houston Astros are right back in the thick of things in the American League West.
On June 18, they were as far back as 10 games behind the division-leading Seattle Mariners. But just days before that, they were in third place in the division. That wasn't what was expected for a team that has been the elite of the American League the last several years, going to seven straight ALCS's and winning two World Series.
As of this writing, it's June 7, on the cusp of the All-Star Break, and the MLB Trade Deadline is vastly approaching. The Astros are now in a much better position.
At 46-44, they now have held a winning record for eight consecutive days, ranked second in the West and are hot on the heels of the Mariners, just two games back. That means that the Astros are going to be active buyers at the trade deadline once again, according to their general manager Dana Brown.
“I don't see any scenario where we're sellers,” Brown told Chandler Rome of The Athletic. “I think we're going to be buyers.”
Again, the Astros are no strangers to the trade deadline, with their win-now approach, which has mostly worked out for them in the past. But that has also had some adverse effects, particularly on their farm system. The Astros come in with the MLB's No. 27 ranked Pipeline, having not a single top 100 prospect, according to the league's site, meaning it may be more difficult to make trade partners than in previous seasons.
Still, that doesn't mean they won't offer what they do have, so let's take a look at what prospects could be on the move.
Astros' top prospects that could be traded at the deadline on July 30
Jacob Melton, OF
We might as well start at the top, given how depleted the Astros' pipeline is. That starts with their top prospect in outfielder Jacob Melton.
Melton was a standout with the Oregon State Beavers, particularly in his 2022 season where he recorded 83 RBIs and stole 175 bases. Somehow, the Astros were able to pick him up in the second round of that year's draft. In his first pro season, he slashed .245/.335/.467 with 23 homers and 46 steals in 99 games.
He's currently at the Double-A level slashing .236/.291/.434 with 43 hits, eight homers, 29 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. Back during last year's trade with the New York Mets, the Astros thought so highly of Melton they decided to trade off their only top 100 prospects in order to keep him.
Luis Baez, OF
The 20-year-old outfielder currently is working his way up through developmental leagues at High-A ball right now. But he's continuing to impress. He's slashing .280/.312/.475, with 13 homers, 51 RBIs and six stolen bases in 67 games this season.
The Astros must have thought pretty highly of his talent after he received the largest bonus amount from the team's 2022 international crop at $1.3 million. He still has a ways to go before he hits the major league level but the Astros like his bat speed and strength.
AJ Blubaugh, RHP
We'll drop a little lower here for right-hander AJ Blubaugh, who ranks as the Astros' No. 6 overall prospect.
Teams looking to trade off some of their best players will not just be looking for skill position players but some valuable arms as well. Probably the best on the farm right now is 24-year-old Blubaugh.
Blubaugh was taken in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft. He's spent most of his time as a reliever. The team has been developing his pitches over the last couple of years, and it seems to be working. He's hitting anywhere from 92-95 mph on his fastball, however, he's also developed an arsenal of breaking pitches, including a sweeping slider.
He now finds himself in Triple-A where he's boasting a 3.66 ERA in 15 appearances, starting in 14. In 71.1 innings pitched, he's struck out 67 batters, allowing a .257 average with a WHIP of 1.39.
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