Houston Astros superstar prospect now considered a ‘Tier 1’ player

The Houston Astros farm system isn’t loaded with talent, but at least one player is making a name for himself.

Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter recently updated his MLB farm system rankings and upgraded one of the Astros prospects there from “Tier 2” to “Tier 1.”

Jacob Melton was the No. 64 selection in the 2024 MLB Draft and earned his designation by showing promising signs. He is currently the 71st overall prospect in the league.

His emergence was significant for Houston as they traded their top outfield prospect in Drew Gilbert and another in Ryan Clifford to pick up Justin Verlander from the New York Mets.

The former Oregon State Beaver combines power and speed to become an intriguing potential option in center field. He stole 46 bases and hit 23 homers last season in High-A and Double-A ball.

Melton got off to a cold start in June, but his performance early in the year explains why he has become a more sought-after player.

The 23-year-old lost .273/.328/.400 in May. In April, he showed a little more power with a higher OPS of .829. If he can become a more consistent player against high-quality pitchers, he could easily become a regular contributor at the Major League level.

One thing he still needs to work on is his ability to hit lefties.

He’s slashing just .189/.250/.270 against left-handed pitchers this season. Houston has had some success developing left-handed hitters in the past. Yordan Alvarez is one of the best in the league, and while Joey Loperfido doesn’t have a huge sample size, the numbers are good among these strikeout players.

As they continue to refine Melton’s swing, he will continue to gain more respect around the league. He makes solid contact and hits the ball hard when he connects, it’s just about developing his consistency right now.

He’s still a little ways from being ready for MLB.

Overall, the Astros’ farm system ranked 27th in MLB and Melton was their only Tier 1 player. Between him, Loperfido and Luis Baez, the future looks bright in the outfield.

They could possibly consider moving one of them for an infielder or pitcher option. Loperfido could also be a first baseman at the next level.