Houston Astros receive one of the lowest grades for MLB draft selection

The Houston Astros got off to a poor start to the 2024 season but managed to get back to within one game of the American League West division lead before the All-Star break. With some key players aging or heading to free agency, Houston needs to start rebuilding its farm system for the future. They selected a key piece in the first round in this year’s draft, but otherwise, CBS Sports only gave the team a C grade.

Part of the reason the grade is only C is that Houston only had one pick in the top 100. That selection came at No. 28, where they took Sam Houston State wide receiver Walker Janek.

Janek is a leadoff catcher who was considered the best catcher in the draft by MLB Pipeline. Janek’s final season in college was his breakthrough season at the plate, hitting 17 home runs and driving in 58 runs with a 1.185 OPS. He also hit five triples, which is impressive for a catcher. He also won Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year, but there is still work to be done defensively outside of his plus arm.

Houston’s next pick didn’t come until 101st, where they selected UC San Diego pitcher Ryan Forcucci. A four-pitch pitcher, Forcucci has a 90 average with a slider that misses a lot of bats and is his best off-speed pitch. His curveball is his least used pitch, but he does have a changeup that’s worth 50.

The problem with Forcucci is his durability, as he has never pitched more than 53.2 innings in a season.

Outside of their top two picks, Houston only landed two other players in the MLB Pipeline top 250. Cole Hertzler is a right-handed pitcher from Liberty University selected in the fifth round. He is in the low 90s, with his best off-speed pitch being his changeup. He also throws a curveball that has strikeout potential.

Their only other top-250 pick was Ky McGary, a high school outfielder from Arizona with their last pick. Given that he was a highly regarded high schooler and picked so late, it’s unlikely he’ll sign with Houston. He committed to Arizona State, which is likely where he’ll end up.

Houston needs to rebuild its draft system, considered one of the worst in baseball. They got off to a good start with a catcher of the future in Janek, but no other top-100 picks have hampered their draft potential.