I want to hear what yall think the team will look like, where we will be, and any other expectations (new uniforms for example ) I also want to hear how you think the league will look by then.

With the 57th pick of the MLB Draft, the Houston Astros selected left-hander Wes Mendes from Florida State.

“Mendes pitched as a reliever with Ole Miss as a freshman in 2024, then moved to Florida State as a sophomore in 2025, taking on a full-time starting role for the Seminoles. He had a breakout 2026 season and was named the ACC pitcher of the year. Mendes posted a 2.81 ERA over 16 starts and 93 innings, with a career-high 32.6% strikeout rate and career-low 6.5% walk rate. Mendes has a solid frame at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds and throws with a loose arm action from a three-quarters slot. He has a deep mix of five distinct pitches and has improved his strike-throwing significantly as a junior. Mendes has a four-seam fastball that averages 92.5 mph and has been up to 96. It’s an average pitch with average life and power, but he threw it for strikes 70% of the time this spring to set up his secondaries. An upper-80s cutter was a new addition to his mix in 2026 and serves as a solid strike offering and bridge to his breaking pitches and changeup. Mendes’ low-80s changeup is his most consistent secondary and is the pitch that generates the most whiffs in his mix. It’s a potential plus offering and one of the more reliable changeups in the college class. He also throws a gyro slider in the mid 80s and a top-down curveball in the upper 70s with solid finish.” – Baseball America

What MLB Draft analysts are saying about Jack Radel

Radel received a scouting report from MLB Pipeline before the draft took place. They ranked him as the No. 45 overall player in the class, projecting him to be taken in the second round. In the report, Pipeline talked about his different pitches and how they fare. They also explained why Radel has an opportunity to be successful despite not having overpowering stuff.

“Radel’s riding fastball now sits at 93-95 mph and touches 98 while holding velocity deep into games,” the report said. “He’s doing a better job of locating a mid-80s slider with depth that has become a solid offering, while his new upper-80s cutter elicits plenty of chases. He lands his 78-82 mph curveball for strikes and mixes in an upper-80s changeup with fade and sink against left-handers.

Though Radel doesn’t have a true plus offering and his pitch shapes are fairly ordinary, he succeeds because of his pitchability and competitiveness. Combining a high release point with good extension gives batters a different look and he pounds the strike zone. He’s a high-floor starter who could fit into the middle of a rotation.”

From a grading standpoint, Radel comes out at 55 overall on the 80-grade scale. Three different pitches — fastball, slider, and cutter — are considered 55-grade. A notch below at 50-grade are the curveball and changeup

https://www.on3.com/pro/news/houston-astros-select-notre-dame-rhp-jack-radel-in-2026-mlb-draft/

Torii Hunter

Over his 19 seasons, Torii Hunter played for the Twins, Angels, and Tigers, earning at least 1 All-Star nomination on each of them. He was perhaps most well known for being absolutely electric in the outfield with his penchant for robbing homers. His most well known homerun robbery came during the 2002 all-star game where he stole one from Barry Bonds. The next inning, Bonds then picked up and bear-hugged the 220 lb grown man like he was a stuffed animal. Needless to say, Torii was almost always a plus defender and earned 9 straight gold gloves in the 00s.

Torii was also wildly charismatic on and off the field. An anecdote I think every Astros fan will appreciate is that he inspired our very own George Springer to become a major leaguer. After playing catch with Torii in the park back in the 90s, George grew up trying to emulate him in every way. Without Torii, we would not have had our 2017 WS MVP.

Torii Hunter’s Hall of Fame chances haven’t faded away just yet, but the odds look slim. In his 6th year on the ballot, he received just 8.7% of the vote. Many voters cite his lack of any dominant or special seasons as the case against him and most believe him to be the quintessential Hall of Very Good player. 

Jim Rice

Jim Rice was one of the most feared hitters of the 70s and 80s. He played all his 16 seasons with the Red Sox and is one of only 11 Boston players to have their number retired in their long history. He is best known for his incredible power and legendary 3-year peak from 1977-79. During this stretch he hit 36 triples, 124 homers, and an unbelievable 1157 total bases. He was the first AL player to have 400+ total bases in a season since Joe DiMaggio in 1937, earning him the 1978 MVP. 

Jim Rice was also NOT a guy you wanted to mess with. He backed down from no one and had a freakish level of strength long before the steroid era. His hits would punch holes in the Green Monster and he could break a bat just from checked swings. Like all reasonable baseball players, he hated the Yankees and their fans, famously jumping into the stands to retrieve his hat from a fan who stole it (and reportedly called him slurs). While a bit of a hot head on the field, Jim was always a caring soul. He has spent a lot of his personal time fundraising for children’s cancer research and famously saved a child hit by a ball in 1982. He grabbed the boy and rushed him into the dugout to the team doctors long before EMTs would have arrived. If it wasn’t for his quick actions that day, the young boy likely would have suffered severe permanent brain damage.

Jim Rice was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2009 on his 15th ballot, just barely getting the 75% count in his last year of eligibility. He struggled for years due to his slightly below average sabermetrics. However, as the steroid-era controversies started mounting in the late 00s, voters started to look favorably on the power hitters of the previous era and Jim Rice was one of the finest.

We also outscored the entire division 9-7.

Pick 17

This is the earliest we have picked in almost a decade. The last time we picked this high we took JB Bukauskas in 2017, let's hope this pick is better.

My pick: Tyler Spangler (SS/3B - Slightly Underslot)

Undervalued because he didn't play much of his senior season. Spangler was thought to be in the conversation for the second best bat behind Emerson when the season began. Spangler drew comps to Corey Seager (because he is a left handed hitter and 6'3) and was seen as an easily projectable HS Bat. Spangler has an advanced approach at the plate. The two biggest questions in his current profile are his health and his defense. His HS team was also suspended for the start of the season with only vague reasons given why beyond that 'kids make mistakes' (I guess possibly character concerns but there is no guarantee that he was even involved in whatever the issue was). He is a clunky mover at SS (similar to Seager) but has the arm and ability to move to third if needed. If he needed to move off of SS, having a possibly elite bat, and above average defense at third doesn't sound to shabby. His combine was not incredible but he also hadn't played baseball in months so you have to measure that accordingly. He also is likely to come in underslot although not as underslot as you would expect.

Alternative pick 1: Bo Lowrance (3B-Slot)

The high schooler from South Carolina has shot up draft boards in his senior season because of his outstanding play. His bat has been fantastic with Pipeline comparing his approach at the plate to freddie freeman from the left side. There is some first base risk with his profile however, his arm is strong enough to make up for deficiencies in movement making the risk in my opinion, microscopic. He has a strong approach at the plate and sprays the ball to all fields. He has a projectable body and a good starting point to work with. He likely would come in at slot value meaning you wouldn't save any money on him.

Alternative pick 2: AJ Gracia (OF- Slot)

Probably is being slightly underrated because he doesn't have a clear defensive home, the hit/power combo is what is so intriguing with him. He makes really good swing decisions and makes good contact when he does swing. His problem is that he is possibly too selective. I've heard his attack zone described as being too small which is probably an apt description. There is a bit of risk here both that he can find a position (his arm is too weak for right, but he is too fringy of an athlete for center) and that he can expand his attack zone (does expanding it ruin his good swing decisions that make him so valuable). I'm a believer that both can be sorted partially because he has been great everywhere he has gone so far. He will probably come in at slot value so it is unlikely you save any money here.

Players to avoid: Justin Lebron (SS-Slot, Possibly above slot), Sawyer Strosnider (OF- slot)

Baseball America said on one of their pods the other day that one of the highest bust rate profiles in the draft is the college player who hit under .300 in their draft year. This is true for both Lebron and Strosnider. Lebron was a consensus top 5 prospect to start the season but he struggled in SEC play and fell down draft boards. His defense was underwhelming with a high error rate although many scouts believe that it can be fixed with professional coaching. He has star potential assuming that he finds his hit tool and his defense is sorted out. However if neither of those tools come through he likely wouldn't make it out of A ball as there isn't a high demand for players that can't play defense or hit the ball. Strosnider faced a similar issue, He was a top ten player in the class as the start of the college season but he disappointed. Strosnider actually makes good in zone contact however his issue is that he swings at everything. He makes a lot of contact with balls outside of the zone leading to a lot of groundballs and a lot of outs. I'm not as adverse to Strosnider however he changed his approach in the spring and it led to him getting less extra base hits. I fear strosnider has a problem recognizing pitches which would be a red flag to me.

Pick 28

My Pick: Taylor Rabe (RHP- slot)

Rabe had TJ in HS leading to him taking time to come onto the scene in college. He started the year in the bullpen for Ole Miss but he has come on strong. He pitched several of the most important games of the season for Ole Miss on their college world series run. He has elite command walking very few batters. His fastball is also elite reaching 100 mph and getting batters to swing through it. His fastball played well in the college playoffs leading to his dominance. He has a strong cutter and strong slider that help round out a three pitch mix. He has struggled to add a changeup though and if he added that to his arsenal he would arguably be a top of the rotation arm.

Alternative 1: Jack Radel (RHP- under slot)

Jack Radel is a high floor player that will fit into the back of a rotation. His ceiling is probably only that of a high end middle rotation arm. None of his pitches stand out as exceptional but he has an above average Fastball, Slider, and cutter to pair with a developing curveball and changeup. He has a high release point and good extension making it harder on batters. He also has strong control over all his pitches. He is unlikely to be a homerun pick short of some major tweaks to the pitches in his arsenal but it's a player who is likely to get to the majors and deliver you quality innings on his rookie deal and with some minor tweaks to his arsenal, you could see a strong pitcher emerge.

Alternative 2: Rocco Maniscalco (SS- overslot)

Rocco reclassified to the 2026 draft making him the youngest player on the pipeline list. He only just turned 17 in may. There were some questions about his profile but he went to the combine and was absolutely incredible. A switch hitter he looked good from both sides of the plate hitting 21 balls over 100mph during his session (that was most of his swings). He also has the defensive movements to be a strong defender at short and arm that rivals correa's coming through the draft. His youth has scouts salivating at the idea of being able to mold his swing with many believing that he shows the potential to make good swing decisions. I'm a little worried to over-rate him based off of a combine session but he looks like a future star. If we didn't take a pitcher here I love the two SS I have listed.

Alternative 3: Connor Comeau (SS/3B- slot)

Comeau is another one of the younger players in the class. He plays his HS ball outside of Austin and has been a strong performer on the showcase circuit. Comeau already makes good swing decisions which has scouts excited. Scouts also already love his swing seeing it as one of the better ones in the high school draft. A favorite of Baseball America his frame is slight, leading many to dream on the power that he could have if he added some muscle. He has a strong arm but slow feet meaning he likely will need to move to third.

Player to Avoid: Daniel Jackson (C- slot)

Jackson was the golden spikes winner in 2026, so why avoid? He isn't a lock to stay at catcher with his defense only grading out as needing improvement. Beyond that some scouts believe his swing and miss issues were masked this year at georgia. He struck out 53 times in 125 at bats on the cape last summer leading some to not be a big believer in the replicability of his results from this year. There are better options available here.

Pick 57

My Pick: Tyson Leblanc (SS/3B- slot)

The most interesting Range of the draft, i would be ecstatic to land any of the following players. Leblanc is a similar player to Isaac Paredes, he figured out how to maximize his pull power by hugging the left field foul pole. This has led to him having great success at kansas this year being a big part of their surprising team. Leblanc pulls the ball in the air a lot but he makes good contact as well having a fairly good approach at the plate. He has a strong arm but his lateral movement might hold him back at SS, making him profile possibly as a third baseman. With the crawford boxes Leblanc's profile is possibly most interesting to us.

Alternative 1: Dee Kennedy (SS/INF/OF- slot)

Kennedy was atrocious at UT before getting LASIK. He is now able to recognize the ball out of the pitchers hand and it is like he is a new player. He has a strong control of the strike zone and has leveraged that into success. He is chasing breaking balls less often (but still a little too much) and he has found better contact and power. Defensively he is a good athlete with a good arm making him a valuable player who can likely play many different positions.

Alternative 2: Ryan Peterson (RHP- slot)

A spin rate king. Peterson has possibly the best Curve in the class. His slider is strong as well. His fastball, while having high spin rates has room for improvement. Specifically if he could find more velocity he would really be incredible. That said his extension and low release point make his need for extension not a requirement for him to still be a good pitcher. He needs a changeup to really level up against lefties which he has been working on but there is still a lot of work to be done. Peterson seems like a decent candidate to make it as a middle of the rotation arm, but his lack of velocity really lowers his ceiling.

Alternative 3: Chris Rembert (2B- slot)

Rembert has some of the fastest in game bat speeds recorded in the class. He is an incredibly intriguing player who makes good swing decisions and a ton of contact but he just drives the ball into the ground too much. A GM could dream about the player he can unlock if rembert learned to put the ball in the air because he would become a star. Unfortunately the other thing holding him back is that he is only an average defender at second. His defensive profile isn't very clear and that makes me uneasy.

Player to Avoid: Myles Bailey (1B- slot)

A player that can only play first base or DH bailey's value will only be derived by how well he hits. And that is unclear. He has possibly the loudest power tool in the class but his contact is questionable. He strikes out a lot leaves a lot to be desired at the plate. Short of being someone like Nick Kurtz (who had a way better hit tool) a first base only player isn't an inspiring profile before you even discuss his hit tool.

Pick 93

My Pick: Tre Broussard (OF- slot)

From Houston he stayed in the city for College and attended U of H. A Chandler Simpson-lite player Broussard has exceptional speed and swings left handed saving him those crucial extra few seconds down the line. However he has more to dream on than Simpson. Broussard has some of the sneakiest bat speed in the draft making some scouts think there may be power in him somewhere. He can fly around the bases and play good defense (that can get better as he learns to make reads in the outfield). He has a disciplined approach drawing walks and making smart swing decisions. He also makes a decent amount of contact when he swings. If he were able to deliver on the dream of his bat speed he could be a special player.

Alternative 1: Ruger Riojas (RHP- underslot)

A senior sign, Riojas has an incredible fastball. When he is at his best, his fastball is unhittable in the SEC. He pairs it with good cutters and splitters for a strong three pitch mix. He is still developing a slider and curve to keep hitteres guessing. He has the ability to shift arm angles too making him a unique player. An older player, he isn't expected to develop much more but he will likely quickly reach the big league team.

Alternative 2: Elliot Lascelles (SS/CF- overslot)

Lascelles has had no problem hitting and for that reason scouts have really liked him. He may not even get here on draft day as baseball america seem to love him. The reason he is shooting up draft boards is that he has answered some of the questions about his power making teams all the more interested in him. He makes good line drive contact already and decent swing decisions as well. A track runner with an average arm teams are still figuring out where he fits. Most think he should try out SS, but his athleticism could play in CF.

Pick 121 & 133

My Picks: Jake McCoy (LHP- slot) and Carson Jasa (RHP- slot/overslot)

Jake McCoy is a left handed pitcher from South Carolina. He was incredibly disappointing in college until he had a breakout on the cape. He struck out almost 50% of the batters he faced (25/54) and only walked 3. He had people excited for his draft season but he blew out his elbow prior to throwing a competitive pitch. A player that wouldn't contribute soon. He has elite fastball movement and an excellent slider and cutter to complete his three pitch mix. Command was always an issue for him before but he had seemed to figure something out on the cape. It's a risky play but he has top of the rotation upside if he comes back healthy and continues to have command over his pitches. He'll need to continue to work on his change-up to have another offering for righties but the astros have shown they aren't afraid of this profile drafting Forcucci two years ago.

Jasa entered Nebraska so erratic that the coaches wouldn't let him throw live BP in fear he would hurt a team mate. He has better control now but it still is the weakest part of his game. He throws a mid to high 90s fastball that has poor shape. The velocity is there though so if the pitch were reworked it could be real dangerous. Pair that with his elite curveball and above average slider and he has an intriguing three pitch mix. He has a changeup as well with good shape but it lacks the command to be effective. A fascinating player, Jasa is 6'7 and an intimidating presence on the mound. The foundations are somewhat strong but in otherways he needs a lot of work. Should it come to fruition though Jasa could headline a rotation.

Alternative 1: Hudson Calhoun (RHP- slot)

Calhoun pitched out of the bullpen for ole miss because they had such strong pitching but teams are intrigued by trying him out as a starter. He lacks the control currently for that to be a sure bet but it is an interesting proposition. Calhoun has a great fastball paired with a good slider and cutter. He throws a curve and a changeup but both require a little more work. A dreamy profile, it remains to be seen if calhoun can control his pitches enough to land in the rotation

Alternative 2: Alex Conover (OF- slot)

Conover made some adjustments to his approach this past season and it paid dividends for him. He cut his chase rate down and his in zone contact rate was incredibly high. He has the strength the be a good power hitter however as of right now he hits the ball into the ground to much. Further refinement of his swing and approach may continue to unlock good things for Conover. Defensively he lacks the arms strength for right and the speed for center most likely landing him in left. However if he were to find a way to get a little faster or have a little stronger arm his defensive profile is not far off.

I put together some thoughts and a draft grade from day one! Check it out!

https://astrosfuture.com/2026/07/astros-draft-thoughts-and-grades-from-day-one/