How bright is the sun? The future of the Houston Astros is even brighter than that. They have had the number one pick for three years in a row now and their current lineup is full of youngsters on the verge of superstardom.
The biggest surprise this season that has hinted at how bright the future of the Astros could be has been the emergence of Dallas Keuchel at the ace of the pitching staff. He has surprised the baseball world with an ERA of 2.63 and a WHIP of only 1.06. He’s not the only one in the rotation that will lead to the future of the Astros. Jarred Cosart and Collin McHugh have shown flashes of being a star pitcher in this league and in the brief moments that Brad Peacock has overcome his control issues he has also shown that he can be a quality starter in this league. Over the last 30 days all three of them have shown exactly what they can do going a combined 6-4 with a combined ERA of 3.10 in 80 and one third innings.
Baseball is a team sport, and pitching alone isn’t why the Astros have a bright future. Recent call ups Jon Singleton and George Springer are two cornerstones of the future of the team. Along with them is spark plug Jose Altuve and recently acquired Dexter Fowler to lead off the top of the order and they both get on base more than 36 percent of the time. They also have power hitting Chris Carter in the lineup to round out at top five that is comparable to any lineup in the league. Singleton and Carter will supply the power, Altuve and Fowler supply the speed and Springer could be the five tool player that every team hopes for.
With a core five already in the big leagues and a solid start to a rotation this team is already headed in the right direction, but they still have top draft picks in the minors on their way up to help. They have a shortstop on his way up the ranks as well as two pitchers who all rank in the top 100 prospects for 2014. If that’s not enough number one pick from the 2014 season Brady Aiken will soon join the farm system.
If you would like some insight into the bright future of the Astros all you need to do is look at what the Miami Marlins have accomplished so far this season. They have filled the holes where they did not have young stars with accomplished veterans and right now sit just one game out of first place. If the Astros can do the same thing, and they have already found one with Fowler, then they could be in a similar position as the Marlins as early as next season.