Houston Astros Top Three Catching Prospects

Houston Astros Top 3 Catching Prospects

With the winter meetings finishing up we will begin to look at the Houston Astros top prospects at each position. This will be a fun series as the Astros have great depth at nearly every position.

This week starts with the catcher position. At the major league level the Astros have former All-Star Jason Castro, Carlos Corporan, and recently acquired Hank Conger. While the Astros don’t have a top prospect at the catcher position there is plenty of depth throughout the minor league system.

1. Max Stassi (DOB: 03/15/91)

Max Stassi was acquired in the trade that sent Jed Lowrie to the Athletics prior to 2013 season. While the Astros got some major league ready talent, a big piece of the trade was Stassi. He really put himself on the map last season when he hit 17 HR with a .277 BA in 76 games in AA. In 2014 he started in AAA but struggled to get it going. He hit .247 with 9 HR in 101 games. Stassi is regarded as a good defensive catcher as well. He had a cup of coffee in the MLB in 2013 and 2014 (.333 BA in 27 at bats). The catching position is still unsettled with Houston and Stassi could start the season with the big league club.

2. Tyler Heineman (DOB: 06/19/91)

Heineman was drafted by the Astros in the 8th round of the 2012 draft from UCLA. Coming out of college Heineman was regarded as a defensive catcher with a nice hit tool as well. In his first taste of pro ball he hit .358 with 26 BB/12 K for the Tri-City Valleycats. The next year he put together a nice season in Lancaster where he saw an increase in power with 13 HR. In 2014 he started the season with Corpus Christi (AA). While he season was somewhat mediocre (.242 BA) he played well defensively committing only four errors and throwing out 46 % of base stealers. You can also check out my interview with him here: Tyler Heineman Interview.

3. Jacob Nottingham (DOB: 04/03/95)

Nottingham was drafted 6th round out of high school in the 2013 draft. While he hasn’t played above rookie level he might have the most upside of any catching prospect in the Houston Astros system. Nottingham is a 6’3″ catcher who hits from the right side. He is noted as an aggressive hitter who could develop more power as he grows. He also has the tools to become an above average backstop. Last season he hit .230 with 10 2B, 5 HR, 28 RBI in 48 games.

Other Notables: