The Houston Astros had an eventful Day 1 in the 2025 MLB Draft, dropping a large sum of money to secure one of their picks and landing Washington high school shortstop Xavier Neyens in the first round on Sunday night.
While some have already expressed their excitement over Neyens, it’s hard for fans to feel the same way. Many of the picks in the draft feel like a projection and it may be years before that player reaches and contributes at the major league level. But Neyens wasted no time assuring fans he’d fit right in, showing why he feels like a perfect pick for the Astros.
Xavier Neyens Says He’s Going to Do ‘Whatever it Takes’ for Astros to Win
Neyens was interviewed by local media shortly after he was selected with the 21st overall pick on Sunday night. The first high school player selected by the Astros in the first round since Forrest Whitley was selected with the 17th overall pick in the 2016 draft and the first high school position player selected since Kyle Tucker went fifth overall in 2015, Neyens dazzled Houston with his pre-draft workout at Daikin Park and then delivered a quote that should resonate with Astros fans.
“I’m a dirtbag, I’m a baseball player,” Neyens said via Brian McTaggert of MLB.com. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to win.”
Xavier Neyens: "I'm a dirtbag, I'm a baseball player. I'm going to do whatever it takes to win."
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) July 14, 2025
Neyens further endeared himself by explaining his memories watching the Astros as a child, growing up about an hour away from Seattle.
“I know they whip the [Seattle] Mariners every year in the AL West, that’s what I know most about the Astros,” Neyens said via The Athletic’s Chandler Rome. “I’ve been a Mariners fan for a while, and I’ve been to quite a few Mariners-Astros games. I’ve watched a bit of it on TV. I know they always run the West.”
Most baseball fans will take Neyens “anything to win comments” and snarkily reference the Astros’ trash can and sign-stealing scandal that played a large part in winning the 2017 World Series. But his performance as a player fits nicely into Houston’s long-term plans.
MLB Pipeline had Neyens as the 25th-ranked prospect in this year’s draft but the Oregon State commit flashed huge power potential during his high school career. A left-handed bat, the 6-foot-4, 210-pounder has performed well at shortstop but could be moved to third base as he progresses through the minors.
It gives Houston some upside they haven’t seen in a while. Tucker went on to become an All-Star and two-time World Series champion before he was traded to the Chicago Cubs last winter. The last high school infielder they took in the first round was Carlos Correa, who went from being the No. 1 overall pick in 2012 to becoming another pillar of the Astros’ championship run in 2017 before he left for the Minnesota Twins in free agency after the 2021 season.
If Neyens has to move to third base to reach his potential, it’s a move the Astros are willing to make. But it also shows their newest draft pick won’t have any problems making the switch as someone who wants to bring another title to Houston.