The Houston Astros' farm system is looking a little thin of late — mainly because so many young players have made their Major League debut this season. Cam Smith, Jacob Melton, and Brice Matthews have all made it to the big leagues, and a near-empty Astros pipeline looks even more bare after the team sold off some prospects at the MLB trade deadline.
But a little-known Astros prospect could change the complexion of the team's farm system, and his latest outing revealed just how high his ceiling is. Bryce Mayer, a player the Astros took in the 16th-round of the 2024 MLB Draft, just racked up eight strikeouts over four innings during his most recent start, and his numbers on the season as a whole are quite impressive.