Houston Astros, Framber Valdez (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
The plucky southpaw took a giant step forward in 2020, and could be an Ace-in-the-making for the Astros – if he isn’t already. The Houston Astros have been able to find international prospects and turn them into stars, with recent examples being Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa (technically) and Yuli Gurriel. It’s probably safe to say that Framber Valdez should be added to that list. Valdez, a stocky 5’11, 240 pound pitcher from the Dominican Republic, initially signed with Astros in 2015 then proceeded to cruise through their Minor League system the next two years, earning minor League accolades and mowing down prospect hitters.