With the 2011 minor league season complete we check in on the progress of each of the Houston Astros preseason Top 15 prospects as ranked by our prospect ranker J.P. Schwartz. The post season grading report was done by the publisher of Top Prospect Alert, not Mr. Schwartz, and reflects only the 2011 season and not future upside or downside of the individual prospect. Our 2012 preseason rankings will be published in the coming months.
#1 Jordan Lyles GRADE: C+
Lyles went 2-8 with a 5.36ERA for the Astros. He walked 26 and struck out 67 in 94 big leagues inning. Major league hitters batted .285 against him. In the minors Lyles went 3-3 with a 3.61ERA for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Redhawks. He walked 17 and struck out 42 in 62.1 innings of work. Opponents batted .277 against him.
#2 Delino DeShields GRADE: C
Deshields batted .220 with 17 Doubles, 2 Triples, 9 Home Runs and 48 RBI’s for the Low-A Lexington Legends. He also stole 30 bases on the season. Deshields walked 52 times and struck out 118 times in 119 games.
#3 Jonathan Villar GRADE: B-
Villar batted a combined .241 with 23 Doubles, 6 Triples, 14 Home Runs and 52 RBI’s between the High-A Lancaster Jethawks and the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks. He stole 32 bases on the season. Villar walked 54 times and struck out 156 times in 130 games.
#4 J.D. Martinez GRADE: A
Martinez batted .274 with 13 Doubles, 6 Home Runs and 35 RBI’s in 53 big league games with the Astros. At Double-A Corpus Christi, Martinez hit .338 with 25 Doubles, 1 Triple, 13 Home Runs, and 72 RBI’s in 88 games.
#5 Mike Foltynewicz GRADE: C
Foltynewicz went 5-11 with a 4.97ERA for Low-A Lexington. He walked 51 and struck out 88 in 134 innings of work. Opposing batters hit .289 against Foltynewicz on the season.
#6 Jiovanni Mier GRADE: C
Mier batted a combined .239 with 21 Doubles, 1 Triple, 7 Home Runs and 52 RBI’s between Low-A Lexington and High-A Lancaster. He walked 66 times and struck out 112 times in 114 games.
#7 Ben Heath GRADE: C
Heath batted a combined .252 with 22 Doubles, 10 Home Runs and 52 RBI’s between Low-A Lexington and High-A Lancaster. He walked 26 times and struck out 91 times in 91 games.
#8 Tanner Bushue GRADE: C
Bushue went a combined 6-8 with a 4.96ERA between the Rookie League GCL Astros and Low-A Lexington. He walked 17 and struck out 58 in 85.1 innings of work. Opposing batters hit .293 off of Bushue on the season.
#9 Rod Quintero GRADE: C
Quintero was 0-1 with a 5.97ERA for Rookie League Greeneville. He walked 16 and struck out 32 in 28.2 innings. Opposing batters hit .246 off of Quintero on the season.
#10 Austin Wates GRADE: A-
Wates batted .300 with 23 Doubles, 9 Triples, 6 Home Runs and 75 RBI’s at High-A Lancaster. He also stole 26 bases on the season.
#11 Mike Kvasnicka GRADE: B-
Kvasnicka batted .260 with 32 Doubles, 4 Triples, 4 Home Runs and 59 RBI’s for Low-A Lexington. He walked 46 times and struck out 106 times in 128 games.
#12 Ross Seaton GRADE: C
Seaton went 4-9 with a 5.23ERA for Double-A Corpus Christi. He walked 47 and struck out 97 in 155 innings of work. Opposing batters hit .279 off Seaton on the season.
#13 Thomas Shirley GRADE: C+
Shirley went 0-0 with 2.08ERA combined across three levels topping out at Low-A Lexington. He walked 5 and struck out 15 in 13 innings of work on the season. Opposing batters hit .143 against him.
#14 Vincent Velasquez DID NOT PLAY
Velasquez missed all of 2011 following Tommy John Surgery.
#15 J.B. Shuck GRADE: B+
Shuck batted .272 with 2 Doubles, 1 Triple, and 3 RBI’s in 37 big league games with the Astros. At Triple-A Oklahoma City, Shuck hit .297 with 11 Doubles, 7 Triples, and 30 RBI’s. He also stole 20 bases. He walked 56 times and struck out just 30 times in 108 games.