One of the keys to the Astros farm system is probably second baseman Jose Altuve. While he's been ridiculed by scouts because of how unimpressive his body is (5'5, 150 pounds), all he does is keep hitting. John Sickels at Minor League Ball recently profiled Altuve's start to the season in Lancaster, and while everyone hits well at Lancaster, they don't always hit THIS well:
↵↵↵He's a good athlete and strong for his size, but scouts are understandably cautious about him, despite a strong track record of hitting (including .308/.364/.445 last year in Low-A). He's at High-A Lancaster this year, hitting a stunning .451/.506/.662 in 18 games, with a 9/8 BB/K in 81 PA and 11 steals in 13 attempts. Now, Lancaster is a great place to hit, and indeed he's at .528/.571/.750 in 10 contests there this year, but he's also hitting .371/.436/.571 on the road. He's a good second baseman, is just 21 years old, and should reach Double-A later this year. We'll track him closely.
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Altuve looks like a true Moneyball prospect thus far--and I mean that in the "bad body" way rather than the undervalued way, although he could be that too-- and he is someone Astros fans should have high hopes for so far. He could climb the ladder quickly if he keeps hitting like this, and he might already be the best Astros hitting prospect. (Apologies to Delino DeShields Jr.)
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