10. Corbin Martin, RHP
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 12/28/1995 (22)
2017 teams/levels played for: Gulf Coast League Astros, short-season A-ball Tri-City ValleyCats
2017 Stats: 10 G, 4 GS, 32 2/3 IP, 2.20 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 7% BB, 33.6% K
Info: One of the most reliable arms in the 2017 college class, Martin was the ace of the Texas A&M staff this spring before the Houston Astros made him their second round selection.
Due to the workload he had in his draft season with the Aggies and his lack of experience with heavy inning loads, the Astros gave him a smaller workload in his pro debut.
As he gets more feel on his breaking pitches, Martin will be able to pair them with his fastball/change to give him a solid four-pitch mix
Martin worked in the mid-90s as a closer in the Cape Cod League, but he worked more in the 91-93 range as a starter and he was able to locate better and get better movement on the pitch as well. Martin’s best offspeed is an above-average change.
While Martin uses both a slider and a curve, his slider is ahead of the curve, even though both are below average pitches in break. He was able to locate both pitches better as a starter, and that did allow him to get plenty of swing and miss with both pitches.
As he gets more feel on his breaking pitches, Martin will be able to pair them with his fastball/change to give him a solid four-pitch mix. While that’s not likely going to project at the front of a rotation, his repeatable delivery and command should allow him to be a solid mid-rotation option.
Martin will open 2018 in full-season ball, whether that’s with low-A or high-A.
9. J.D. Davis, 3B
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 4/27/1993 (24)
2017 teams/levels played for: AA Corpus Cristi Hooks, AAA Fresno Grizzlies, MLB Houston Astros
2017 Stats: Minors: .282/.345/.527, 461 PA, 26 HR, 5 SB, 40/108 BB/K; Majors: .226/.279/.484, 68 PA, 4 HR, 1 SB, 4/20 BB/K
Info: Highly regarded out of high school, Davis was a 5th round selection, in spite of his strong commitment to Cal State Fullerton. Three years later, the Houston Astros nabbed him in the 3rd round and he’s been crushing baseballs ever since.
Davis is a big guy at third base, at 6’3″ and 225 pounds. However, he does have an excellent arm at third (he was a pitcher in college) that covers for his average-at-best range at third. He has similar range at first base, but he does have good hands at either position.
Davis has incredible power in his swing, but he keeps his swing more level than he really should. He could find himself driving a ton more balls out of the park by adjusting his swing angle, even though his prodigious power has certainly produced well in the minors thus far, hitting 88 home runs over four seasons.
Davis is really stuck behind a number of options in Houston and is likely best used by the organization as trade fodder. For now, he’s likely to open 2018 in AAA and fill in as needed due to injury at the corner infield spots, but he could be a secondary piece in a midseason trade and get a chance to show his power elsewhere.
Next: #7 and #8