MLB debut: Houston Astros Myles Straw runs the week’s debuts
Houston Astros outfielder Myles Straw uses his incredible speed to lead off the week’s debuts
With a couple weeks left in the season, the MLB debut list is getting shorter and shorter each week, but each piece can have a significant piece to the playoffs. Houston Astros outfielder Myles Straw leads off the group this week.
Myles Straw
The Chicago Cubs have Terrance Gore. Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts served in the role himself with the Boston Red Sox as a player. The role was really defined by Herb Washington, who played in 105 games between 1974 and 1975, stealing 31 bases without collecting a single plate appearance.
The Astros selected Straw out of St. Johns River Community College in Florida in the 12th round in 2015. He immediately stole 22 bases over 58 games in the Appalachian League in his draft season.
In his first full season, Straw played through both A-ball levels, hitting .358/.423/.454 with 21 steals over 87 games. He hit 6 triples and used his speed to leg out 18 doubles as well.
Straw then spent most of 2017 in high-A, finishing in AA to help with their playoff run. He hit .290/.405/.360 on the season with 38 steals and 7 triples. This season, he spent equal time at AA/AAA and hit .291/.381/.353 with 70 steals in 131 games.
Straw has incredible speed and contact ability, which should give him a chance to work as a traditional type down the road for someone, but the Astros could simply use Straw for a pinch-runner extraordinaire this postseason. He got his first game action on Saturday, pinch-running in the 7th inning and then taking over in center field for the final two innings. He’s yet to record a plate appearance.
Tigers pitching pair
Taken from Missouri State in the 6th round in 2015, lefty Matt Hall was seen as a safe senior sign that would likely be solid in the minor league system and probably not make his way to the majors.
Instead, Hall showed out very well, immediately putting up 34 innings over 11 appearances with a 2.91 ERA and a 8/34 BB/K ratio. That part was fairly expected in the lower levels, though with Hall’s history of command and control that would likely be tough for lower level hitters.
Then Hall had an incredibly impressive full season in his first full season in 2016, splitting his time between low- and high-A. He tallied a 2.55 ERA over 127 innings with a 49/126 BB/K ratio. He followed up in 2017 with 138 1/3 innings between high-A and AA, posting a 2.60 ERA and a 59/149 BB/K ratio.
Hall worked between the bullpen and rotation in the upper minors this season in the minors, with a 2.13 ERA and 45/135 BB/K ratio over 114 1/3 combined innings. Hall made his debut on Saturday, and it was brutal, to say the least, allowing 9 runs, 6 earned on 8 hits and a walk in his one inning of work.
The ace of Alabama staff, Spencer Turnbull was a 2nd round draft pick in 2014. he’s been working his way up the system ever since. After a very solid season split between high-A and AA in 2017, Turnball spent most of 2018 in AA.
Turnball made 19 of his starts in AA, but also made starts with the GCL, high-A, and a pair of starts in AAA. He totaled 119 1/3 innings with a 3.92 ERA and a 46/133 BB/K ratio. On Friday, he made his debut for the Tigers, pitching a perfect inning, striking out one.
Rest of debuts
A pair of former top draft picks made their debuts this week, but only one with his original drafting team and neither on the path expected when they were drafted.
The Minnesota Twins twice drafted Nick Burdi, first out of high school and then out of Louisville in the 2nd round. The Pittsburgh Pirates nabbed Burdi in the Rule 5 draft last offseason as he was recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Burdi’s top-end velocity worked in a bullpen role, and the Twins tried to work him there when he was healthy, and 2018 will be the 3rd season in a row that he will make less than 15 appearances in the minor leagues due to multiple injuries. He did struggle with his control when he returned, striking out 14 over 11 innings, but also walking 6.
The Pirates gave Burdi his MLB debut on Tuesday, going just 1/3 of an inning, allowing 4 runs, 3 earned on 2 hits and a walk.
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Labeled as one of the strongest players in the minor leagues, DJ Stewart was originally drafted by the Yankees out of high school before the Orioles selected him 25th overall in 2015 out of Florida State. He picked up his bodybuilder physique on his way up the minors, but he’s still not exactly become the guy the Orioles thought they were getting.
Stewart has hit .250/.351/.412 over 1,800 minor league plate appearances thus far, but rather than putting up incredible power numbers, he’s totaled 49 homers, posting more steals (61) than homers. He has shown surprising plate discipline for a big, free-swinging hitter, at 19.22%.
In AAA this year with Norfolk, Stewart hit .235/.329/.387 with 12 homers and 11 steals. The Orioles brought him up, and he made his major league debut on Wednesday. Over the course of the week, he played in 5 games, but he did not pick up a hit, going 0-13 with a walk.
Towering 6’9″ lefty Brad Wieck was drafted by the Phillies out of high school and then a 7th round pick by the New York Mets out of community college in 2014. He was part of a 2015 trade by the Mets to acquire Alex Torres from the Padres.
Wieck was viewed as a starter in his first two seasons in the minors, but he was moved to the bullpen in 2016 and was dominant. In AA/AAA this season, he made 44 appearances, pitching to a 2.53 ERA with a dominating 17/70 BB/K ratio.
He made his debut on Friday for the Padres, tossing a perfect 8th inning.
Next. Under-radar Royals prospects to watch in 2019. dark
While Straw could run wild for the Houston Astros this postseason, the rest of the MLB debut list this week is nothing to sneeze at, either.