Houston Astros looking to corner market on Cuban players
By David Hill
The Houston Astros have been major players in the Cuban market over the past few years. They have three Cuban players on their 40 man roster – Yordan Alvarez, Yuli Gurriel, and Aldemys Diaz – all of whom play a major part in the lineup. That pipeline of talent has certainly paid dividends over the past few years.
It appears as though that pipeline is not shutting down any time soon. The Astros signed three more Cuban prospects on Saturday, giving the organization 21 players from the island nation. This marks the first time that any team has had 20 or more Cuban players in their organization since the 1960s.
With the official sign of Alberto Hernández, Kenny Gómez and Carlos Espinosa, the Houston Astros reach 21 Cubans in their MLB system, first time that an MLB team has 20 Cubans or more since the 1960´s.
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) January 15, 2022
Houston Astros corning Cuban prospect market
Kenni Gomes is the only one of that trio of players who rated on the top 50 international prospect list by MLB.com. Rated as the 42nd best international prospect, he is viewed as advanced for his age at the plate, capable of hitting the ball to all fields with plenty of power while showing an impressive awareness of the strike zone.
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While Pedro Leon, their second ranked prospect, is the one Cuban player listed amongst their top 30 prospects, that does not mean that the other players will not pan out. Top prospects can flame out while those unheralded minor leaguers can make a major difference to the franchise.
The fact that the Astros have that many Cuban players in their organization is a testament to the perseverance of those prospects. They have to defect from the country, establish residency elsewhere which can be a slow process, and then get back into baseball shape before signing. It is a journey taken by countless people, not just baseball players, for the promise of a better life.
For these players, that could happen with the Astros. They have become the top system when it comes to Cuban talent, an organization that has been able to attract some of the top players from the country. It has helped them at the major league level already and should continue to do so moving forward.
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The Houston Astros now have 21 Cuban players in their organization after their three signings on Saturday. They are the first team to have more than 20 since the 1960s.