Under the Radar Prospects: Astros

The Houston Astros are the subjects of this week's installment of under the radar prospects

On this week’s edition of Under the Radar, the Houston Astros receive the spotlight. The organization is adept at scouting and finding value despite having success almost every season for the last half decade. Their ability to re-load on talent has helped lead the big league team to be a perennial World Series contender. Below are five prospects, one of whom has already made his big league debut, that could help to keep the Astros in the playoff picture for years to come.

Shawn Dubin, RHP - Houston Astros

Selected by the Astros in the 13th round of the 2018 draft, Shawn Dubin has already spent plenty of time with the organization. A senior signing for the Astros, Dubin received just a $1,000 signing bonus but quickly showcased he had plenty of talent. During his first taste of baseball as a professional, his fastball was clocking it at nearly 5-7mph harder than it had been during his collegiate days.

Dubin’s heater averaged 95mph last season and he also features an above-average slider that have led to him dominating opposing hitters at times. Unfortunately, injuries and command issues have plagued him and led to Dubin not receiving as much prospect acclaim as other hurlers in Houston’s system. Nonetheless, Dubin was added to Houston’s 40-man roster after the 2021 season and made his big league debut in 2023.

During his time in the minor leagues, Dubin compiled a 29.8% strikeout rate and a 11.2% walk rate while holding opposing hitters to a .200 batting average over 313 innings pitched. In his brief big league stint, Dubin appeared in three games, including one start, where he allowed seven runs on 12 hits while striking out 11 and walking three over 9 innings pitched.

Misael Tamarez, RHP - Houston Astros

The Astros signed Misael Tamarez during the 2019 international signing period. Since Tamarez was already 19-years old when the Astros picked him up, they were aggressive with his development, moving him stateside in his debut year. The pandemic caused him to miss out on the 2020 season, but he wound up finishing the 2021 campaign in High-A at just 21 years of age.