Jeesh. One day after basically saying the Astros' minor league system was run by monkeys playing roulette, Keith Law posted his Top 100 MLB prospects (which, some of whom are in the Majors. I don't quite follow...wouldn't you cease to be a prospect if you make the Major League club?)
The Astros' #1 prospect was, obviously, catcher Jason Castro. Law said this about him:
This is how close the Astros came to being shut out of the top 100 entirely. One year after what might be the worst slate in Rule 4 draft history, Houston's system has bottomed out and only their top pick in this June's draft was even a candidate for the global list. Castro has a simple swing geared to maximize contact, with good bat speed and a very good idea of what he's doing at the plate. He should hit for average with plenty of doubles -- he likes to drive the ball to the opposite field -- but probably just average overall power. His defensive tools project as average across the board, although he could use some work on his plate-blocking; his arm is playable and he has good energy behind the plate. There's not much star potential here, but the contact and on-base skills are not common in a catcher and he's likely to move quickly once he gets to full-season ball.
Oh yeah. Did I mention the Astros' top prospect ranked #96 out of 100?
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
