HOUSTON -- Outfielder Pedro León (the Astros' No. 24 prospect) has had some of the best tools in Houston's Minor League system for the past few years. He has tremendous power from the right side of the plate, is an above-average runner and has a plus arm. And now, he's finally getting his chance to display those tools in the big leagues. The Astros promoted León from Triple-A Sugar Land prior to Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Pirates. He took over Joey Loperfido's place on the 26-man roster as a backup outfielder. Loperfido was one of three young players the Astros traded to the Blue Jays on Monday for veteran left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. León joins the Astros after he played 408 games in the Minor Leagues, including 353 in Triple-A. "This is a dream come true," he said. Called a "rapid mover to the big leagues" when he signed in 2021 for $4 million, León reached Sugar Land on July 19 that season and had been there since. The Astros tried him as middle infielder in the Minor Leagues, but they have since scrapped that idea. Finding him a position and working on his career 33 percent strikeout rate have kept him in the Minors. "He's been working so hard for so many years, and just getting the opportunity now, I'm excited for him," Astros manager Joe Espada said. "He has done things that we've asked him to do to make some adjustments in his swing, his defense. We all know about his speed, and I'm just really happy for him that he's getting an opportunity." |
When León makes contact, he's shown impressive power for his 5-foot-9, 170-pound frame. He hit a Statcast-projected 477-foot homer on July 29, 2023, in Las Vegas. On April 27 of this year, he hit a 479-foot homer in Reno, Nev. In 93 games with Sugar Land this year, he had a .297/.377/.519 slash line with 62 runs, 21 doubles, 19 home runs, 74 RBIs, and 37 walks. He is the Sugar Land franchise leader in hits (330), total bases (590), doubles (73), home runs (57), RBIs (211), stolen bases (86) and runs scored (218). "I'm just trusting the process," León said. Espada said he's seen León grow and mature the last three years. "I had a conversation with him earlier today and [noticed] how more calm he is," he said. "I thought he was going to get a little bit more overwhelmed, but he's not at all. We'll see when he gets into the game. I've been talking to [Sugar Land manager] Mickey [Storey] about his progress, and [León] understands what his strengths and weaknesses are. And I think he did a really good job covering those weaknesses and making the good parts of his game even better. It would be cool to watch him here in the next couple of weeks and see where he's at." |
León's locker inside the Minute Maid Park clubhouse is next to fellow Cuban Yordan Alvarez. The Astros re-signed veteran utility player Aledmys Díaz, who's also from Cuba, to a Minor League deal on July 13 and selected his contract on July 22, giving León a pair of role models and sounding boards to help his career get started. "I'm very glad to be able to share the moment with a couple of countrymen," León said. "I had the opportunity to spend time with [Alvarez] in Spring Training, and thankfully I'm going to be able to do it here as well." |
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One of the reasons the Astros were willing to trade three promising young players to the Blue Jays on Monday -- Loperfido, infielder Will Wagner (formerly Houston's No. 13 prospect) and right-hander Jake Bloss (No. 9 prospect) -- is general manager Dana Brown's confidence in his Draft process. Bloss, who was taken with the No. 99 overall pick in the 2023 Draft, was promoted from Double-A Corpus Christi to the Majors on June 21, which was done more out of necessity than anything else. Brown has said he would aggressively push prospects if they're up for the challenge. "Having two Drafts under our belt, we feel like we're going to continue to add players," Brown said. "My strength in the past has been in the Draft, and we feel really good about this Draft and a lot of the college pitchers we took in this Draft. Ultimately, we feel like we will be able to replenish, but it's always painful when you love the player, like Joey Loperfido. "This guy has an infectious personality and a lot of energy. Wagner came from a good baseball family. Those were really tough. Bloss, just one year removed out of the Draft, and he's already in the big leagues. That's the human side, the human element. It's really difficult to make these trades, but we have to stay focused on the organization and getting back to the postseason." |
The Astros signed 18 of the 19 players they selected in the '24 MLB Draft this month. The lone selection they didn't sign was Ky McGary, a high school outfielder who was taken in the 20th round. He's headed to Arizona State instead. • Astros' 2024 Draft signings tracker Among the last batch of signees was third-round pick Ryan Forcucci out of UC San Diego. He signed for a $1 million bonus, even though he's coming off of Tommy John surgery. Forcucci underwent surgery June 5 and might not pitch until late in the 2025 season, or maybe at the start of 2026. Still, the Astros believe he was a first-round talent, and they are willing to play the long game. "It's pretty amazing," Forcucci said. "This is kind of a dream come true. It's something you kind of think about as a kid and you think it would happen, and here I am today." Forcucci traveled to the team's facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday, where he will continue his rehab. Forcucci made five collegiate starts this season, striking out 37 hitters in 25 innings, before having surgery, which was performed by noted orthopedist Dr. Neal ElAttrache. |
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