Houston Astros prospect Derek Fisher named to NYPL All-Star Game

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Derek Fisher

(Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports)

Last week, I wrote about Houston Astros prospects Derek Fisher and A.J. Reed starting off strong and playing very well since getting drafted.

Now, the 2014 New York-Penn League is recognizing Fisher for his terrific play with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Class A-Short Season.

Fisher, who was the 37th overall pick in 2014 MLB Draft, has been named to the North Roster for the All-Star Game which is set to take place at MCU Park in Brooklyn on Tuesday, August 19th.

"Here is a look at Fisher’s stats through just 30 games played:Batting Average: .336Home Runs: 1Doubles: 4Triples: 2RBIs: 14Stolen Bases: 14 (team-high)"

The Astros selected Fisher out of the University of Virginia in the Competitive Balance Round A. The 20-year-old hit .281 with 30 doubles, 12 triples, 17 homers, 127 RBI, 17 steals and an .825 OPS (.369 OBP/.456 SLG) during his three seasons in college. He is currently the Astros No. 14 prospect and received a $1,534,100 signing bonus when he signed. 

I’ll admit I was initially hesitant about drafting Derek Fisher just because of the name. (The former Lakers point guard is one of my least favorite athletes of all-time.) However, the more I hear about him and see what he is capable of, the more I’m becoming a fan.

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As a left-handed hitter, Fisher has done a nice job against both left-handed and right-handed pitching so far in the pros. As an outfielder, he still needs to improve his arm strength and overall defense a lot. However, Fisher has already shown he will work hard to improve. He wasn’t a huge stolen base threat in college, but has worked tirelessly to add that aspect to his game and now leads the Tri-City ValleyCats in that category.

One of the biggest adjustments for college players going to the pros is getting used to playing every day. As he learns to be more consistent and becomes a more complete baseball player, Fisher could eventually make a major impact in the organization. In the meantime, it should be pretty fun to watch this kid develop.