Astros Minor League Weekly Recap: April 27-May 3

AA Corpus Christi 

Mar 8, 2015; Lakeland, FL, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (76) at bat against the Detroit Tigers at a spring training baseball game at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Corpus Christi Hooks were hot early on in the season but appear to have hit a wall this past week. The Hooks are now 14-10 after Monday’s late rally stole the win from the Frisco RoughRiders (Rangers). However, last week the star-studded roster had it’s first real test of mental toughness. They played seven games, and only came away with one victory for the week, and that was an 8-1 win last Thursday night. Coming into this week, the Hooks were on a five-game winning streak.

Astros top prospect Collin Moran had his jaw broken when a ball hit him in the face as he was sliding into second base. It was a non-displaced fracture, so he will bee out for a while recovering.

Best Single Game Performance

There were many great single game performances this past week, despite the six out of seven losses. The best single game for the week is Brandon Meredith‘s 3-5/ 1 homer/ 2 runs/ 1 RBI game. (Correa’s 3 stolen base game also could have won)

Corpus Christi Hitters

Who’s Hot?

Carlos Correa – Correa hit .360 with 8 stolen bases last week. Fans have been clamoring for Correa to make his debut soon.

Tony Kemp – Kemp hit .423 while scoring seven runs. With Jose Altuve holding down the fort at second base, Kemp’s fate depends on him learning the outfield.

Who’s Cold?

Teoscar Hernandez – Recently the rising prospect with five-tool potential, has struggled a little. Just look at that batting average.

Corpus Christi Pitchers

Who’s Hot?

Lance McCullers – while he does not appear to have the best numbers, on the season he is still dominating Double-A hitters. I did an interview with McCullers here. Some people feel like McCullers will be a closer type of player. McCullers sees himself as a starter and has shown it with displays like

Who’s Cold? 

Mark Appel – Hold off on his tickets to Houston for at least one more start–just kidding. Appel got hit around a little, giving up 5 earned runs in four innings. Will Appel make it to the big leagues this year this is still to be seen, but he must make better starts in the future. Once Appel makes his debut, look for him to stick.

Next: High-A Lancaster